Fiji successfully defended their Hong Kong Sevens title on a damp Sunday evening over powering New Zealand 21-7 at the Hong Kong Stadium on April 10, 2016.
New Zealand reached the final, beating South Africa in the semi-final, 12-7. It was a titanic, energy-sapping match, the best of the tournament (and one of the best all-time), and needed two periods of extra time, before New Zealand finally scored the winning try, through Regan Ware. Fiji had a more comfortable passage beating Australia 34-5, five tries to one, and producing an exhilarating display of running and passing rugby. They had found their ‘rugby mojo’ for the tournament during this match.
The final was always going to test the legs of New Zealand after their semi; whilst it was never going to be an excuse, it must have been factor. Fiji was brimming with confidence, but knew they would have to work extremely hard to prise open the Kiwi defence.
For the opening passage of play, New Zealand carefully retained possession, and got the first points on the board, when Pita Ahki scored the opening try to put the Kiwis ahead 7-0. Fiji, after a blistering long range attack by Jerry Tuwai, that took the Fiji to the New Zealand tryline, Tuwai was finally able to scramble to level the score at 7-7.
In the second half, Fiji dominated possession and began to move the ball with more confidence, and gradually created space for their powerful runners to exploit. After 4 minutes, Kitione Taliga burst through the centre to touchdown. The try was converted and Fiji led 14-7. New Zealand took the game back to Fiji, led by the hard tackling of D.J Forbes and deft offloading from Sonny Bill Williams, but on a turnover ball, and from their own 22, Fiji ran back at New Zealand, moving the ball with their trademarked sleight-of-hand passing, before Semi Kunatani completed the move by running-in from 30 metres. The try was converted and Fiji led 21-7. A lead they did not relinquish.
The victory was Fiji’s third this season on the World Sevens circuit, after Dubai and Las Vegas, and saw them move to 128points, five ahead of New Zealand on 123, and South Africa on 122.
This tournament was billed as a dress rehearsal for Rio, but it was far from that. The World Sevens circuit is a point’s accumulation system; next week, the same teams (except Japan replace South Korea) who competed in Hong Kong travel to Singapore. Such is the closeness of some of the games, and nature of Sevens, that winning one week, is no guarantee of winning the next.
The closer dress rehearsal for Rio was the Qualifying tournament, where Japan again edged Hong Kong in the final, 24-14. Here winner took all: with a place on the World Sevens circuit next season awarded to Japan, and nothing for Hong Kong. The quarters and semis of this tournament were brutal. There is no ‘next week’ in the Qualifying Tournament; maybe ‘next year’, but not ‘next week’. To see the pain etched on the face of the Spanish players when they lost to Hong Kong in the quarterfinal; or the exuberant joy of the Hong Kong team when they upset Spain, this is what we can expect in Rio. Pain or glory. Not points.
Other winners in Hong Kong over the weekend: the Shield was won by Russia, who beat Canada 19-14; the Bowl by Argentina over Scotland 26-0; and the Plate by England who found form to beat the USA 19-0.
Hong Kong was again a spectacle, and the entertainment from The Proclaimers and Bjorn Again energized the crowd into a foot-stomping mood over the weekend. When the loudest noise from the Hong Kong crowd is in a sing-along or Mexican wave, rather than the thunderous cheering and sonorous thrum of chairs and hoardings being drummed to the beat of “Fiji, Fiji, Fiji” or “New-Zee-Land” then something in the chemistry of the event is changing.
Grahame Carder is a sports enthusiast, former player and now resides in Hong Kong
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