Pumas claw New Zealand to seal three-peat at Canada 7s
VANCOUVER: Holders Argentina came from behind to defeat New Zealand 36-12 to win their third straight Canada Sevens crown in Vancouver on Sunday, tightening their grip on the eight-leg World Rugby SVNS Series.
The Pumas, fresh from victories at the Cape Town and Perth tournaments, once again signalled they are the form team of seven-a-side rugby with a scintillating performance to overwhelm their opponents.
New Zealand, which had knocked out Antoine Dupont and France in the semi-finals earlier
Sunday, raced into an early 12-0 lead after tries from Joe Webber and Brady Rush in the first three minutes at BC Place.
But once Argentina clicked into gear, the New Zealanders were unable to cope, with Matias Osadczuk scoring a brilliant hat trick alongside tries from Marcos Moneta, Matteo Graziano and Luciano Gonzalez.
The win follows Argentina’s victories in Vancouver in 2023 and 2022. The Pumas have now gone 18 games unbeaten in the tournament during that period.
“It’s incredible. I’m very proud of this team. We give all for this team and you can see it on the field. I’m very proud. We are trying to be better each day and this is the focus for us,” Argentina skipper Santiago Alvarez said after the win.
Argentina now top the overall standings with 78 points from four tournaments, 24 points clear of Ireland and Fiji, who each have 54 points.
Earlier Sunday, Argentina had advanced to the final with a 3519 drubbing of the United States in their semi-final. New Zealand, meanwhile, reached the final after eliminating France 28-26.