Reigning Commonwealth champions New Zealand set up a mouth-watering semifinal against hosts Australia at the Games rugby union sevens tournament in Melbourne on Friday.
New Zealand, champions in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and Manchester in 2002, coasted to a 24-0 win over Canada, while Australia overcame a doughty South African side 20-14.
Reigning world champions Fiji, comfortable 26-7 victors over Wales, will play England, who beat Samoa 17-14 at the Telstra Dome, where the roof was closed.
An early brace of tries from the high-stepping Sireli Naqelevuki and another by Jone Daunivucu gave Fiji enough headway to take their foot of the gas against Wales.
Wales’ outstanding performer Rhodri McAtee scored a consolation try after a neat break by James Hook but William Ryder rubbed salt into Welsh wounds by scoring a wonderful try started from deep behind his own line.
After side-stepping his way past three Welsh defenders, Ryder, groomed as Fiji’s new Waisale Serevi, cruised past the covering defence with ease to assert his position as one of the premier exponents of the abbreviated game.
Kiwi newcomer Cory Jane wriggled through a couple of loose tackles to set up the impressive Tamati Ellison for an easy try early in New Zealand’s game against Canada.
The Canadians pressured New Zealand but were simply unable to turn their pressure into points past the All-Black defence.
Ellison was on hand to track back for a try-saving tackle on Michael Strubin and on the stroke of half-time, Canada’s Justin Mensah-Coker bought a deft dummy and jink from Soseni Anesi, who sprinted 80m away for a second try to hand the Kiwis a 12-0 lead.
New Zealand scored again through the jinking Ellison, who was instrumental in setting up a try for Jane as Canada flagged.
Australia coach Glen Ella’s gamble of drafting four Wallaby heavyweights into his squad again paid dividends, his team ensuring qualification for the last four of a sevens event for the first time since the IRB World Series tournament in Los Angeles last season.
Giant Fiji-born winger Lote Tuqiri bumped off a tackle by South African captain Fabian Juries to open the scoring on the way to a 20-14 victory.
Cameron Shepherd, on for the injured Chris Latham, then doubled the score after a midfield mismove from Brendan Williams created enough space for the sevens regular to scoot in at the corner.
Juries made amends for his earlier weak tackle by gathering his own kick ahead to spot down to make it 10-7 at the break.
Tuqiri began the second-half as he did the first, riding tackle after tackle to set up quick ruck ball from which captain Shawn Mackay crossed in the corner for a simple try.
The 1,96m-tall Mackay made it a brace shortly after, showing a clutch of Bok defenders a clean pair of heels from 60m after a Matt Giteau hitch-kick created an acre of space.
The Boks hit back with a Philip Burger try but it was too late, much to the delight of the crowd.
A hattrick of tries from Mathew Tait was just enough for England to scrape past Samoa 17-14.
Samoa, with vocal backing of the majority of the 35,000-strong crowd, had clawed back a two-try deficit through scores by Ofisa Treviranus and Simaika Mikaele, both successfully converted by Faatonu Fili.
But Tait had the last word, showing great awareness to skip past a handful of defenders to break Samoan hearts as the hooter blowed.
In the Bowl competition, Kenya beat Niue 21-5 to set up an all-east African semifinal against Uganda, who overcame a gallant effort from Sri Lanka to win 24-12.
The other semifinal pitches Scotland against the hard-hitting Tongan side. The Scots rebounded from their dismal showing on Thursday against the Canadians — a 10-7 loss ensuring their knock-out from the medal tournament — to beat Nambia 26-12 while Tonga were 31-12 victors over South Sea cousins the Cook Islands. – AFP
