PARIS 7S: Samoa dominating Paris
The 2016 Paris Sevens Champions seem to love playing in France as they secured a 21-14 victory against six-man Australia side after Liam McNamara was shown a red card.
Meanwhile, Fiji ticked the victory box, with a 54-0 demolition of Russia. The Olympic winners eclipsed their shock defeat against Samoa and made sure their secure second spot in Pool D with Australia waiting in wings for a Round Three clash.
South Africa also responded with pure class, after their horror defeat at the hands of Scotland in Round One. The BlitzBoks outplayed the relegation-threatened Japan and recorded a 35-5 win.
All the Round two results:
Pool A
Canada 19-26 Scotland
Canadian Adam Zaruba broke the deadlock for the North Americans after one minute of play. Meanwhile, George Horne got the burners going and craftily gave Scott Wight a straightforward conversion which meant that the Scotts took a 7-5 lead after four minutes of play. However, Canada added a try just before the break and took a 12-7 lead to the lockers.
Horne was on the charge again as he ran a 45-degree angle and cut inside with a good turn of speed to land a second try under the sticks.
But the lead continued to change hands in this mad, topsy-turvy clash. Justin Douglas restored the lead for Canada before the men in blue regain the lead after a glorious move was rounded off by Scott Riddell who landed his 51st try. Douglas added the extras and the score was levelled at 19-all with four minutes to go.
Scotland snatched it brilliantly right at the death as James Fleming was rewarded for his bravery with a kind bounce and landed a last-gasp five-pointer.
The win means Scotland are two from two and will be playing in the last eight tomorrow.
South Africa 35-5 Japan
South Africa were the first team to score thanks to veteran Cecil Africa. Branco Du Preez added the conversion to take a 7-0 lead after 60 seconds of play. Just before the break, Powell’s men made sure they had a cushion as Siviwe Soyizwapi knocked down a second five-pointer. Du Preez made no mistake to add the extras, 14-0.
The second saw the introduction of Rosco Specman and he immediately made an impact as he sent Werner Kok through to race under the sticks in the 7th minute. Japan played some enterprising stuff, but South Africa suffocated the space Soyizwapi and Afrika both scored their second tries, respectively.
Japan finished with something of a flourish as Naoki Motomura scored a last-gasp try, but South Africa are back to winning ways and got themselves on the board in Paris with a smooth win.
Pool B
New Zealand 21-14 Argentina
The two went to the break at 7-all. Good composure from the All Blacks made sure the wing Regan Ware scored after he snatched up the offload Trael Joass and bursts through the defence. However, just before the break, Franco Sabato made sure his side stay in the match as he went over for Los Pumas.
As the second half started Sabato was again in on the action, he recognised he has a mismatch with Sam Dickson and powered the South Americans in front in the 8th minute.
Tim Mikkelson hit back for the All Blacks and Rocky Khan whipped it through the sticks to level the score at 14-all with two minutes on the clock.
A late try by Sam Dickson made sure the All Blacks secured the win.
United States 38-14 Wales
With less than a minute on the clock, Lloyd Evans made sure Wales took a 7-0 lead. Just two minutes later United States got on the board courtesy of Martin Losefo who used his footwork to get the better of a stretched Wales defence.
Before the break, Evans was again at it as he sealed his brace.
However, speedster Perry Baker had to put his name on the score sheet. Baker scored his 44th try of the season to joined Dan Norton at the top of the scoring charts.
The pendulum started to swing in America's favour and the Eagles are started to find the wind beneath their wings. Baker and Losefo made sure they scored a double, respectively before Maka Unufe pinned his ears back to wrap it up for Mike Friday's men.
Pool C
Kenya 26-14 Spain
Kenya landed the first blow, thanks to Andrew Amonde after two minutes of play. Soon after they conceded Spain hit back courtesy of Pablo Fontes, 7-7.
On the stroke of half-time Kenya, started to make their experience count as Billy Odhiambo torn through the defence and went over the whitewash for a try.
After the restart, the strong, quick Dennis Ombachi used the right-hand fend to brush off Rafael de Santiago and landed a third for the African. In the 10th minute of the match, There was a hint of a Spanish fight-back when Jaike Carter dived over to make a five-point game.
The Spanish fight back was short lived as Kenya scored the last try and sealed the win.
England 24-7 France
From the start England executed their chances, Tom Bowen strike an early blow with a wonder try and Dan Norton rounded Alexis Palisson to put his country 12 to the good.
Oliver Linday-Hague got his name on the scoresheet in the second half, 19-0 much to the disappointment of the French supporters in the crowd.
Finally after 10 minutes if play the hosts had something to celebrate Jeremy Aicardi broke the duck when he picked up a beauty of a pass from Jean Pascal Barraque and stepped inside after to dot it down, to trail 7-19.
However, Engaldn were always in control of the match and they went onto to score an additional try to put the game to rest.
Pool D
Fiji 54-0 Russia
There was no Vladimir Ostroushko for Russia in this one, as they look to stay ahead of Japan in the battle for series survival. And within three minutes of the match Russia’s troubles grew, the side were forced to play with six-man after Zhivatov was shown a yellow card and with Russia a man down, Fiji took full advantage. Mesulame Kunavula received a brilliant pop pass and his speed and strength made sure over the first five-pointer.
The Pacific Islanders used their ability to capitalise on any given scenario and scored three magnificent length-of-the-field tries to take a 26-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, Fiji became more clinical and turned aggressive defence into attack in a seeming instant – the Russian attackers hardly stood a chance as it started raining tries.
Amenoni Nasilasila went over after a 60-metre run-in and Mesulame Kunavula scores a third and then fourth to wrap up the win.
Australia 14-21 Samoa
Within the first minutes of the game, there was drama, Australia had to continue with six men after Liam McNamara was shown a red card by referee Craig Joubert for coming in from the side and kicking the ball away.
However, the man short did not bother them much, as James Stannard scored the only try of the first half to give Australia the 7-0 lead at the break.
There were some strong words spoken by the Samoa mentor Sir Gordon Tietjens and it proved to be efficient as the abrasive Samoans hit back with a try by Alamanda Motuga . Not long after that, the men in blue take the lead as Alatasi Tupou celebrated his 68th try after Tila Mealoi expertly sent it out wide.
Despite a last last-gasp Alex Gibbon, the Samoans stay undefeated.
Day one, Round Three Fixtures:
(Kick-off is local time- GMT plus two hours)
Samoa v Russia (16.48)
Australia v Fiji (17.14)
Wales v Argenitna(17.36)
United States v New Zealand (17.58)
Scotland v Japan (18.20)
Canada v South Africa (18.42)
France v Spain (19.04)
England v Kenya (19.26)
