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Both New Zealand qualify for Singapore Cup finals with classy wins
New Zealand are on the cusp of potentially securing back-to-back Cup final doubles with both the women’s and men’s sides doing enough on Sunday afternoon to qualify for the big dance at Singapore’s National Stadium.
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Following their respective runs to title glory at last month’s Hong Kong Sevens, both New Zealand teams came into the final regular season event on the SVNS Series with a chip on their shoulder as a team to beat.
The Black Ferns sailed through pool play with three wins from as many starts before getting the better of Great Britain and Fiji on the road to the final. As for the men’s team, the Kiwis had to do it the hard way to book their place in the decider.
In the first Cup final of the event, the New Zealand women’s side braced themselves for an almighty challenge against reigning Olympic medallists Fiji. The Fijians were beaten 60-nil by Australia on Saturday but appeared hungry to make amends.
While a passionate pocket of Fijian supporters brought the noise during the semi-final, the Black Ferns Sevens were far too good as they qualified for their fourth Cup final on the bounce – and they did it without two Olympic gold medallists.
With injured duo Tyla King and Shiray Kaka sitting in the stands, the women in black scored five tries to Fiji’s four to win 22-23 with a classy performance on another hot day in Southeast Asia.
“We’ve got two special people that our ladies witnessed go down yesterday and that’s always hard to watch. There’s always an emotional connection to that straightaway,” coach Cory Sweeney told RugbyPass
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“The girls, they showed up today and showed up for those two that got injured and took their opportunity as well.
“That’s what we really ask of this team and they did a good job.”
New Zealand will take on arch-rivals Australia in the final later on Sunday. Both teams are equal on 106 SVNS Series points, so whoever wins that contest will be crowned the League Winners at the Singaporean venue.
Australia had their work cut out for them in a tough battle against SVNS powerhouse France, but a final-minute runaway try to speedster Faith Nathan ensured the Trans-Tasman foe will meet in their first decider since the Dubai leg in December.
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As for New Zealand’s men’s team, they’ll take on a hungry Irish outfit in the tournament’s last fixture. Ireland can potentially become the League Winners with a triumph over New Zealand depending on other results.
Australia, who are missing two players due to injury and James Turner is also unavailable after returning home for the birth of his child, struck first in the final with the powerhouse Nathan Lawson scoring out wide.
But New Zealand rallied, with the All Blacks Sevens piling on the points through a Kitiona Vai double, and other five-pointers to Fehi Fineanganofo and Brady Rush. The Kiwis were far too good in the end as they held on for a clinical 28-12 win.
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Comments on RugbyPass
‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to comments