DOUBLE DELIGHT!
All Blacks Sevens join Black Ferns
The Kiwi double-double — and two victory hakas — stole the show at the Sevens World Cup.
Less than a day after their female counterparts defended their crown, the New Zealand men also won in dominant fashion — outclassing England 33-12 in yesterday’s final in San Francisco.
It’s the first time in each competition a team has successfully backed up a World Cup title.
Sione Molia scored two of New Zealand’s five tries in the men’s final, while Joe Ravouvou also scored one to solidify his spot as the joint leading try-scorer with six, before being named tournament MVP.
It followed a gutsy 22-17 semifinal victory where New Zealand proved too strong for Olympic champions Fiji in a physical playoff.
New Zealand co-captain Scott Curry said the final day of the threeday knockout tournament was challenging.
“It was tough. Fiji, that game went down to the wire, and to back it up with a good performance against England, who came back at us in the second half, but to stick it out is something we’re really proud of.”
New Zealand closed down the attacking threats of both opponents on an influential day, making 18 tackles in the semifinal.
“We always say defence is going to be the real reflection of our culture because it’s where you’re going to have to bust your arse, for lack of a better term, for each other. So we really look at that when reviewing our games,” Curry said.
The win was special for Curry, who missed out on the victorious 2013 campaign due to a late injury.
“It was really disappointing for me back in 2013, so to come here to San Francisco, who have put on an awesome tournament, makes me proud of how we have played as a team and especially the many players who have stepped up individually.”
Kurt Baker and Curry’s fellow cocaptain Tim Mikkelson were the only