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Watch: Southland speedster scores electric maiden All Blacks Sevens try
By Henry Lee
New Zealand fans have got used to seeing Michael Manson use his pace on the rugby field, but the Southland Stags winger has now provided the rugby world with a highlight on the HSBC SVNS Series.
The third stop on the SVNS Series for 2025-26 in Singapore didn’t start as planned for the All Blacks Sevens, going down 19-12 to France in their first game of Pool B on Saturday.
A first-half try from Akuila Rokolisoa gave New Zealand the lead before the impressive French side scored three straight tries to narrowly beat the All Blacks Sevens.
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Tomasi Cama’s side then fought back from 10-0 down to edge Argentina, 26-20 in Singapore, through a late try by Bay of Plenty winger Kele Lasaqa.
In the last of the Pool B matches, the All Blacks Sevens were too good for Australia, where Manson closed the game out in the final stages with a full-field stunner.
The 24-year-old picked the ball up near his own line, before seeing space in behind the Australia defence and kicking the ball ahead.
Manson was too quick for the Australian defenders, kicking it ahead one more time before the bounce sat up perfectly down the left-hand touchline.
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Manson’s late try extended the All Blacks’ Sevens margin to 19, in an important victory for the Kiwis after an early loss to France on Day One in Singapore.
Cama’s side will take on Fiji at 7:52pm NZT on Sunday evening in the semi-final, while France will take on the Blitzboks straight after, at 8:14pm NZT.
New Zealand will be looking to improve on Cape Town’s fifth place result, after winning the first tournament of the SVNS Series for 2025-26, in Dubai.
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