The pools for the Men's Elite and Women's Elite brackets at the Las Vegas Invitational and once again they offer up an array for strong matches.
Men's Elite
The Men's Elite division is split up into six pool meaning the winners of each pool and the two best runners-up will advance to the quarterfinals. Mostly that shouldn't be a problem in pool play as most pools have clear favorites. However, it could get tricky for pools with a couple of legitimate quarterfinal contenders. It could also mean that teams in those pools beat up on each another enough to see one team miss out.
The Falcons headline Pool A along with the Selects 1, Laie Lions, and the Cayman Island. The Selects could have a strong array of domestic talent and you don't always know what teams from Hawaii are capable of but this pool should belong to the Falcons. The same goes for the Maple Leafs in Pool B. The All-Armed Forces, Mana Utah Select, and Florida Select could have a few gems but almost certainly not enough depth to hang with Canada.
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Pool C is more interesting. Ronin out of England should be a good team this year but the Northeast ODA will have the horses to run far in the tournament and will think of themselves (rightly) as favorites. Derek Lipscomb has been playing fantastic rugby and if they get Nate Brakeley and Nate Augspurger on the team they could challenge for the tournament title. Arizona is a bit of a wildcard but considering the talent that has come out of the state recently they can't be written off. The Kansas City Blues were the surprise team of the Club 7s Nationals. That experience could be crucial.
Pool D is similarly more up in the air. The Lionheart 7s out of Edmonton have gone very far in the tournament before and if they can bring what is essential a Canada C team they will be very dangerous. Atlantis will have plenty of athletes as well and it could be that both Lionheart and Atlantis advance. The 7th Airborne is reportedly a very underrated team while if Germany is using the tournament as preparation for an Olympic run they could bring in their top players.
The Serevi Selects should control Pool E. It's unclear at the moment if they are bringing the top players from Seattle or if it will be more of a Fijian all-star team. Either way they are one of the favorites to make the final as well. In Pool F it's France that is expected to top the pool although the Stars, Selects 2, or the Austin Blacks could cause an upset and sneak in as one of the two second place spots.
Pool play for the division begins on Thursday. The Cup quarterfinals as well as all playoff matches for the Bowl, Plate, and Shield will be held on Friday. The Cup semi-finals, third place match, and the final, which will be in the main stadium, will take place on Saturday.
Pool A: USA Falcons, Selects 1, Laie Lions, Cayman Islands
Pool B: Maple Leafs, All-Armed Forces, Mana Utah Select, Florida Select
Pool C: Ronin 7s, Northeast ODA, Arizona ODA, Kansas City Blues
Pool D: Atlantis, Lionheart 7s, 7th Airborne, Germany
Pool E: Serevi Selects, Air Force, Atlanta Old White, Mexico
Pool F: France Development, Stars, Austin Blacks, Selects 2
Women's Elite
The Women's Elite bracket has three pools of four teams each meaning that like on the Women's World Seres the top two teams from each pool will advance along with the two best third place finishers.
The Maple Leafs have traditionally been one of the top performers at the tournament and that should continue in this edition. They are in Pool A with Atlantis, NY Ladies Sevens NL, and Japan 2. Atlantis could be a form of a U.S.A. B team which would improve their chances. NL is the Netherlands who have plenty of Series experience.
The Serevi Selects could also have a number of Eagles on the team and they could also have a number of Fijians on the team. Either way they should be very good and along with Maple Leafs 2 advance out of the pool. It will be between the Stars Blue and Japan 1 to fight for a quarterfinal spot. Lastly, Apotella, last year's runners-up, look like the top team in Pool C with the Stars next. Argentina and the Sirens could surprise but don't have as much experience.
Pool play for the women takes place on Friday with the finals on Saturday morning with the exception of the Cup final which takes place on Sunday in Sam Boyd Stadium.
Pool A: Maple Leafs, Atlantis, EY Ladies Sevens NL, Japan 2
Pool B: Serevi Selects, Japan 1, Maple Leafs 2, Stars Blue
Pool C: Aptoella Angels, Stars, Scion Sirens, Argentina
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