HAMILTON SEVENS: Fiji smash USA in Cup Final
DAY ONE WRP: Fiji whipped the United States 38-0 in a six-try rout Sunday to take the New Zealand Sevens crown and draw level at the top of the world series rankings.
The winners walked away from Hamilton with back-to-back titles in both New Zealand and the world circuit, once again depriving the US of a tournament win despite making the finals of all three dates in the 2018-19 series so far.
Final standings at the #NZSevens
1 Fiji
2 USA
3 New Zealand
4 South Africa
5 Scotland
6 Samoa
7 Canada
8 Australia
9 England
10 Kenya
11 Argentina
12 Spain
13 Tonga
14 France
15 Wales
16 Japan pic.twitter.com/m7KH6z30SQโ World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) January 27, 2019
Fiji were never seriously challenged from the time Jerry Tuwai opened the scoring from a line-out steal in the second minute.
Waisea Nacuqu and Aminiasi Tuimaba also scored in the first half for the defending New Zealand champions to lead 17-0 at the turn.
Alosio Naduva notched two tries in the second half and Tuwai bagged his second while the US were left scoreless.
Fiji came through Sunday’s knockout matches with a 31-7 win over Canada in the quarterfinals before beating South Africa 29-7 in the semis.
The US team, which is shaping up as an emerging power in Sevens rugby, had a 19-14 win over Scotland in the quarters.
They then came from behind to beat hosts New Zealand 17-7 on the back of a one-man advantage after Regan Ware was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle.
Fiji and the US now lead the overall standings with 57 points – one ahead of hosts New Zealand, who beat South Africa 29-7 in the bronze medal match.
It’s all square at the top of the #HSBC7s standings.
๐ซ๐ฏ@fijirugby – 57
๐บ๐ธ@USARugby – 57
๐ณ๐ฟ@AllBlacks7s – 54
๐ฟ๐ฆ@Blitzboks -44
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ@EnglandRugby – 38 pic.twitter.com/TtLyFEHI8Bโ World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) January 27, 2019
Sunday’s runners-up lost to New Zealand in the season opener final in Dubai and went down to Fiji 29-15 in Cape Town.
England started the weekend from fourth in the series standings but failed to qualify for the play-offs.
They later recovered to beat Kenya 36-7 in the Challenger Trophy final to be fifth overall in the series, six points behind fourth-placed South Africa.
Seven stars make up your @HSBC_Sport Dream Team at the #HSBC7s in Hamilton
Kalione Nasoko @fijirugby @benpinkelman2 @USARugby
Meli Derenalagi @fijirugbyVilimoni Botitu @fijirugby@Carlin_Isles @USARugby
Folau Niua @USARugby
Amianisi Tuimaba @fijirugby pic.twitter.com/pGiY4V2HNEโ World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) January 27, 2019
Cup Final:
Fiji 38-0 USA
Bronze Final:
South Africa 7-29 New Zealand
Fifth place play-off:
Samoa 19-24 Scotland
Challenge Trophy Final:
Kenya 7-36 England
Thirteenth place play-off:
Tonga 33-10 France
Cup semifinals:
Fiji 29-7 South Africa
New Zealand 7-17 USA
Fifth place semifinals:
Canada 19-28 Samoa
Australia 14-24 Scotland
Challenge Trophy semifinals:
Argentina 7-24 Kenya
Spain 7-38 England
Thirteenth place semifinals:
Japan 7-31 Tonga
Wales 19-35 France
Cup quarterfinals:
Fiji 33-7 Canada
South Africa 28-19 Samoa
New Zealand 24-17 Australia
USA 19-14 Scotland
Challenge Trophy quarterfinals:
Argentina 35-0 Japan
Kenya 19-12 Tonga
Spain 19-10 Wales
England 21-5 France
Pool Draw | Your pools for the fourth leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Sydney on 2-3 February pic.twitter.com/kj1NsjBsby
โ World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) January 27, 2019
