Fiji ended New Zealand’s reign as Rugby World Cup Sevens champions with a comprehensive and deserved 29-12 win over the All Blacks in the final to the 2022 edition at Cape Town Stadium on Sunday.
Fiji, who are the reigning Olympic champions, won their third World Cup title by producing a controlled performance that had just the right blend of muscular presence, pace and handling skill set.
Fiji were never headed after getting off to a perfect start as first Joseva Talacolo went over on the left and then Kamieli Rasku pounced on a New Zealand mistake in their own 22 to go over and score a second try that put his team 12-0 ahead.
Moses Leo got one back for New Zealand but Fiji were breaking open huge holes in the Kiwi defensive system and Ella Canakaivata and Filipe Saturaga crossed for tries that gave them a lopsided 24-5 halftime lead.
There was a glimmer of hope for New Zealand when they scored a try early in the second half and Fiji lost a player to a yellow card for a high tackle, and then a few seconds later Fiji lost another player to a yellow card due to cynical play in trying to defend the Fiji line.
It required good game management from Fiji to survive, but they did by controlling the ball and putting in big hits when they didn’t have it, and they were also helped by the Kiwi yellow card that made it a six against six game for a time.
As the clock ran down it became more obvious that the New Zealanders weren’t going to hold onto their title and Fiji put the seal on a superb allround performance by scoring a try after the hooter to Pilipo Bukayaro.
The result means New Zealand and Fiji have both now won the Melrose Cup three times, the only nations to win the trophy multiple times.
AUSSIE WOMAN WIN HIGH-QUALITY THRILLER
In the women’s final Australia put paid to any chance of New Zealand continuing the hegemony they started in the previous World Cup when they won both the men’s and women’s competitions with a 24-22 win over the Kiwis.
It didn’t come without some drama, however, with Australia taking the lead before halftime after initially going behind to an early try and then opening up a bigger lead in the second half that looked like they had it won.
Then came a try for New Zealand off the final move of the game, long after the hooter, that gave them a chance of taking the decider into extra time if the conversion was successful.
It was in a kickable position but it was missed and that left the Kiwis to endure their heartbreak while the Wallabies celebrated.
The quality of the women’s game is certainly improving with every tournament and the final was highly watchable and absorbing.
BLITZBOK MAKE WINNING END TO DISAPPOINTING CHALLENGE
The Blitzboks completed a disappointing challenge in their own Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament by comprehensively outplaying Samoa 35-5 in the seventh/eighth playoff game earlier in the eveing.
After being passive and lacking their usual physicality in the games that mattered earlier in the tournament, the Blitzboks got that aspect of their play right in the match against Samoa.
They were strong in carrying the ball and equally forceful in knocking the big Samoans backwards in the tackle.
It was of course a case of too little or too late, but at least it gave long serving Blitzbok coach Neil Powell some kind of send-off in what was his last game in charge after a successful nine year tenure before he switches his attention to his new role in the 15-man game as director of rugby for the Cell C Sharks.
The Blitzboks got the sizeable crowd in behind them from the off. And of course that made a difference.
Sakiyiso Makata scored the first try as he went over in the left corner for an early 7-0 lead with the successful angled conversion.
Angelo Davids went over in exactly the same place a minute later but the try was disallowed after consultation with the TMO as Davids had put his foot on the touchline just before crossing.
It didn’t matter much though as Davids soon after that ran onto a kick and crossed for a try that Ronald Brown converted to make it 14-0 and then came a penalty try on the stroke of halftime that put the Blitzoks 21-0 up at the halfway point.
Siviwe Soyizwapi was then over early in the second half followed by JC Pretorius as the home team made hay while the sun flickered one final time on what has been a stellar error with Powell as coach but which ended so disappointingly.
NOT A GOOD START TO THE DAY
South African fans did not enjoy a good start to day 3 as the Blitzboks followed up their exit in the quarterfinal stage with a 26-19 defeat at the hands of Argentina.
Although they came back twice during the game, the South Americans were never headed and always looked the better team.
Yes, pressure probably accounted for their early exit from the tournament on Saturday, but at the same time the Blitzboks just aren’t playing well at the moment and haven’t been for a while.
It took just a minute for Argentina to get their first try on the board through Luciano Gonzalez, and then Joaquin del la Vega thundered over to make it 12-0 after just two minutes.
The Blitzboks brought the already sizeable early morning crowd to their feet with a brilliant try to JC Pretorius and then they started to gain proper momentum as a multi-phase build-up sent Angelo Davids away in the corner.
With the scores level at 12-all at halftime it looked like the Boks had the momentum but one of the things the Sevens Boks have lost over time is their old obvious physicality advantage against some opponents, and it appears “some opponents” includes Argentina.
It showed in the second half of this game, with the Pumas being as much broadsword as rapier in the way they simply forced their will on the Boks, with a strong, physical and direct build-up culminating in Matias Osadczuk forcing the ball down near the posts.
The Boks struck back with an excellent try to Shaun Williams, which was converted by himself to bring the scores level again but somehow it always looked like the Argentina, as front-runners through most of the game, had more energy.
When Luciano Gonzalez received the ball out wide in a position where he was between two Bok defenders he easily waltzed through for what proved the winning score and that was what sent the Blitzboks into their final game of the Powell career playing for a best position of seventh.
It was the worst South African performance in terms of finishing position since the first World Cup competed for by the Boks in Edinburgh in 1993. The 1997 event remains the only time the Blitzboks have managed to reach the final.
NOTABLE RESULTS FROM FINAL DAY OF RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS
Final
Fiji 29 New Zealand 12
Championship Men’s Semifinal scores
New Zealand 17 Ireland 10
Fiji 38 Australia 14
Women’s Championship Final
Australia 24 New Zealand 22
Championship Women’s Semifinal scores
New Zealand 38 France 7
Australia 17 USA 7
Blitzbok results for day 3
Argentina lost 26-19
Samoa won 35-5 to finish 7th.
Women 13/14 playoff
China 21 South Africa 19
Bowl final
Uganda 19 Germany 12
Challenge Final
Japan 17 Poland 12
