Paul Grant
Paul Grant will want to go one better than last year when
he plays for New Zealand in Wellington this weekend.
The Otago loose forward was part of the New Zealand team
which lost to England in the last play of the final last year
in the Wellington leg of the world sevens circuit.
Until then, New Zealand had looked in control of the game,
and Grant said he and his team-mates wanted to use that
heart-breaking loss to make an impact over the next couple of
days.
"We've talked about that and about wanting to impose
ourselves and our game on the match.
"We want to stay composed throughout the match and back
ourselves to do the right thing when it is needed," Grant
said.
"It's about, when you're under pressure, making the right
decision.
"And if you are fit enough, then you can make the right
decision."
New Zealand heads into the Wellington leg of the series as
the hottest of favourites, having won the first two
tournaments of the season, in Dubai and South Africa, but
will still have to be on its game in Wellington.
"We want to continue on from where we have started the first
couple of tournaments.
"But it won't be easy.
"Teams really want to win the Wellington tournament," he
said.
Grant (22) has become something of a fixture in the New
Zealand sevens team, though that did not make training any
easier, under tough taskmaster Gordon Tietjens.
"You're doing a lot of length of the field sort of stuff . .
. trying to move the ball wide across the field.
"The hardest thing is you never really know what he is going
to do at training."
Grant said his fitness was good at the moment, and said he
did not over-indulge over the Christmas break, although he
had a bit of time off.
Grant played for Otago in the national sevens tournament in
Queenstown last month, and that helped keep up his fitness.
Straight after the Wellington tournament, Grant and his team
will get on a plane to travel to Las Vegas to play the
following weekend.
The Wellington tournament had a party atmosphere and Grant
said it was a great event in which to play.
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