The New Zealand sevens team confirmed they are back on the winning trail by defeating old foes Fiji 21-12 on Saturday to emerge victorious from the South Africa leg of the IRB World Series. It was the second success in as many weeks for the men in black on the eight-round 2009-2010 circuit after the traditional masters of the abbreviated version of rugby union failed to win a tournament last year.
Winning in Dubai and the Western Cape town of George gives New Zealand 48 points going into the Christmas break and a 12-point advantage over Fiji with Samoa third a further eight points back after two rounds.
A Ben Souness try converted by Tomasi Cama gave New Zealand a 7-0 half-time lead at Outeniqua Park and when a try by veteran forward-cum-skipper DC Forbes soon after the break was converted the advantage doubled. An Osea Kolinisau try converted by William Ryder cut the deficit in half only for a Save Tokula try to put the eight-time world champions back in control of the final.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Ryder completed the scoring with a late try he failed to convert, leaving the Kiwis with an unassailable nine-point advantage as time ticked away on a warm evening in the southwest tourist town. Long-serving New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens praised his 12-man squad, which is a mix of youth and experience, after a third success in four George finals against the talented but error-prone Fijians.
“The final was different from our two previous matches in that we took the lead and stayed ahead. Captain DJ Forbes led by example and younger members of the squad can only learn from him,” he said.
“We have made the perfect start with two victories after a terrible time last year. There is a long way to go but we will take it one tournament at a time and give it our best shot,” he said.
New Zealand overcame a 14-point deficit to pip England 22-19 in the quarter-finals after finishing only second in their group following a first-match loss to Samoa on Friday in a repeat of the Dubai decider. The Kiwis conceded a 13-second try to Kenya in the semi-finals and trailed by nine points at half-time before another recovery delivered a 17-14 triumph with Zar Lawrence snatching the crucial third try.
Defending World Series champions South Africa failed to get beyond the last eight for the second consecutive weekend, losing 21-17 to Fiji, and the host nation also flopped in the Plate final against England.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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