Australia fight back to deny New Zealand spot in Valladolid Cup Final

Australia are through to the Cup Final at HSBC SVNS Valladolid after fighting back to beat rivals New Zealand 28-26 on Sunday morning. It’s brought an end to New Zealand’s run of seven straight deciders this season and has shaken up the World Championship race before SVNS Bordeaux.

Tia Hinds slotted a clutch match-winning conversion to sink the Black Ferns Sevens at the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid two years ago. The playmaker again produced some game-defining shots at the sticks as the Aussies clawed their way back from a 14-point half-time deficit.

Black Ferns Sevens skipper Risi Pouri-Lane left the World Championship front-runners in a strong position with a try with three minutes left, but the Aussies weren’t done. Faith Nathan raced away for an important score immediately after, with Hinds lining up a shot at the poles from out wide.

The playmaker sent the ball through the uprights and was called on for goal-kicking duties yet again when Kaitlan Shave ran in the levelling points in the dying stages. Shave was smiling before placing the ball down and continued to do so after walking down the tunnel post-game.

“I just saw the ball come out and I was just like, I need to catch this. I thought it was a bit hot so I was like, I’ve just got to catch and brace myself,” Shave told RugbyPass in Valladolid.

“Once I knew I was free I had a little bit of a smile because I knew that we were able to put us back in the race.”

Mahina Paul scored the opening try after 23 seconds at Estadio Jose Zorilla, before Stacey Waaka added to New Zealand’s lead soon after. Australia were made to pay for missed tackles, with Jorja Miller adding another five to their lead before the half-time break.

It was a 14-point ball game at the break, with the Black Ferns Sevens controlling the possession battle throughout the contest. But the Australians, who were without star player Maddison Levi due to injury, still had plenty of time to change the game.

“Sometimes when we’re down at half-time, maybe sometimes we drop our heads or the vibe gets low,” Shave said.

“The whole time, the whole game we knew we’re still in it. We still had belief in one another so we didn’t drop our heads, we just knew we could keep going. That was a really big difference in this game.”

Australia and New Zealand contested all six Cup Finals during the regular season, and met in the decider at the fan favourite Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens last month. But the Black Ferns Sevens dominated these matchups, claiming silverware all but once.

The Australians did triumph in a one-sided SVNS Cape Town Cup Final in December, which was the last time they’d defeated their fierce rivals before Sunday’s semi-final  Australia now have a chance to shake up the World Championship standings, looking to leapfrog the Kiwis into first.

“We’ve had a really tough season.

“The girls won in Cape Town and then we’ve just fallen short each Grand Final so it’s just nice to get a win over them, get back into the [Cup Final] again and verse someone new and have another chance to put ourselves in the running for the World Championship.”

Australia will meet the USA in the SVNS Valladolid Cup Final, after they staged an impressive comeback to beat Canada 14-12. The Canadians led 12-0 at the 11-minute mark but two late tries set the USA on a path to the big dance in northwestern Spain.

Florence Symonds and Asia Hogan-Rochester crossed for first-half tries, before the USA hit back through Sereana Vulaono in the 12^th minute. Kaylen Thomas ran in the match-defining try inside the final minute, before Kayla Canett slotted the winning conversion.