NZ survives sevens upset

Home side to meet South Africa in quarters

BY MARC HINTON

New Zealand has survived an opening day of high drama and stunning upsets to progress through to a tricky quarterfinal against South Africa at the Wellington Sevens.

After being shocked first up by Wales, Gordon Tietjens' New Zealand side won their last two games to grab top spot in Pool B on points countback - though for the privilege they earned a first-up sudden-death meeting against the South Africans who have won the first two tournaments of the season.

The reason for that was that an exhilarating opening day closed with yet another upset as Kenya got up to knock over the South Africans 22-17 and steal top spot in Pool A. The athletic Kenyans, on the back of that huge upset, earned a quarterfinal against Wales and a royal chance to progress through to the last four.

Fiji, like the Kiwis, shook off a nightmare start, where they were toppled by USA in the opening round, to grab two victories and top Pool D on a points countback. The gallant Americans deservedly progressed as group runnersup, despite going down to Samoa in the middle round of the day.

Fiji meet England in the quarterfinals after the northern hemisphere side were tipped over 13-5 by Argentina in the final group match, with the South Americans topping Pool C and earning themselves an opening knockout match against the USA.

It was a dramatic opening day by the New Zealanders who started in poor fashion, showed their best stuff in a thrashing of Niue and then had to survive some anxious moments over the final stages before nudging Australia 26-19 in the final match of the night.

Tietjens' men lost captain DJ Forbes to a foot injury (plantar fascia) that threatens his involvement in the tournament; saw key playmaker Tomasi Cama sent off against Wales and subsequently suspended a match; and had to ride a knife edge after going down to Wales in a monumental upset in the opening round

The Kiws, needing to win last up against their trans-Tasman rivals to avoid the embarrassment of playing the second day among the bottom eight, looked to be cruising in the first half as they shot out to a 21-0 lead, with tries to Cama, Zar Lawrence and Nafi Tuitavake.

But the Aussies struck back with tries to Luke Morahan either side of halftime and when Jonathan Jenkins made it three straight scores for the Aussies in controversial fashion they had closed to within two points of the Kiwis. A late touchdown to Tim Mikkelson who made a big run down the right touchline sealed the deal for the home side.

New Zealand crushed Niue 43-7 in their second match, big Save Tokula scoring a first-half hat-trick as the urgent Kiwis burst out of the blocks to lead 22-0 at halftime. They added three more tries in the second spell, the most impressive a solo runaway effort by Mikkelson that rounded out a conclusive win.

Fiji followed suit when they rebounded from their surprise opening defeat at the hands of USA in Pool D with a huge 55-0 victory over a Cook Islands side that had given Samoa a run for its money first up. The Samoans made it two from two when they toppled the upset-minded Americans 26-17 in a tight contest decided by a key late score for Timoteo Iosua.

Fiji closed a good comeback effort when they cruised to a 19-5 victory over Samoa, enabling the Americans, who crushed the Cookies 41-0, to also progress safely.

But it was New Zealand's opening match against Wales that had everyone talking at the sold-out Westpac Stadium -- or at least those in party mode that involved actually watching the rugby.

Ill-discipline cost the New Zealanders dearly as they were stunned by Wales 28-17. They had Cama red-carded early on and soon after saw skipper Forbes sent to the sinbin in a decisive period of the match.

Wales slipped out to 21-5 lead while the Kiwis were down to just five men, and from then on it was always going to be too tall a task to climb back into the match with just six players.

Fiji were also the victims of a massive upset in the opening round of pool play, being ambushed 15-10 by the USA as the underdogs roared early in the capital.

"I guess it was a lack of discipline," said Forbes afterwards. He had been yellow-carded for a foot-trip, not long after Cama had been sent off after throwing a punch in a melee with the Welsh. Those two acts cost New Zealand the game, and left their qualification for the knockout stage in doubt. Cama was also suspended a match for his indiscretion.

"A few calls didn't go our way and we really paid the price," added Forbes, acknowledging that it was always going to be a massive task to come back from so far down.

Cama was sent off just a few minutes in, but that didn't stop Nafi Tuitavake opening the scoring for New Zealand, to give the hosts an early 5-0 lead.

From then on it was all Wales. Rhodri McAtee put them in front 7-5, with Forbes sinbinned in the same movement, and Aled Brew also crossed to give them a 14-5 halftime lead.

Tal Selley and Rhys Webb then added decisive scores early in the second spell for the Welsh to take them out to 28-5. Both scores came as New Zealand failed to contest restarts adequately.

Vili Waqaseduadua and Forbes scored two late tries for New Zealand to narrow the gap to more acceptable territory, but there was no doubting it was Wales' day as the tournament launched spectacularly.

Australia took the pole position in the pool with back-to-back wins to open proceedings. They survived a few anxious moments to get past Niue 22-17, and then brought Wales back to earth with a thud with a 24-15 victory, leading 19-5 at halftime.

England required a big second-half effort to get past France 26-10 in Pool C, and then followed that up with a more convincing 36-7 victory over Canada to take the driver's seat. Earlier Canada had drawn 17-17 with the favoured Argentinians who backed that up with a win over France to stay in contention.

The first major upset of the day came when the USA kicked off Pool D action by causing a monumental 15-10 upset over a flat Fiji side.

The Fijians, having dispensed with the coaching services of sevens legend Waisale Serevi in the leadup to the tournament, came out and played their opening match as though they were still dealing with that turmoil.

It was certainly not the most auspicious of starts for new coach, and former Auckland and Blues star Iliesa Tanivula.

The Fijians were their own worst enemies, too, as they handed a decisive numerical advantage to the Americans late in the second half when Seremaia Burotu was yellow-carded for a swinging arm in the tackle.

Burotu returned in time for the final play of the game, but it wasn't enough to stop US speedster Justin Boyd scooting away to score from a scrum in backpedal mode, but which crucially managed to clear the ball.

Results were more predictable in Pool A where South Africa, with four tries to none, had too much firepower for Scotland and then followed that up with a decisive 22-5 win over Tonga. They had looked very much the side to beat at this tournament before tumbling at the Kenyan hurdle last up.

Kenya, on the back of two slick tries from Collins Injera and a matchwinner from Nato Simiyu, shaded Tonga 21-14, but were then upset by the Scots second up to leave them needing that last-round upset to clinch qualification, and top spot in the pool.

The New Zealanders will meet South Africa in the last of Saturday's quarterfinals. After an opening day of fluctuating fortunes, it's hard to say which team will go in with the most confidence.

Pool A: South Africa 24 Scotland 0; Kenya 21 Tonga 14; South Africa 22 Tonga 5; Scotland 19 Kenya 14; Tonga 21 Scotland 15; Kenya 22 South Africa 17.

Pool B: New Zealand 17 Wales 28; Australia 22 Niue 17; NZ 43 Niue 7; Australia 24 Wales 15; Wales 34 Niue 10; NZ 26 Australia 19.

Pool C: England 26 France 10; Argentina 17 Canada 17; England 34 Canada 7; Argentina 33 France 21; France 12 Canada 12; Argentina 13 England 5.

Pool D: USA 15 Fiji 10; Samoa 12 Cook Islands 5; Fiji 55 Cook Islands 0; Samoa 26 USA 17; USA 41 Cook Islands 0; Fiji 19 Samoa 5.

Quarterfinal draw:  Kenya v Wales; Fiji v England; Argentina v USA; New Zealand v South Africa.

- © Fairfax NZ News