New Zealand beat the USA 21-5 in the final of the Dubai Sevens on Saturday.
In a drama-filled tournament full of twists, turns and upsets, New Zealand were deserved winners. They were undefeated throughout the weekend.
In a tight first half, Tone Ng Shiu powered his way over the line to give New Zealand a seven-point lead. But when Luke Masirewa was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle, the USA seized the opportunity as Stephen Tomasin scored in the corner to reduce the gap to two heading into the break.
A series of errors cost the USA in the second half. When the USA knocked on they prepared for a scrum, but the ball also rolled into touch, giving New Zealand the option of a scrum or lineout. The All Blacks Sevens caught their opponents napping when they chose option two. And from the set piece, Dylan Collier trotted away to dot down.
The USA’s next mistake was having eight players on the field, which forced referee Damian Murphy to restart play with a penalty to New Zealand on halfway. The USA were forced to make countless tackles, but Ngarohi McGarvey Black eventually broke through to go over for New Zealand’s third try to secure the game and the title.
As a result, New Zealand are series leaders after the first tournament, followed by the USA, England, Australia, Fiji and South Africa, who complete the top six.
The 2019 #HSBC7s series table after Dubai is as follows:@AllBlacks7s – 22@USARugby – 19@EnglandRugby – 17@Aussie7s – 15@fijirugby – 13 pic.twitter.com/F1KN5uXmhI
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) December 1, 2018
Photo: Tom Dulat/Getty Images
