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 TEIVOVO.COM – INTERNATIONAL 7s
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Friday 2 February 2007
Fiji impress in Wellington
The Digicel Fiji 7s team showed top form on the first day of the Wellington 7s when they thrashed Portugal 42-0, USA 43-0 and then outsmarted France 47-7 in Pool A to set up a quarter-final match with Canada.
Fiji showed good communication, tackling and excellent defence to finish the day with only one try conceded.
Emosi Vucago and Nadro team-mate Isimeli Koniferedi played confidently in their first appearances for the team. In the last pool match against France, Vucago made a beautiful intercept after the final hooter to score under the posts.
Forwards Semisi Naevo, Etonia Naba and Mosesee Volavola showed speed to match most wingers, underscoring the fitness work done by Epeli Lagiloa in January.
William Ryder had his kicking boots on and landed some conversions from out wide, while Simi Saravanua returned to 7s with high colours.
In the first game, Saravanua and Lepani Nabuliwaqa scored two tries each with the other two tries coming from substitutes Nasoni Roko and Koniferedi.
Against the United States, Roko opened the score when he ran what musthave been 97 metres to score. Then Naevo set up the second try for Vucago and scored the third himself before the breather.
After the break, USA came back strongly for a try that was disallowed to James Gillenwaters after a forward pass. Ryder was the last man to beat and Gillenwaters was on support but the pass to him was forward.
Naba added another two tries while Koniferedi and Ryder collected one apiece.
In the last pool game, Fiji had a good start with a first-minute try to Ryder. They piled up seven tries in all though the French managed to touch down once after some weak tackling.
Meanwhile, Kenya produced a remarkable display of controlled and opportunist running rugby to defeat pool rivals Tonga and book a Cup quarter final place for the first time this season.
Samoa topped their pool after outmuscling England in the final match in pool C.
Pool A
Defending Series champions Fiji were immediately into their stride in front of the Westpac's colourful crowd and had no problems in dispatching Portugal in their first match, William Ryder's inventiveness and creative intuition setting them on their way to 42-0 win. Serevi's men then beat a spirited USA 43-0 with Semisi Naevo providing forward momentum.
Jacques Boussuge earlier came on to inspire a late comeback for France against the USA 17-14, before the French secured another tough win 22-14 against Portugal to set up a pool decider with the Fijians.
Pool B
South Africa overcame Canada early on but not without a fight. Shane Thompson's side fronted up well against the Boks and took an early lead but Mokoena, van der Merwe and Verhoeven took the fight back to the aggressive Canadians to help grind out a 24-10 win.
Australia then impressed in fighting off a strong Cook Island display with Milton and Tuqiri impressive but in the crucial tie against Canada they came unstuck and the North Americans won 26-12 to give themselves a fighting chance of a quarter final berth. South Africa were too strong for the Cooks, winning 31-12.
Pool C
Samoa proceed unbeaten from pool C after a convincing win over third seeds England to cap off an impressive return to form. With Uale Mai again at the heart of their best efforts, the islanders built a strong lead and England's late rally was in vain.
Playing under a new coach Ben Ryan, England kicked off the day's play against auld enemy Scotland and withstood a gutsy display to win 33-12. Thom Evans and Calum Cussiter gave an added edge to Scotland's play all day but Michael Hills, Andrew Vilk and Daniel Grey were all tireless for England, who also beat Papua New Guinea.
Scotland's encounter against Samoa was one of the matches of the day, Uale Mai and his side cantering to a comfortable lead before Scott Forrest inspired the Scots to a fine comeback. Samoa held on for a 31-26 win but Scotland's new year form revival is remarkable. Earlier the impressive Samoans also beat Papua New Guinea 26-0, Mikaele Pesamino grabbing a brace.
Pool D
The two biggest shock results of the day came in Pool D with Tonga and Kenya both showing good pace and guile to get the better of a disappointing Argentina. The Pumas boast an array of attacking talent in Gauthier, Gomez Cora and Bosch but the Tongans weathered a late charge to win 14-12 before the Kenyans' pace proved more decisive as they sauntered to a 32-14 win to set up a crucial match against the islanders, which Kenya went on to win with relative ease for a first Cup quarter final place since London 2006.
The home side, meanwhile, have delighted the partisan crowd, seeing off Kenya in convincing fashion, Zar Lawrence scoring twice in the 38-0 win, before negotiating a sterner examination by Tonga, building on a 7-5 half time lead to seal a convincing win. The match between New Zealand and Tonga was also remarkable and perhaps unique in rugby for pitting identical twin brothers, Edwin and John Cocker, against each other.
Fiji 42 Portugal 0
Half-time: 21-0
Fiji: Waisale Serevi, Semisi Naevo, Mosese Volavola, Etonia Naba,
Lepani Nabuliwaqa, William Ryder, Simi Saravanua
Reserves: Emosi Vucago, Isimeli Koniferedi, Nasoni Roko
Tries: Saravanua (2), Nabuliwaqa (2), Koniferedi, Roko
Conversions: Ryder (6)
Fiji 43 USA 0
Half-time: 17-0
Fiji: Semisi Naevo, Mosese Volavola, William Ryder, Lepani Nabuliwaqa,
Nasoni Roko, Emosi Vucago
Reserves: Etonia Naba, Isimeli Koniferedi
Tries: Naba (2), Roko, Vucago, Naevo, Ryder, Koniferedi
Conversions: Ryder (4)
Fiji 47 France 7
Half-time: 26-7
Fiji: Semisi Naevo, Mosese Volavola, Etonia Naba, Simi Saravanua,
Emosi Vucago, William Ryder, Lepani Nabuliwaqa
Reserves: Setefano Cakau
Tries: Ryder (2), Vucago, Saravanua, Volavola, Vucago, Cakau
Conversions: Ryder (6)
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