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Vancouver 7s: Smooth sailing

It was a comfortable start for the South African Sevens side as they coasted to a 33-0 victory over Chile top Pool A while Series rivals England came from behind to defeat Kenya 28-14.

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The United states top Pool C after an emphatic 52-0 victory over Japan while Australia edged France to get their campaign off to a good start.

Fiji and Argentina emerged with 15-point victories in their respective matches against Samoa and Wales while New Zealand emerged top of Pool D with a comfortable 40-0 victory over Russia.

Canada gave the home fans something to cheer about with a 28-15 victory over Scotland.

All the Round One action!

Australia 12-7 France

France opened the scoring in the fourth minute to take a 7-0 lead but Australia hit back immediately with a converted try of their own. That is how it remained at the half-time break.

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France were reduced to six men in the 12th minute and that allowed Australia the chance to grab the decisive try a minute later as they got their tournament off to a positive start.

United States 52-0 Japan

The United States got the scoring going in the opening minute with a converted try before adding two more seven-pointers to take a commanding 21-0 lead after five minutes. An extra unconverted try was added to ensure a 26-0 half-time lead.

It took them two minutes to add their fifth try – converted – before the closing the match with three quick tries – two converted – to ensure the emphatic victory

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Argentina 24-19 Samoa

It took Argentina two minutes to open the scoring with an unconverted try before Samoa hit back with a try to level matters at 5-5. Argentina then got their upped the intensity to score two more tries – one converted – to take a 17-5 lead at the break.

Argentina then stretched their lead to 24-5 with a converted score in the 10th minute before Samoa came back into it with two converted tries to trail 19-24 in the 13th minute. Argentina managed to hang on to claim the win.

Fiji 34-19 Wales

Two early converted tries handed Fiji a good lead before an unconverted effort ensured a 19-0 lead after five minutes. Wales then grabbed a converted try of their own before Fiji closed off the half with a five-pointer of their own to lead 24-7 at the interval.

Wales were the first to score in the second half with a converted try but Fiji hit back soon after with a five-pointer of their own to lead 29-14. The side exchanged unconverted tries in the final two minutes of the match as Fiji claimed the win.

England 28-14 Kenya

Kenya worked hard on defence in the opening minutes but took the lead in the fourth minute with a converted try, only to see that lead wiped away with the final play of the half, as England drew level.

Kenya were ahead after the restart with another seven-pointer but a 10th-minute yellow card saw them concede a penalty try and the scores were level once again. England took full advantage of the extra man to run in two further converted tries to close out the match.

South Africa 33-0 Chile

Captain Philip Snyman handed the Series leaders the early lead when he got through Chile's defence. Cecil Afrika added the extras to ensure a 7-0 lead after three minutes. Dylan Sage then added a second try a minute later as the Blitzboks took control of the match. Afrika was accurate with the conversion to stretch the lead to 14-0 after five minutes.

That's how it remained at the half-time break.

Sage got the second half scoring going when he raced away following a successful Branco du Preez steal at the breakdown. Du Preez added the extras to stretch the lead to 21-0 after 10 minutes. It was 28-0 a minute later when Siviwe Soyizwapi showed his pace to benefit from brilliant work by Werner Kok to win a turnover. Du Preez' conversion was once again on the mark.

Another turnover, this time by Stedman Gans in the final minute of the game saw the Blitzboks swing the ball wide to find Chris Dry and the veteran reached over to score in the corner. The conversion was unsuccessful but the Blitzboks got their tournament off to the perfect start.

Canada 28-15 Scotland

The tournament hosts got the home fans on their feet inside the second minute when they grabbed a converted try before doubling their lead in the fifth minute to take a 14-0 lead. Scotland hit back with a minute later though to reduce the deficit to 5-14 but Canada had the final say of the half to take a 21-5 lead at the break.

Scotland were the first on the board in the second half with an unconverted try before Canada extended their lead to 28-10 after 13 minutes with a converted try. Scotland grabbed a consolation try in the 14th minute as Canada got their tournament off to a strong start.

New Zealand 40-0 Russia

New Zealand came out firing and took a 5-0 lead inside the opening two minutes. It then took them a further four minutes to extend their lead thanks to a converted try as they went into the break with a 12-0 lead.

New Zealand grabbed an early second half seven-pointer before extending their lead to 26-0 with another converted try in the 11th minute. Two further converted tries in the closing minutes handed New Zealand the biggest margin of victory of the round.

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