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'It's a relief': How the ABs 7s stunned RSA in Cup final

(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

The All Blacks Sevens walked down the North-West tunnel at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium with heads hung low following a painful defeat to fierce rivals South Africa on Saturday.

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After last weekend’s painful defeat to Argentina in the Hamilton Sevens Cup final, the New Zealand Men’s team travelled across the ditch for a chance at redemption.

New Zealand began their Sydney Sevens campaign in red-hot form, as they registered big wins over minnows Uruguay and fallen giants Kenya.

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But their biggest challenge was yet to come.

Another enthralling chapter in the rivalry between New Zealand and South Africa was set to be written; the victor would claim top spot in Pool B, as well as bragging rights.

Sevens veteran Joe Webber opened the scoring, as he sidestepped his way through the seemingly immovable Blitzboks defensive line.

While a Shilton van Wyk try helped South Africa level the scores soon after, the two teams would trade another seven-points each before a dramatic finale was written into the Sydney Sevens script.

Dalvon Blood converted a penalty attempt with time up on the clock, which gave South Africa a 17-14 win at Allianz Stadium.

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The crushing defeat to their fierce rivals risked defining their campaign in Sydney, ahead of a quarter-final clash with Samoa.

But the All Blacks Sevens’ honoured the legacy of the jersey throughout their next three matches, as their desperation to win spoke volumes about the teas character.

After beating Samoa and France, New Zealand had one opportunity to right the wrongs from the day before; they’d face South Africa in the Cup final.

And it wasn’t even close.

New Zealand were unrelentless as they unleashed a point scoring onslaught on their helpless opponents; the All Blacks scoring six tries, and kept South Africa to zero – winning 38-nil.

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In their third straight Cup final, the All Blacks Sevens were finally champions once again – and hoisted the Sydney Sevens trophy alongside the Black Sevens, who were also victorious.

But after receiving their medals and thanking their supporters with a haka, the significance of the result began to sink in for sevens veteran Joe Webber.

With his gold medal around his neck, and his HSBC Player of the Final trophy in hand – his first in 12 years on the World Series circuit – Webber revealed what his team did differently in the final.

Nothing.

“Not much. We just stuck to the same game plan, same everything, same group,” Webber told RugbyPass.

“We knew we were so close to putting out a performance like that, we just (had some) silly errors and it was always our mistakes.

“We knew once we tidied that up and tidied our attack up, we could put a good performance together.

“I think our D has been unreal, like the whole tournament we’ve had not much tries scored against us so our D really gets us going.

“Unreal, it’s a wicked feeling.

“Especially after last week. We’ve been in three Finals, I’ve been in how many Finals; I haven’t won one since 2020, 2020 Hamilton.

“Been so close but it’s relief to finally get one, get the monkey off the back.”

New Zealand claimed an incredible World Series double at Allianz Stadium, as the Black Ferns Sevens also won their final – beating France 35-nil.

In both finals, the Kiwis had kept their opponents to naught.

New Zealand’s north island has been drenched with heavy rainfall and flash flooding this week, but as Webber discussed, the All Blacks Sevens are “thinking about” everyone back home.

“We’re always thinking about them, we’ve been thinking about them the last couple of days so hopefully that puts a little smile on their face,” he added.

“Send our love and just be safe, and hopefully everyone sticks together and helps each other out.”

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Comments

6 Comments
A
Andrew 754 days ago

The irony is that in losing the pool top spot, the Black 7s avoided the Fijians in the semis. This was rather like the 2019 RWC in reverse. The BBokke played their final against Fiji and had nothing left in the tank for the last game.

F
Flankly 754 days ago

"Unrelentless"? 🤔

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

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J
Jennifer Ross 3 hours ago
One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

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Regards.

28 Go to comments
J
Jennifer Ross 3 hours ago
One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

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J
JW 4 hours ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

JJ and DMac shows how little attention you actually pay to the substance of the articles.

What do you mean by that? For lack of an answer from you I’d suggest yuo need to look at the game again and then read your article. Because although I’m not going to again but I did quickly review the videos and they all match correctly with my perception.

JTPL is shifting towards overseas players being JQP in future

No they’re not, thats a flatout lie Nick. You can find an article on here with their CEO where they want more out of their deals but it’s standard professional sports fair, nothing underhand like the NH does. I find that quite foul that you would share such a view.


I suppose the new World Club League thats starting would die for the best ABs even for just a year, and probably set them up even better. Mo’unga hadn’t done enough to earn a sabbatical though. This is where NZR needs to start questioning itself. You can’t blame the player if the NZR are not even interesting in offering you a contract. In situations where say NZR aren’t able to reach 70% of the offer I think a great starting point would be for them to be treated differently than someone who just left for money. NZR could say make that player immediately eligible if NZR decide to make a fair offer and they sign to return, with players putting in their overseas contracts a right to leave early if they resign back with NZR.


Even with Japans fading desire for sabbaticals I still think NZ can make it a good destination and have many reciprocal agreements with JRFU and the JRLO teams. The situation still very much favours NZ and Australia but it’s upto them to make the most of it or the JRFU won’t see any reason to be the ones always giving the favours.

88 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Where is the new breed of All Black 10? Where is the new breed of All Black 10?
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