Australia claim women's sevens title in Atlanta
HONG KONG: One step forward, two steps back. For the Australian men's sevens team, the road to winning gold in Rio looks as far away as ever.
For all the progress the Thunderbolts have made this season, reaching the semi-finals in each of the last four World Series tournaments they have played, they are still searching for an elusive win.
On Sunday, they finished fourth at the HSBC Sevens in Hong Kong - thrashed 34-5 by Fiji in the semis then pipped 14-12 by South Africa in the third-place playoff, leaving coach Andy Friend unimpressed. 
"Yes we are building, but we've got to start doing that (winning tournaments)," he said. "We can't be happy with just making semi-finals. We really need to get to a win, it's vital for our self-belief but time is running out."
It's been four years since Australia has won any leg of the Sevens World Series and 28 years since they have won in Hong Kong, when Michael Lynagh was captain and David Campese was goose-stepping his way over the tryline.
Australia's commitment to Sevens waned when rugby turned professional in the mid 1990s but with a squad of specialist players and the inclusion of the game on the Olympic programme, the excuses are running out. The will and resources to succeed are there, but not the results.
"We've got 25 contracted players and plenty of depth. But what we're looking for now is in those real big moments, who's gonna step up," Friend said.
"The game's all psychological. Physically, I think we're in great shape, it's just having that belief to execute when it really matters."
Sevens has always been a fickle game, charming and frustrating its most loyal followers in equal doses. The difference between winning and losing is often decided as much by luck and the bounce of the ball than skill and careful planning.
That, and the spontaneous nature of the code, are enough to ensure Australia will go to Rio as a genuine contender to win the gold medal but Friend's concerns about the team's mental state are not without merit.
The Thunderbolts blew a golden opportunity to end their drought at the Sydney Sevens in   February when they gave up the winning try to New Zealand after the siren in the final. The following month, they squandered a 15-0 halftime lead to lose the Las Vegas final to Fiji. A week later, in Vancouver, they suffered a shock loss to Canada in the pool phase before eventually finishing third.
As the most prestigious tournament in the series, and the only leg that has the same three-day format that will be used in Rio, this weekend's tournament in Hong Kong was a real litmus test - not just Australia's best chance in years to end their long drought in the former British colony but also an opportunity to lay down a marker for Rio.
Hampered by a long injury lost which has sidelined at least eight players, Friend brought in some new players, including former NRL player Frankie Winterstein and ex-Wallaby wing Nick Cummins, whose appearance inspired dozens of Honey Badger lookalikes in the stands.
The early signs were encouraging, with the Thunderbolts smashing Argentina 28-0 in their opening match. Skipper Ed Jenkins scored his 100th career try in the match but Cummins joined the casualty toll when he hurt his ankle and was unable to play again.
Things were still looking good when Australia outclassed Portugal 45-7 in the first mach on Saturday, with John Porch notching a hat-trick, but the first signs of trouble came with a 22-7 loss to the United States in their final pool game on Saturday, which saw them relegated to group runners-up.
A hard-fought 14-5 win over England in the quarter-finals on Sunday was cause for renewed optimism but it was another false dawn as Australia's shortcomings against the sport's heavyweights were exposed by their losses to Fiji and South Africa.