The New Zealand men created a champion exhibition to send old opponents Fiji tumbling out in the quarterfinals of the Vancouver Sevens competition on Monday (NZT).
The Kiwis brought an extraordinary presentation of ownership sevens and inflexible safeguards to make sure about a merited 17-5 quarterfinal triumph over the Fijians under the rooftop at BC Place in their 107th gathering at world arrangement level. The islanders currently conceal the general matchup 56-51.
The New Zealanders drove 12-0 at halftime after a clinical opening salvo, civility of attempts to Tim Mikkelson and Sione Molia.
Mikkelson made the Fijians pay for a mistake when Vilimoni Botitu spilled the ball on the convey and the veteran, in his record-setting 91st competition, had the option to snaffle the free ball and walk around for his 234th arrangement attempt, and the mid 5-0 lead.
Molia made it 12-0 not long before the break when the Kiwis flooded upfield off a breakdown turnover back on their 22 and Vilimoni Koroi laid on the score with a peach of a wide pattern pass.
Clark Laidlaw’s men commanded ownership through the principal half and figured out how to baffle the Fijians with their absence of ball and keep the islanders scoreless.
They looked like rehashing the portion in the subsequent half before the match woke up in the last moment.
Josua Vakurunabili indented a late attempt, of a flooding move from profound and the tap and go, to recover the Fijians to 12-5, with Kiwi forward Sam Dickson dispatched to the sin-bin.
In any case, the New Zealanders won the restart and completed with a twist when Joe Ravouvou delivered a bit of chip-and-pursue enchantment to finish the scoring.
The triumph by the arrangement driving New Zealanders finished a run of five annihilations in their last six matchups against the colorful Fijians. They will presently meet second-put South Africa in the elimination rounds.
“We’ve lost a couple of quarterfinals here. It’s tied in with concentrating on that first game,” said New Zealand co-chief Mikkelson subsequently. “It appears to consistently go last possible minute with Fiji and we’re only appreciative to get the success.”
Mikkelson said the Kiwis had been glad to drape their cap on their protection against their Pacific Island rivals.
“We were content with our D yesterday when we just let a few attempts in. We said if the following person continues making the handle and doing the following employment we could make it hard for them. What’s more, we did that once more.”
Prior South Africa, champs in Los Angeles a week ago, ran in four attempts to two to move past the USA 26-10 in their quarterfinal. Werner Kok, Cecil Afrika and Angelo Davids (twice) crossed for the goes after for the Blitzboks.
Carlin Isles and Danny Barrett scored first-half goes after for the Americans.
Australia will meet host Canada in the other Cup elimination round.
The Aussies moved past England 31-12 in their quarterfinal with attempts to Lachie Anderson (2), Lewis Holland, Maurice Longbottom, and Josh Turner.
Canada moved beyond improving Spain 21-0, subsequent to driving 7-0 at halftime of their quarterfinal. Lucas Hammond, Justin Douglas, and Theo Sauder crossed for the hosts.
Source: NZ Fiji Times
