TV commentator Nigel Starmer-Smith looks back on Wellington and ahead to the USA Sevens in Las Vegas, round 5 of the HSBC Sevens World Series.
Not even 24 hours have passed since New Zealand's brilliant win on home soil in Wellington, and already the teams are thinking about Round 5 in Las Vegas and the journey ahead.
I allow myself just a little more downtime these days!...
You have to say that with that victory in NZ - their second in as many events - New Zealand start as favourites in Vegas. They've got that depth of strength in their squad and, canny as he is, Gordon Tietjens brought in guys who just slotted in. Having lost Toby Arnold to an ACL injury on day one, one of the new boys Mark Jackman looked very accomplished and was tactically very sound in the final.
And in that final it was all wrapped up before the first half was done because they adapted better to the conditions. It was pouring with rain and so in came the tactical kicking, mostly from the brilliant Tomasi Cama, that sent Fiji backwards time and again.
And crucially, as ever, their defence was so strong. It was rock solid across the field. When Fiji played their best rugby at the beginning they just came up against this barrage of black and when they didn't get anywhere I thought their shoulders went down.
Particularly impressive as well was Frank Halai - shades of Jonah Lomu with all his power - and equally Tomasi Cama is just mesmeric. He's the little general, always taking the right options and gelling it all together. Just a magical rugby player and Gordon Tietjens was singing his praises - again - after the game.
England were unlucky, I guess. Very shrewd in bringing it back to 12-all in that semi final with New Zealand but again it was Halai who broke the deadlock.
Canada and Tonga lead the 'best of the rest'
The other thing that impressed me in Wellington was the re-emergence of some of the other nations. It should no longer come as any surprise that Canada produced such a strong performance. That they're doing it with such a young team - five under 20 - is quite exceptional and speaks volumes for their Sevens programme, but they really were good to watch.
They deserved to make the Cup quarters, topping their pool with the equally impressive Tonga, and the Canadians lost to South Africa in the Plate semi after probably their best game. I look forward to watching them in Vegas where, as fate would have it, they line up against hosts USA in their pool and are now favourites to proceed to the Cup quarters.
And then there was the Tongans - amazing what they did with this young team, only two of them with any kind of experience to speak of on the Series but just that talent, that raw physicality and all credit to them.
Finally, another real crowd favourite, Kenya, who have been languishing down in the Shield competition for much of this season. Back they came back with brothers Humphrey Kayange and Collins Injera and other tried and tested players like Victor Oduor and the new captain Sidney Ashioya. They were brimming with confidence again and you could see hints of a return to the kind of form that took them to a Cup final in Adelaide a few years ago.
Video: Finals day highlights from Wellington
A little moan...
I guess if there's one down side to the tournament in Wellington, and I'm sorry to say it because it's been a fantastic event for 13 years now, is that this trend continues of it being simply a party.
Don't get me wrong - we all want it to be fun and vibrant with music, dancing and everything else that makes it what it is, but it was lucky that New Zealand were there in the final because it meant the crowd came back to their seats.
There were too many games, even the Cup quarter finals, where two thirds of the seats were empty, and it worries me. Looking ahead, we have to think about how the focus can be primarily on what is happening on the field and not just around the field.
So we go to Las Vegas for the USA Sevens and it's such a tough draw for the USA, who you have to say disappointed in Wellington losing all five of their matches.
The expectation is there, the application is there, the conditioning is there - they may well be as fit as any team out there - but at the moment they just seem to lack that playing talent and that rugby brain you need in the game of Sevens.
They will improve, of course, and we've seen in the past how they do raise themselves for their home event.
Finally, some advice for, Brazil, Olympic hosts of Sevens in four years and lining up on the World Series for the first time since 2002. Don't miss your tackles boys!.. You are going to be on the back foot in Vegas but go for it, take risks and be confident.
And if you are down on the scoreboard... well just keep making your tackles!
