How Black Ferns Sevens plan to shut Maddison Levi down in LA final
For just the second time this season, New Zealand will face arch-rivals Australia in a SVNS Series decider to determine who the queens of this weekend’s tournament in Los Angeles are.
New Zealand beat South Africa and Fiji during a practically perfect run in pool play, with the women in black finishing with a +107 points differential after only conceding 12.
The Black Ferns Sevens maintained their level of excellence in a dominant quarter-final win over Ireland. They again continued to set the standard in their semi-final against a valiant Canadian side on Day Three.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe scored a double as the Kiwis ran away with a 31-12 victory. This is the first time in the 2023/24 campaign that the Black Ferns Sevens have made consecutive finals.
“I think just simplifying it at the end of the day. We just stripped it all back and just thought about what is rugby about. It’s kick, pass tackle. Just simplified our moves and went back to real basis,” New Zealand’s Tyla King said when asked about the secret behind their recent success.
“We’re seeing out there, the calmer we are the better we play, the more fun we’re having. I think that’s credit to the girls for putting in the work from Perth and now we’re reaping the rewards.
“But we’ve still got one more to go.”
New Zealand are set for a colossal clash of the Titans on Sunday afternoon after SVNS Series front-runners Australia got the better of the United States in a thrilling semi-final.
With the scores locked at 19-all, USA threatened to win the fixture as they charged the ball deep into Australia’s 22, But captain Charlotte Caslick won a turnover at the breakdown which swung the match in their favour.
Australia went down the other end and ended up scoring with time up on the clock as speedster Faith Nathan raced out for the winning try.
But there’s no doubt about who the star of the show is. Maddison Levi scored another double to extend her try-scoring tally to an incredible 11 at SVNS LAX.
“Just don’t let her get the ball,” King said of Levi before laughing. “That’s one way. She can’t score if she hasn’t got the ball.
“We know it’s going to be a good battle out there… whoever we get, it’s going to be a grind.
“We’re up for anything. We’ll go back now and relax, celebrate actually, Michaela getting 200 games on the World Series as well.”
It’s been a big weekend for the New Zealanders. Woodman-Wickliffe is playing in her 50th tournament, and wing Michalea Blyde just played in her 200th SVNS Series match.
But Tyla King has etched her own name into history as one of the all-time greats after breaking the record for most points scored by a women’s player on the international circuit.
“It was pretty cool just to know that I’ve cracked it finally.
A pressure try in a pressure moment 🤩
Faith Nathan secures a spot in the final for @Aussie7s #HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX pic.twitter.com/MxVWFAdgG9
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) March 3, 2024
“But yeah, we had been talking about it as a team and I think Portia was doing the math out on the field. She’s like, ‘Okay she’s got two kicks, just needs another one.’
“When she heard me I guess she was like, ‘Here you go Tyla.’ I guess it pays off being a little seagull around the strikers out there.
“Anytime someone achieves a pretty good milestone it is always celebrated by the haka and obviously you saw Portia when she hit her 50th tournament for NZ and me as well.
“Whenever you’re on the other side of the haka it’s pretty special because it’s not often that you get to stand there and get one performed at you, you’re usually in it. It was a goosebump moment.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to comments