Record four-in-a-row title for New Zealand
The results
Cup Final New Zealand 47 France 12 Third place play-off South Africa
35 Argentina 0 Semi-finals France 10 Argentina 7 New Zealand 12 South
Africa 5 Quarter-finals Argentina 15 Fiji 12 France 10 Portugal 7 New
Zealand 35 Wales 5 South Africa 17 United States 7 Plate Final Wales 26
Fiji 14 Semi-finals Fiji 26 Portugal 12 Wales 26 United States 19 Bowl
Final Australia 26 Samoa 14 Semi-finals Samoa 15 England 12 Australia 24
Kenya 21 Quarter-finals England 14 Spain 7 Samoa 36 Canada 21 Kenya 19
Scotland 17 Australia 24 Zimbabwe 14 Shield Final Spain 33 Zimbabwe 0
Semi-finals Spain 29 Canada 12
New Zealand triumphed over France with a thrilling 47-12 win to
clinch the third leg of the IRB Sevens World Series for the fourth
consecutive time in South Africa on Sunday.
The All Blacks scored seven tries thanks to a hat trick from Kurt
Baker, the biggest scorer in the tournament in the final.
France, exhausted from a 25-minute 10-7 semi final against Argentina,
proved no match for the Kiwis, scoring only two tries in the deciding
game.
Their first victory in three finals this season extends the All
Blacks' lead in the series to 60 points, 14 ahead of second-placed
France.
It was a fitting birthday present for New Zealand coach Gordon
Tietjens, who turned 57 on Sunday.
“I had a lot of luck with the teams over the last four years, to win
here on my birthday, but I just feel for the players. They performed
magnificently today,” he said.
“We were beaten by a good Samoan team at the last tournament in
Dubai, beaten by Fiji in Australia so we had to win this one.” He had
empathy for the worn-out French side.
“They're probably harder done by in terms of having to play just
about an extra game when they had to go into extra time.” The game is
now on to defend their home title in the series' fourth leg in New
Zealand in February next year.
“There's always pressure to win your own tournament. You can ask
South Africa today,” said Tietjens, adding that the side needed to rest
first.
“We've got to get through Christmas and hopefully recover injuries.
The guys took a few knocks over the last two weeks.” After winning only
one game in the pool stages, France fought back to come in second.
Coach Frederic Pommarel was happy with his side's performance, though
he conceded a few areas needed work.
“I'm very proud of the players, but I think we didn't develop a very
good attacking game. Defensively I have some big fighters,” he said. In
their semi-final match New Zealand beat South Africa 12-5, coming from
5-0 behind thanks to a try from Tomasi Cama, who also dealt the death
blow to the hosts' dreams of home victory in last year's final.
Losing after coming so close to the final was tough for coach Paul
Treu.
“It was very disappointing,” he said. “We had our chances and so did
they, with the only difference that New Zealand took the one that
mattered.” The Blitzbokke went on to a 35-0 victory over Argentina in
the third-place playoff courtesy of a hat trick signed Cheslin Kolbe.
Defending Sevens world champions Wales took the Plate with a
convincing 26-14 win over Fiji, the winner of this season's first leg.
Portugal, the only team besides South Africa to win all three of
their pool matches, had to bow the knee to Fiji in the Plate semi
finals, after they were relegated following a 10-7 defeat to France in
the Cup quarter finals.
A young Australian side took the Bowl with four tries to score 26-14
against second-leg winners in Emirates Samoa. Two tries from Pedro
Martin gave Spain the edge in a 21-14 win over Zimbabwe for the Shield.
AFP
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