RIO DE JANEIRO -- Portia Woodman ran behind the posts for yet another try, then dropped to her knees and cried.She wept because she believed she cost her New Zealand side victory against Australia in the first Olympic gold-medal match in womens rugby sevens.Australia won the final 24-17 Monday, scoring two tries while Woodman was in the sin-bin at Deodoro Stadium.The feeling of letting my team down, thats what got to me the most, Woodman said.The womens games biggest star, she was also the outstanding individual of the competition for scoring in all six of her matches -- 10 tries in all, including two hat tricks. But late in the first half, she instinctively reached out behind her on defense to stop an Australian pass, causing a deliberate knock-on. She didnt wait for the referee to brandish the yellow card, running off the field immediately to serve two minutes on the sideline.I knew instantly (thered be a yellow card), she said. It wasnt intentional, it was just a mistake, just a reaction, the ball was there.While she was stewing with seconds to go in the half, Australia tapped the penalty, and went ahead 10-5 thanks to an overlap try to Evania Pelite where Woodman would have been patrolling.Even without Woodman to start the second half, New Zealand seemed to have Australia pinned in its own half. Woodman was out for more than two minutes but couldnt go back in until there was a break in play, and was watching as Australias Charlotte Caslick broke out and Ellia Green ended up scoring a converted try for 17-5.That was still within New Zealands comeback ability, but Woodman dropped the kickoff ball -- I didnt brush (the yellow card) off as quickly as I wanted to -- giving over possession which Australia ultimately used to score from a Caslick tap-and-go, effectively sealing the gold medal at 24-5 with less than four minutes to go.After scoring the last try of the final, and falling to her knees, Woodman was comforted by teammates, who were also emotional. Woodman was one of several players who won the Sevens World Cup in 2013, and the New Zealand Rugby Union poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into their preparations. Winning New Zealands first Olympic medal in a team sport in 40 years was only a little consolation.Its hard when you came for that gold, and it wasnt the performance that we really wanted, Woodman said. Its a huge honor no matter what. Our mission for our team is to inspire the world with the black jersey, and weve done that. The world knows now that womens rugby is the real deal.Woodman, the daughter and niece of All Blacks, switched from netball to rugby four years ago, and with power, pace and fancy footwork has become the all-time leading try-scorer with 119 in the four years of the womens world sevens series.She was not finished with the Olympics.Oh yeah. I want to come back again in four years, she said. Im not feeling like this again, thats for sure. Cheap MLB Jerseys Store . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. 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Wayne Bennett will take charge of England for the first time in their Four Nations opener against New Zealand in Yorkshire on Sunday, and the job in front of him could potentially be the biggest challenge of his distinguished career.Englands passion for rugby league can never be questioned but they have struggled for decades to transfer it into trophies.The hosts will start their Four Nations campaign at the John Smiths Stadium in Huddersfield, little more than one kilometre from the site of The George Hotel, the birthplace of rugby league in 1895.Fast forward 121 years and the success-starved England fans are hoping their national team will be re-born under the guidance of Bennett.The English fans have a right to be excited with the seven-time NRL premiership-winning coach in charge, but they must also be a little nervous; if Bennett cant lead them to success it is difficult to imagine who can.Realistically, and with no disrespect to Scotland, there are just three contenders for the Four Nations title; Bennett is arguably the games greatest ever coach but does he have what it takes to make England successful?England have not been the No. 1-ranked international rugby league team in more 40 years and, outside the Great Britain umbrella, they have NEVER won a major trophy; they last real success of any note in the 1946 Ashes series.So what are the top five qualities that Bennett will bring to make England a genuine chance of making history this tournament?BeliefEngland dont have the strength in depth that Australia and New Zealand enjoy, but they do have quality players.Sam, George and Tom Burgess, James Graham, Josh Hodgson, Elliott Whitehead, Sam Tomkins, Gareth Widdop, Mike Cooper and Zak Hardaker have all enjoyed varying degrees of success in the NRL, and this experience has made them better players.This is where Bennett comes in; his ability to get the best out of his players, and instill self-belief, could be the ingredient they need.I think the big turning point for them has been about 10 English players in the Australian competition now,?Bennett said when appointed England coach early in 2016.Its a little bit like Origin 30-odd years ago when we brought the Queenslanders who were in New South Wales back to play for Queensland; it made all the difference.Thats why their game is improving. Theyre playing with the best and against the best in Australia. They dont go into these games lacking any confidence as they may have done in the past.Game AwarenessDespite being 66-years-old, Wayne Bennett has one of the sharpest minds in rugby league and his knowledge of the game is second to none.Bennett has coached for more than 800 games at club and international level across 30 years, and he boasts a highly impressive winning percentage in the 60s.His ability to adapt to changing styles and trends serves only to highlight his acute game awareness, and this could be another key attribute during Englands Four Nations campaign.Winning MentalityBennett has a track record of success at club and international level, and he is certain to infuse his winning mentality into Englands players.Seven NRL premierrships coupled with World Cup success as New Zealands assistant coach in 2008, when the Kiwis conquered Australia, proves Bennett knows how to win.ddddddddddddWayne is quite rightly regarded as the outstanding coach of his generation and I am delighted that we have been able to secure his services, Rugby Football League chief executive Nigel Wood said in announcing his new coach.The mental game, as in any sport, often represents the difference between winning and losing; and with Bennett in charge, England are now better placed to have that psychological edge.Knowledge of Opposition PlayersThere are very few secrets in rugby league, but nobody is more informed about players than Wayne Bennett.His extensive experience working with the Australian and New Zealand players is more valuable to the hosts than any scouting mission, and he will have Englands players well versed in the strengths and weaknesses of every man they face in the tournament.England, as noted above, now also have the benefit of 10 players with NRL experience but none of them would study opposition players as comprehensively as Bennett, and the coachs intelligence will be key to their chances of lifting the trophy in late November.Personal MotivationThis could possibly Englands most significant advantage.Its no secret that Wayne Bennett coveted a return to the Kangaroos coaching position, and the fact he was overlooked in favour of Mal Meninga works in Englands favour.It is difficult to find a prouder or more determined person in rugby league, and Bennett -- while he wont admit it publicly -- will be highly motivated to prove some people wrong.He has nothing to prove when you look at his coaching resume, but it is safe to say that the fire will be burning inside and he will go to any lengths to ensure his team is timed to the last second.He will be fully aware that an England victory will give his players, the home nation and, probably most importantly, Wayne Bennett great satisfaction.Key Stats:England have never won a major trophy as a single nation.Englands series victory over New Zealand in 2015 was their first series triumph for eight years.England have beaten Australia only twice in a rugby league Test -- and not at all since 1995.UBET Odds and Verdict$1.53 Australia$4.00 New Zealand$5.25 England$151 ScotlandEngland enter the Four Nations third in the world rankings, behind New Zealand and Australia, but the No. 1 ranking is up for grabs.Wayne Bennett will make England stronger but Australia are hurting too after losing their top billing and the Four Nations crown two years ago.New Zealand are the reigning champions and the current world No. 1, and they have arrived in Britain with a strong squad; they will take some beating, too, but the UBET odds tell a story.While a Kangaroos tournament win is no longer the formality it once was, it is difficult to see anything but an Australia win on this occasion; the other final berth is a toss of the coin, and may just come down to home ground advantage. 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