Dubai: Four-time Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens champions England are looking to improve on their fourth place finish in Dubai last year, when the action kicks off in Round 2 of the HSBC Sevens World Series at The Sevens Stadium next week.

England have started the season strongly, finishing third in Round 1 at Australia’s Gold Coast in October, after producing a stunning win over 12- time overall Series champion New Zealand 31-7 in the Cup quarter-finals. They went down 7-48 to Fiji in the semis, but rebounded to hammer South Africa 19-0 in the play-off.

Reflecting on that outing, Coach Simon Amor said: “In terms of an outcome, third in the Gold Coast was positive, but we had some up and down performances and there were areas that needed work – which is what we have been doing since. The key is to get some consistency in our performances.”

In Dubai last year, England beat Canada and the United States before losing to Fiji in the pool rounds. They then went on to defeat Wales 33-12 in the last eight, but were upstaged 12-26 by South Africa in the semi-finals, before a 14-17 loss to New Zealand in the third-fourth place play-off.

Despite placing fourth overall in the HSBC Sevens World Series last year, England finished the season without a Cup from any edition for the first time since 2009 after losing close, key games. Asked how he’s working to improve on that result, Amor said: “Being successful at the breakdown is becoming a fundamental part of being successful at Sevens. That was clearly evident last season with the very top teams, and having watched the Gold Coast 7s, it’s an area that all teams have certainly been working on.”

With the top four teams in the overall standings at the end of the season also qualifying for the next Olympics, England, like all other teams, are putting their plans in place. Amor shared his thoughts on their roadmap, saying: “We’re looking to create a pathway for Sevens players, and part of that is to bring in guys who have got the potential to thrive for England, and then possibly move back to the 15-a-side game. It’s great to see these players doing well and improving, it’s not easy being thrown in at the deep end of a World Series, but we want them to fulfil their potential.”

Dubai-leg Defending champions Fiji, who also won at the Gold Coast, have been marked out by most sides as the ones to beat in this edition. Amor, however, dismissed any suggestions of focusing on any particular teams or individuals, saying: “We don’t tend to focus our attention on one side, as there are plenty of talented sides competing in the Series who all deserve equal respect; and in Dubai, we have a very difficult pool too, starting with a tough challenge against the USA. It’s important to focus on ourselves and on how we can improve in each tournament.”

England are in Pool C together with Australia, Gold Coast Bowl winners USA and Round 1 Shield runners-up Kenya. They begin their Round 2 engagements with the clash against USA at 11:14 am on Friday, December 5, on Pitch 1.

Looking forward to hosting England at The Sevens Stadium once again, Tournament Director Jim Fitzsimons said: “England have historically been one of the strongest performers here. And at the Gold Coast, they once again reminded everybody about what they’re capable of, with glimpses of their genius in their victory over heavyweights New Zealand. England is one of the form teams coming into this tournament, and we’re excited to host them once again, as they look to move level with New Zealand as the most successful team ever in Dubai.”

Entry is free on Thursday, December 4, tickets for Friday and Saturday cost more at the gate, so buy your tickets now and save. See www.dubairugby7s.com for all the details of the event and ticket outlets.