Top seeds ease through Day One
All the top seeds advanced safely through Day One at the Hong Kong leg of the IRB World Sevens Series on Friday.
Series leaders New Zealand had no trouble in disposing of the United States, while the second-placed Fiji eased past Scotland. South Africa (third on the standings) and England (fourth) had to work a bit harder to get past Wales and Argentina respectively.
Other Day One winners in the Cup competition include Australia over France and Samoa against Kenya.
This year in Hong Kong there are two 12-team competitions, which take place side by side.
Competition One, for the Cup, is between the current 12 ‘core teams’ in the World Series. The pool winners, pool runners-up and two best third-place finishers will go through to the Cup quarterfinals. The losers of the Cup quarter finals will go through to the Plate semifinals; the four not involved in the Cup quarterfinals will go straight to the Bowl semifinals.
In Competition Two 12 teams from across the six IRB regions, three of whom – the two finalists and the winner of the third/fourth place play-off – will secure core team status and join the 12 existing core teams at each round of the 2012/13 Sevens World Series.
We bring you all the action from the main 12-team Cup competition!
Pool A:
(Samoa, England, Argentina, Kenya)
United States Sevens champions Samoa began their Hong Kong campaign with a 19-7 victory against Kenya, thanks to tries from Ken Pisi, Paul Perez and Alatasi Tupou.
They will be looking for a second successive Cup victory this weekend in Hong Kong, but all three of their pool opponents were quarterfinalists in Las Vegas.
England, who won in Dubai and are fourth in the World Series standings, showed why they always perform well with the support of the ex-pat crowd in Hong Kong. They came from behind to edge Argentina 19-10 in the day’s last match.
Results:
England 19-10 Argentina
Samoa 19-7 Kenya
Pool B:
(New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, United States)
Current Series leaders New Zealand beat the United States 29-5 thanks to another impressive performance from the influential Tomasi Cama as Alex Magleby suffered defeat in his first match as the new coach of US.
Gordon Tietjens’ side are without the Series’ leading try scorer Frank Halai, Solomon King, Lote Raikabula and Toby Arnold but will still be hoping to defend their title.
The 2008/09 World Series winners South Africa beat reigning RWC Sevens champions Wales 10-0 in the second Pool B match, the day’s penultimate match, thanks to tries from Boom Prinsloo and Cecil Afrika.
Results:
South Africa 10-0 Wales
New Zealand 29-5 United States
Pool C:
(Fiji, Australia, France, Scotland)
Isikeli Tulwainunu Vuruna scored two of Fiji’s seven tries as the side currently lying second in the World Series beat Scotland 39-5 in Pool C. The Gold Coast Sevens champions Fiji now face matches with France and Australia on day two.
Greg Jeloudev scored a hat-trick for Australia against the Dubai Sevens runners-up France as they began their Hong Kong Sevens campaign with a 31-10 victory.
Results:
Australia 31-10 France
Fiji 39-5 Scotland
We bring you all the action from the core team qualifying competition!
Pool D:
(Tonga, Uruguay, Hong Kong, China)
Tonga’s performance in Wellington in New Zealand, where they beat Fiji, Argentina and drew with Wales sees them favourites to progress as Pool D winners and they came from 0-5 behind to beat China 33-12.
Li Yang had scored the opening try of the match, but five tries for Tonga secured victory heading into day two.
Uruguay were present in Las Vegas, but the hosts Hong Kong proved too strong as they were buoyed by the home crowd at the Hong Kong Stadium to win 17-14 thanks to tries from Tom McQueen, Keith Robertson and Ross Armour.
Results:
Uruguay 14-17 Hong Kong
Tonga 33-12 China
Pool E:
(Canada, Spain, Zimbabwe, Philippines)
Five different players scored tries for Canada as they beat the Philippines 35-5 in the second match of day one. The biggest cheer of the match, however, came when Justin Coveney scored for the losing side.
Geriant John’s side have played in four of the five rounds on this year’s World Series, their best outing coming in Wellington where they reached the Cup quarterfinals, and they are favourites to top this pool.
In the second Pool E match, Javier Canosa, captain Pablo Feijoo and Pedro Martin all scored for Spain as they beat Zimbabwe 19-5.
Results:
Spain 19-5 Zimbabwe
Canada 35-5 Philippines
Pool F:
(Portugal, Russia, Japan, Guyana)
Pedro Leal scored twice in the day’s opening match as Portugal secured a 19-0 victory against Guyana.
Portugal are seeded first in Pool F and remain favourites to reach the quarterfinals, whilst Russia will be buoyed by their 14-7 victory against Japan after Vladimir Ostroushko had broken the 7-7 half-time deadlock.
In 2011 Russia reached the Cup quarterfinals in Hong Kong, but Japan have played in three rounds on this year’s World Series, and their two matches on day two will prove decisive.
Results:
Russia 14-7 Japan
Portugal 19-0 Guyana
