(Photo HSBC SVNS)
Hard-fought wins over Great Britain and Kenya meant that five-time HSBC SVNS Series tournament winners South Africa finished day one in Valladolid at the top of Pool A, but they have little room for error with Saturday’s first-up opponents Australia breathing right down their necks.
New Zealand and Argentina, meanwhile, set up a mouthwatering Pool B decider after each finished day one with perfect winning records; and Fiji marched to the top of Pool C with wins over France and USA.
POOL A: South Africa and Australia work hard to top pool on a tough day one
South Africa, HSBC World Championship leaders after the opening tournament in Hong Kong, were made to work for both their wins on the opening day of the penultimate round of the season in Valladolid.
Great Britain, 10th in the HSBC SVNS World Championship table after Hong Kong, gave the top seeds a real fright in the two sides’ first outing of the day, taking the five-time HSBC SVNS tournament winners this season into golden point extra time, before Tristan Leyds settled matters 17-12 in favour of the Blitzboks.
They rounded out day one with a perfect winning record after grinding out a second hard-fought win, Shilton van Wyk and Sebastiaan Jobb both scoring to beat Kenya 14-0.
It was that sort of day in a difficult Pool A. Dietrich Roache’s second try – in golden point extra time – gave Australia a 15-10 win over Kenya at the end of a gruelling, lungbusting encounter under a hot sun in north-western Spain.
Henry Hutchison and James Turner both scored twice to beat a brave and unfortunate Great Britain 26-21 to ensure Australia went unbeaten on day one – and set-up a mouth-watering deciding pool match against the Blitzboks, who won five tournaments on the main series before the tri-tournament World Championships.
Despite their two losses on day one, Great Britain – who round out their pool phase against Kenya on Saturday – still have a chance to reach the quarter-finals thanks to their two losing bonus points.
POOL B: All Blacks lead Pool B, but Dubuc’s Argentina lie in wait
New Zealand and Argentina set up a Pool B decider on Saturday with unbeaten runs on the opening day in Valladolid.
Gameplans this weekend in north-western Spain won’t come better executed than New Zealand’s dominant and controlled six-try 40-0 win over Uruguay on their first outing at a sweltering Estadio Jose Zorrilla.
Cedric Eichholz will go down in history as the scorer of the first try for Germany’s men’s sevens squad against New Zealand – and Chris Umeh the second – but the All Blacks Sevens ran in five touchdowns to two to claim a 33-12 win in the two sides’ first-ever meeting.
Those two big wins handed the All Blacks Sevens top spot in Pool B on day one, but Argentina are breathing down their necks.
They had survived a second-half fightback against Germany – winning 26-17, having gone 26-5 ahead shortly after the break. Makonnen Amekuedi scored twice for the determined European side.
And rising star Sebastian Dubuc scored a second-half triple as Argentina put one foot firmly in the quarter-finals with a convincing 40-14 win over South American neighbours Uruguay.
POOL C: Offload wizards Fiji stroll to top of the table
Under-pressure France, lying eighth after the first tournament of the HSBC World Championship Series, had their chances against Fiji – but ultimately fell to a sixth consecutive defeat to the Pacific Islanders this season, as Viwa Naduvalo, George Bose, Apete Narogo and Nacani Boginisoko capped a glorious offloading performance with a try apiece to win 26-12.
France, in desperate need of a win, opened up a 19-0 lead over hosts Spain in the final match of the day, courtesy of tries from Simon Desert, Rayan Rebbadj and Yerim Fall. But, inspired by scrum-half Juan Ramos, Spain forced their way back into the game in the second period – but Les Bleus scrambled in defence and held on to win 19-14 and keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
Angel Bozal scored the deciding try with the clock in the red and sent the home fans wild as Spain held off an almighty challenge from USA, to win 26-21, after Orrin Bizer and Jaime Manteca had traded touchdown doubles.
USA were left ruing the chances they didn’t take as Fiji worked their way to a 19-7 victory that put them in the quarter-final box seat. But their losing bonus against Spain means they remain in the qualification hunt heading into day two.
Maddison Levi hunts down all-time try record
New Zealand and Australia again showed why they are the two best women’s sevens sides on the HSBC SVNS Series this season.
After day one of the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series tournament in Valladolid, the trans-Tasman rivals appear to be on another final collision course following perfect pool starts.
But France will be looking to have a say in the final standings, winning their two opening day outings convincingly to finish the day top of Pool C, ahead of Canada.
POOL A: Black Ferns Sevens lay down marker
New Zealand’s dominant season continued in Valladolid. After six tournament wins so far this season, they head into day two at Estadio Jose Zorrilla at the top of Pool B with a sizeable points advantage over nearest rivals Japan.
Brazil – without the high-speed try-scoring services of Thalia Costa until Sunday – struggled to make an impact in their opening match against an organised Japan. Michiyo Suda scored two of the Sakura Sevens’ tries in a routine 24-7 win.
Japan later made it two from two on day one with a 33-10 win over Argentina courtesy of Michiyo Suda’s second-half double, setting up a decisive clash with the also unbeaten New Zealand on Saturday.
Talia Rodich had got the scoreboard moving as Argentina sprang an early surprise on hot favourites New Zealand in the two sides’ first-ever meeting. But it was then business as usual as the Black Ferns Sevens clicked into gear, scoring six tries en route to a 38-7 victory.
The all-conquering New Zealand followed up their opening round win with a 40-12 win over Brazil, Jorja Miller scoring two of their six tries.
POOL B: Levi shines as Australia rule Pool B
The remarkable Maddison Levi added six tries to her tally on the opening day in Valladolid – and also notched her first conversion as she hunts down Michaela Brake’s all-time record – to help Australia to a perfect start in Spain.
Hat-tricks against South Africa and Fiji took Levi to 61 touchdowns so far this season, putting her within nine of breaking her own all-time season record.
It wasn’t all a walk in the Estadio Jose Zorrilla, however. Determined qualifiers South Africa – who are missing a number of key players through injury – made them work harder than expected for their 26-12 opening match win.
Reapi Ulunisau’s 99th international sevens try was a last-minute consolation for Fiji, after the Levi sisters scored five of Australia’s tries as they eased to a 45-5 victory.
Earlier, Fiji’s rolling bench did the job in the opening match of the day at Estadio Jose Zorrilla. Verenaisi Ditavutu, Mariana Talatoka and Atelaite Buna Ralivanawa all scored in the second half to set up a surprise 26-19 win over USA.
That result piled the pressure on USA, who could not afford a slip-up against South Africa. They responded in clinical fashion, Kaylen Thomas scoring twice, while Su Adegoke and Ariana Ramsey got their names on the scoreboard as USA won 26-12.
POOL C: France lead Canada after perfect opening day
Maria Garcia got the growing Friday Valladolid crowd cheering with a touchdown late in the first half of Spain’s opening match against Canada. But the Olympic silver medallists were always in control, and eased away to a 35-7 win.
The Canadians – with Breanne Nicholas joining the elite 50-tournament group – then opened up a 21-0 first-half lead in their second outing of the day against Great Britain, and weathered a second-half fightback to win 21-12, though emotions were tempered by a late injury to Piper Logan.
Alycia Christiaens scored the second hat-trick of the day in Spain, and 19-year-old rookie Anaik Konyi dotted down for a second-half double as France beat Great Britain 34-0.
In the final Pool C outing of the day, Spain had France under all sorts of early pressure – but once Chloe Jacquet had broken clear for a 70m run-in and France survived a yellow card unscathed, there was only going to be one winner. It ended 33-7.
