Quade Cooper and Sonny Bill Williams set to face off in Sydney Sevens pool match

A Saturday night showdown between Quade Cooper and Sonny Bill Williams may provide the highlight of this weekend's Sydney Sevens at Allianz Stadium.

The Wallabies and the third-ranked All Blacks are scheduled to meet at 9pm on Saturday in the nightcap of the opening day's play. 

Williams was picked in New Zealand's squad on Monday on the back of a fluctuating performance in the third leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series in Wellington over the weekend. 

"I'm really pleased with how I went this weekend to tell you the truth," Williams said afterwards. 

"The pleasing thing is being able to be in an environment where, even though I'm a rookie, everyone wants to help you out." 

The 30-year-old wants to play sevens at the Rio 2016 Olympics and will be eager to face Cooper in what could well be the match of the weekend, featuring two of the more successful names in world rugby. 

Cooper is expected to join the seventh-ranked Australian squad on Wednesday for at least one training session before the tournament. 

He is returning from Toulon – the same team Williams famously left Australia for in 2008 – after being released for the tournament by the Top 14 club. 

Nonetheless, if the two superstars do go head-to-head, a sold out crowd at Allianz Stadium will be on deck to watch the pair try to outdo each other in the truncated game.  

In Australia and New Zealand rugby Tests, Williams has always had the upper hand over Cooper, with the All Blacks centre triumphing over the Wallabies No.10 on each of the three times they have come up against each other. 

It has been more than three years since the pair have played each other in an international fixture, but losses of 22-0 (August 2012), 20-6 (October 2011) and 30-14 (August 2011) against Williams will have not sit well with Cooper.  

Australia have drawn their trans-Tasman rivals in Pool A, along with Canada and Portugal. 

World Series heavyweights South Africa (1st), Fiji (2nd) and England (4th) have been placed in separate pools.

Pool matches begin at 11am on Saturday (local time) and will finish with the highly-anticipated Australia and New Zealand fixture. Australia face Portugal at 1.34pm before taking on Canada at 5.32pm. 

Players from all 16 teams arrived in Sydney on Monday before dispersing to various parts of Sydney to prepare for the tournament. 

The US squad even had to cancel a media opportunity with Sydney school students, citing a lack of sleep as the reason for disappointing kids who would get a chance to meet Carlin Isles, the world's fastest rugby player. 

POOL A - New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Portugal. 

POOL B - South Africa, Kenya, Scotland, Russia. 

POOL C - Fiji, Argentina, Samoa, France. 

POOL D - England, United States, Japan, Wales. 

CURRENT SERIES TOP 10 STANDINGS

1) South Africa (54)

2) Fiji (52)

3) New Zealand (47)

4) England (41)

5) Argentina (41)

6) USA (39)

7) Australia (35)

8) Kenya (30)

9) France (28)

10) Scotland (22)     

Author: 
PACNEWS