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 TEIVOVO.COM – INTERNATIONAL 7s
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Sunday 8 April 2007
Fiji take Adelaide title
The Digicel Fiji 7s team bounced back a week after losing at the Hong Kong Final to defeat Samoa 21-7 in style and claim the inaugural Adelaide 7s title.
Waisale Serevi made a slight change to the line-up that played in the quarters and semi finals. He started the game at halfback, Lepani Nabuliwaqa replaced William Ryder and Setefano Cakau moved in at rover.
Levelled 7-7 at the break, Fiji sent on Ryder as impact player. He replaced Nabuliwaqa.
Samoa felt some heavy tackles as Fiji applied a lot of pressure on them. They had no room to move around and even their star winger Mikaelel Pesamino wasn’t able to use his speed.
Fiji opened the game and kept passing the ball around until a space opened up for them. Samoa captain Uale Mai was a marked man and he had difficulty distributing the ball as the Fijians closed him down.
After the break, Fiji led for the first time with a try from Mosese Volavola. Fiji lost the ball in the ruck but Etonia Naba picked up the loose ball and offloaded to Volavola, who went in for the try.
Player of the tournament Ryder then sealed the game when he scored a try in the last minute of the final.
Fiji now have 104 points, with Manu Samoa moving to a clear second on 94 and New Zealand third on 90.
In the semis, Fiji deafeated New Zealand 24-17 after trailing 10-0 early on. Emosi Vucago put on an outstanding performance to score two beautiful tries after the break.
Ryder then stole show at the death with the scores tied at 17-17. He also scored the winning try in extra-time during the quarters against South Africa when the score was locked at 17-17.
Earlier, Kenya scored a shock victory over England to qualify for their first ever IRB 7s World Series Cup semi-final and although they lost to the Samoans, they take 12 points.
Australia claim historic Plate
The magnificent Adelaide Oval crowd was treated to a home success when Glen Ella's Australia won a rare victory against the Boks of South Africa.
Anthony Sauer scored a hat trick and Ben Lucas and skipper Tim Atkinson each scored as the home side ran out 31-0 winners to take the plate trophy and eight points towards the IRB 7s Series race. South Africa received six points for finishing runners-up.
Wales win Bowl
Two tries by Jamie Roberts and one each for Lee Williams and Jonathan Edwards were enough to see Wales to the Bowl title against Tonga, 26-14.
Remarkably the success was Wales' eighth trophy in as many events and they also overturned a large loss suffered at the hands of the Tongans in Hong Kong. Tonga's tries in the final were both scored by Vungakoto Lilo.
Canada take Shield title
Canada finished the Adelaide tournament on a high, beating Japan 43-17 to take the Shield title.
Leading 17-5 at the break following tries by Akio Tyler, Dave Moonlight and Neil Meechan, Shane Thompson's men cut loose in the second half to score four more to Japan's two. Philip Mack, Tyler, Moonlight and Ben Grant all scored for the Canucks while Yamamoto and Nakazono added to Suzuki's first half effort for Japan.
Digicel Fiji 7s squad for Adelaide:
Emosi Vucago (Nadroga), Epeli Dranivasa (Namosi), Etonia Naba (Nadroga), Lepani Nabuliwaqa (Suva), Semisi Serevi (Naitasiri), Mosese Volavola (Nadroga), Nasoni Roko (Naitasiri), Semisi Naevo (NEC, Japan), Setefano Cakau (Namosi), Simione Saravanua (NZ), Waisale Serevi (Suva), William Ryder (Bua)
Pool A
Fiji 33 Canada 7, England, 5 Tonga 12, Fiji 22 Tonga 21, England 31 Canada 12, Canada 14 Tonga 19, Fiji 12 England 20
Pool B
South Africa 15 Kenya 0, France12 Japan 19, South Africa 42 Japan 0, France 33 Kenya 24, Kenya 22 Japan 12, South Africa 36 France 7
Pool C
New Zealand 42 Wales 10, Australia 45 Hong Kong 0, Australia 24 Wales 15, New Zealand 61 Hong Kong 5, Wales 24 Hong Kong 15, New Zealand 21 Australia 5
Pool D
Samoa 26 Scotland 10, Argentina 19 Portugal 17, Samoa 50 Portugal 0, Argentina 19 Scotland 24, Scotland 19 Portugal 7, Samoa 19 Argentina 7
SHIELD
Semi finals
Japan 29 Hong Kong 10, Portugal 12 Canada 14
Final
Japan 17 Canada 43
BOWL
Quarter finals
Tonga 36 Japan 12, Argentina 33 Hong Kong 5 Wales 24 Portugal 7 France 17 Canada 14
Semi finals
Tonga 17 Argentina 12 Wales, 19 France 14
Final
Tonga 14 Wales 26
PLATE
Semi finals
England 21 Australia 26, Scotland 5 South Africa 42
Final
Australia 31 South Africa 0
CUP
Quarter finals
England 12 Kenya 17, Samoa 22 Australia 17, New Zealand 40 Scotland 14, South Africa 17 Fiji 22
Semi finals
Kenya 0 Samoa 31, New Zealand 17 Fiji 24
Final
Samoa 7 Fiji 21
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