South Africa win Dubai Sevens tittle
England beat Australia 37-21
DUBAI, Dec 3, (AFP): South Africa defeated defending World Series and Olympic champions Fiji 26-14 to win the Dubai Sevens on Saturday.
It was a fifth Dubai title for South Africa who were second in the World Series last season before going on to take the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics.
Fittingly, last season’s player of the year Seabelo Senatla scored South Africa’s last try of the final taking his tally for the two days to 11.
England beat Wales 38-10 to claim third place.In Twickenham, United Kingdom, England beat Australia 37-21 at Twickenham on Saturday to complete an unbeaten 2016.
Victory saw England equal their national record of 14 successive wins set in 2003.
Thirteen of those wins in their current run come under Australian coach Eddie Jones, appointed after England’s first-round exit at last year’s World Cup.
England were 10-0 behind early on but tries from Jonathan Joseph (two), Marland Yarde and Ben Youngs saw them recover as they beat Australia for the fourth time this year.
In Paris, Clermont’s grip on the French Top 14 slackened Saturday despite a hat-trick of tries from England wing David Strettle after a shock 40-35 loss to struggling Pau.
The southwesterners outscored the title contenders by five tries to four to exit the bottom four.
Pau, promoted last year after nine years in the division two wilderness, went into the showdown just five points clear of the drop zone having lost eight of their 12 league matches — including home reverses to Toulon, Bordeaux and Toulouse.
But against the leaders they were out of the blocks in spectacular fashion as they carved out a 21-14 lead at the Stade du Hameau by the interval against a Clermont side who started with a six-point cushion against little La Rochelle and Bordeaux.
Fijian wing Watisoni Votu — after just three minutes — Colin Slade and Kiwi star Conrad Smith all went over for the hosts in the opening 40 minutes with Tom Taylor converting each one, while Strettle produced his opening two salvos for Franck Azema’s Clermont, who knew that come what may they would hold onto the league leadership as the twice runners-up prepare for upcoming European tussles with Ulster.
Camille Lopez kicked three conversions and a penalty for Clermont to keep them in the hunt but Taylor’s additional haul of three penalties coupled with Fijian centre Jale Vatubua’s 65th-minute clincher kept Pau in the driving seat.