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Perry Baker sends All Blacks Sevens packing before SVNS LAX quarters
It came down to a missed conversation at the end. There was barely anything in it but after failing to get a losing bonus point, but the All Blacks Sevens have missed out on the Cup quarter-finals in Los Angeles.
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New Zealand started their quest for SVNS LAX glory with a defeat to arch-rivals Australia on Friday night, and while they bounced back against Samoa, it all came down to their final match.
With New Zealand and the USA level on one win each, a victory would send either side through to the Cup quarter-finals while the other would need to get their calculators out.
It couldn’t have started any better for the men in black, with veteran Scott Curry crossing for the opener inside the opening minute of play.
Who let the Dawgs out? 😎@USARugby bring it home on their turf 🔥#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX https://t.co/n1aKJ20OXD pic.twitter.com/wRaTq4jRtR
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) March 3, 2024
But, to the delight of the Los Angeles crowd, a rapid Perry Baker double set the Eagles on the path to glory. The hosts led 21-7 at the break and never looked back.
While the All Blacks Sevens fought their way back into the contest, a missed conversion from replacement Tepaea Cook Savage proved to be the difference.
With the two best third-place sides across the pools qualifying for the knockout rounds, they were two points the Kiwis needed. Instead, Great Britain and Ireland have progressed.
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Ireland had a slightly better points differential, but that wouldn’t have mattered if the New Zealanders had lost to the United States by seven or more.
But the final score was 19-28 in the United States’ favour – a difference of nine.
New Zealand will battle it out for ninth place in the City of Angels along with rivals South Africa, Samoa and Canada.
As for the United States, they’ll face Antoine Dupont’s France in the first men’s quarter-final on Saturday evening.
“Just trying not to worry about things. Just trying to get over it and onto the next job and just communicating,” USA’s Perry Baker said on the SVNS Series broadcast.
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“I think it’s just helping us.
“Then to have this crowd behind us is the extra little push.”
Argentina will play Ireland, Fiji against Spain and Australia will go head-to-head with Great Britain in the other matches.
But, with the support of a vocal crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park spurring them on, the United States have moved one step closer towards achieving their goal.
“Making it to the finals and winning it all,” Baker added.
“That’s the plan. We don’t come here not to do it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
43 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
43 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
43 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
6 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 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.
6 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 comments