HOLDERS ARGENTINA CAME from behind to defeat New Zealand 36-12 to win their third straight Canada Sevens crown in Vancouver on Sunday, tightening their grip on the eight-leg World Rugby SVNS Series.
The Pumas, fresh from victories at the Cape Town and Perth tournaments, once again signalled they are the form team of Seven-a-side rugby with a scintillating performance to overwhelm their opponents.
New Zealand – who had knocked out Antoine Dupont and France in the semi-finals earlier Sunday – raced into an early 12-0 lead after tries from Joe Webber and Brady Rush in the first three minutes at BC Place.
But once Argentina clicked into gear, the New Zealanders were unable to cope, with Matias Osadczuk scoring a brilliant hat trick alongside tries from Marcos Moneta, Matteo Graziano and Luciano Gonzalez.
The win follows Argentina’s victories in Vancouver in 2023 and 2022. The Pumas have now gone 18 games unbeaten in the tournament during that period.
“It’s incredible. I’m very proud of this team,” Argentina skipper Santiago Alvarez said after the win. “We give all for this team and you can see it on the field. I’m very proud. We are trying to be better each day and this is the focus for us.”
Argentina now top the overall standings with 78 points from four tournaments, 24 points clear of Ireland and Fiji, who each have 54 points. Ireland had been knocked out by France in the quarter-final after Dupont scored with the clock in the red. They later beat Fiji 24-19 in the fifth-place play-off. Tries from Terry Kennedy (two), Chay Mullins and Zac Ward — with two converted by Ed Kelly — helped them finish on a high.
Earlier Sunday, Argentina had advanced to the final with a 35-19 drubbing of the United States in their semi-final.
New Zealand, meanwhile, reached the final after eliminating France 28-26.
Despite the defeat, France’s tournament ended on a bright note with a 42-12 romp over the United States to claim third place.
France’s 15-a-side superstar Dupont capped an encouraging tournament with a superb playmaking performance against the Americans that included a try.
Dupont has opted to skip this year’s Six Nations in order in order to focus on the abbreviated form of the game with an eye on this year’s Paris Olympics. The French superstar will now head to Los Angeles for the fifth stop on the global circuit next week.
In the women’s event, New Zealand’s Black Ferns cruised to a 35-19 win over France with veteran Portia Woodman-Wickliffe scoring a hat trick.
Ireland beat Japan on a scoreline of 12-7 in the ninth-place play-off. Vicki Elmes Kinlan crossed twice for victory. Ireland – historic champions in Perth last time out – previously fell to a 43-5 defeat to New Zealand in the group stages.
– © AFP 2024, additional reporting by Emma Duffy
