Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Argentina look to end Blitzboks’ Dubai SVNS reign after making another final

Marcos Moneta of Argentina celebrates scoring the match winning try during the 2023 Sydney Sevens match between Argentina and Canada at Allianz Stadium on January 27, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Following a breakout season on the circuit in 2022/23, Argentina are through to another SVNS Cup final after overcoming New Zealand in a thrilling semi-final in Dubai on Sunday afternoon.

ADVERTISEMENT

New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa are traditionally the teams to beat in men’s sevens, but a new heavyweight of the sport has not just emerged but arrived.

Argentina claimed a somewhat surprising bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and that history-making achievement has spurred Los Pumas Sevens on to more greatness in SVNS.

Video Spacer

Rugbypass TV

Watch rugby on demand, from exclusive shows and documentaries to extended highlights from RWC 2023. Anywhere. Anytime. All for free!

Join us

Video Spacer

Rugbypass TV

Watch rugby on demand, from exclusive shows and documentaries to extended highlights from RWC 2023. Anywhere. Anytime. All for free!

Join us

This time last year, Argentina had gone a long time without a title in sevens, but that 14-year Cup final drought came to a stunning end as they hit their stride in Hamilton.

Playing against the All Blacks Sevens at their home World Series leg – with sevens leaving New Zealand for the foreseeable future, too – Argentina shocked the world to claim gold.

That was the start of something special with Los Pumas Sevens also claiming Cup final honours in Vancouver and London on their way to a best-ever second-placed finish on the overall standings.

But with all that in the past, Argentina is intent on creating more magical moments in SVNS 2023/24. In the opening leg of the new season, they’re through to another final.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It was a really tough match,” Argentina star Marcos Moneta told RugbyPass after the semi-final.

Related

“Emotions (are) happy. We’re always looking to play these sorts of matches: quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.

“There’s a big road to Paris and all of these matches will help.

“Versing New Zealand, nowadays they’re the best in sevens rugby – they demonstrated that last season. We always want to play with them to improve ourselves, improve our team. Really happy for the win.”

Argentina will face South Africa in the Cup final on Sunday evening which sets up a mouthwatering clash. As Moneta is fully aware, the Blitzboks are traditionally the team to beat in Dubai.

ADVERTISEMENT

South Africa has won the last four Dubai SVNS finals on the bounce, and their dominance extends to six from eight dating back to 2014.

But that’s a challenge the Argentinian appeared more than eager to take on – although he didn’t know it at first.

Still drenched in sweat about 15 minutes after the semi-final, Moneta couldn’t stop smiling after being informed that South Africa is waiting for Argentina in the big dance.

“We were playing the match, they were playing before so I didn’t know that it was South Africa,” Moneta added.

“South Africa are really strong at this sevens. (I was) told that they won seven of the last nine, I don’t know if that’s true.

“They are strong, they have a lot of good players coming back – Rosko Specman, (Selvyn) Davids. They have a really good team.

“It’s going to be a tough match but we want to defend the gold medal that we won in London.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 40 minutes ago
France put World Cup pain behind them with unbeaten run in November

France is starting to look like they are finally over their WC headache, although they were lucky that NZ had a very bad game. The Argies as usual is one game good, the next bad. If they can sort that out and be more consistent, they could become contenders for the WC.


NZ, Argentina (if they are more consistent), and now the Wallabies too is in an upward curve (can they be consistent?), as well as Fiji(as inconsistent as Argentina) looks like possible contenders. The Boks will be as usual a huge threat to defend their title. Things are looking up for the South, so the North should rightfully beware of the Southern Hemisphere threat.


With the French looking dangerous, the English with their close runs (mostly a mindset problem) and the Scottish seems to be the NH main contenders. The Irish is good, but not excellent anymore. They are more overbearing and with their glory days mostly gone with old players hanging on by a thread, by 2027 if they don't start adding in the younger players, they won't make it past yet another WC Quarter final. The problem is that their youngsters, while good is nothing special.


That is just 8 teams without the Irish that can become real WC contenders. Lots of hickups to be sorted still for these teams, excluding the Boks to become a threat. Make no mistake, the top Tier is much closer than people realise and the 2027 WC will be a really great WC, possibly the best contended WC ever.

1 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING English club target Liam Williams for Premiership return English club target Liam Williams for Premiership return
Search