Fiji, New Zealand score easy victories; Aussies crash out
I was pleased with the concentration levels, the focus that we had to control the game and get what we needed out of it in the second half
Gareth Baber
san francisco — Defending champions New Zealand and Olympic gold medallists Fiji launched their World Cup Sevens campaigns with comfortable victories here Friday as Australia crashed out.
New Zealand, bidding to become the first team in history to claim back-to-back World Cup Sevens crowns, overpowered Russia 29-5 to book their place in the quarter-finals at AT&T Park, home of baseball’s San Francisco Giants.
Fiji, the 2016 Olympic champions, meanwhile survived an early scare against a Japan side bristling with Fiji-born talent to win 35-10.
The Fijians, roared on by a vocal contingent of fans, held their nerve after trailing 7-5 at half-time to stretch away after the restart, with France-based stars Leone Nakarawa and Semi Radradra both impressing from the bench.
The Fijians will now play Argentina in the quarterfinals for a place in the last four. Fiji coach Gareth Baber was satisfied at how his team had coped with the pressure of the tournament’s new straight knockout format. In contrast to previous years, where teams played group games before the knockout stage, this year’s event is a single elimination tournament. “You just want to win every game,” Baber told AFP.
“I was pleased with the concentration levels, the focus that we had to control the game and get what we needed out of it in the second half.
But while Fiji and New Zealand both came through their first round tests, there was disappointment for Australia who tumbled out to France. France’s Tavite Veredamu — a soldier in the French Foreign Legion who was drafted into France’s sevens squad last year — scored twice in a pulsating 22-17 victory.
France’s reward for their upset of Australia is a meeting with mighty New Zealand on Saturday in the last eight. In other first round action on Friday, top seeds South Africa demolished Ireland 45-7 to progress to a quarter-final against Scotland.
The Scots battled into the last eight after an astonishing comeback to defeat Kenya.The Kenyans looked to be cruising into the last eight after racing into a 26-0 lead early in the second half.
In the women’s tournament meanwhile, New Zealand marked themselves out as the team to beat with two emphatic wins, piling up more than 100 points without conceding a point in wins over Mexico and Ireland. New Zealand will play the United States in Saturday’s semifinals. —