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Why the AB 7s were 'emotional' after thrilling semi-final win
The All Blacks Sevens are off to the big dance in Hong Kong after beating fierce rivals France 12-7 in a thrilling semi-final on Sunday – and clearly, it meant the world to them.
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Walking off the field at Hong Kong Stadium, you couldn’t wipe the smile off the faces of any player in a black jersey.
While they still have a job to do in Sunday’s final, they have had made history.
After years of heartbreak and defeat, New Zealand had qualified for the men’s final at the home of rugby sevens for the first time since 2016.
All Blacks Sevens ace Ngarohi McGarvey-Black spoke with RugbyPass about the significance of the moment as he began to make his way down the north-west tunnel.
“Pretty emotional aye? We haven’t had the final here since 2016. This has been one of the pinnacle events for us back in New Zealand,” McGarvey-Black told RugbyPass.
“Just to make it threw, it doesn’t matter who we play, we just wanted to get here. Yeah bro, like I said, it’s pretty emotional.
Bursting through to the final!
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black turning on the jets for @nz_sevens#HK7s | #ImpactMoment | @DHLRugby pic.twitter.com/LmXPVyNG5C
— World Rugby 7s (@WorldRugby7s) April 2, 2023
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“We build our team on a lot of values but love is one of them, it’s just love on the field, love off the field, whatever we do we stay together.
“Just to get a massive win like that right down to the wire on defence, you couldn’t express how much that win means to us.”
The All Blacks Sevens have had France’s number recently, but Saturday afternoons’ clash was a completely different story.
Lewis Ormond opened the scoring in the second minute, but Les Bleus hit back through Varian Pasquet shortly after.
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But cometh the hour, cometh the man – McGarvey-Black gave New Zealand the lead midway through the second half after making a brilliant line break.
As the clock continued to tick ever closer to full-time, New Zealand looked like they were destined to hold on – not that the French bought into that belief.
After forcing an All Blacks error on their try line, France were awarded an attacking scrum with four seconds to run on the clock.
But that’s all you need in sevens.
The crowd at Hong Kong Stadium watched on in awe and silence, utterly captivated by the enormity of the history that was about to play out before them.
Down by five, this was France’s time to make a statement and silence the sevens world.
But New Zealand calm the French storm. McGarvey-Black made an impressive stop off the scrum, and the All Blacks forced a turnover at the breakdown.
Just like that, the game was over. The All Blacks had won, while France bowed their heads in agonising defeat.
Later, McGarvey-Black revealed that the team had trained for that exact scenario at training.
“We’ve actually trained that scenario,” he added.
“Samoa has actually beaten us on that scenario twice, so we felt comfortable in that position. Obviously a bit nervous but at the same time you produce what you train at home.
“We did that scenario about five times and it was mainly for Samoa, so just to get it against the French boys, it was kind of cool that it paid off.”
The Hong Kong Sevens Cup final between New Zealand and Fiji is set to get underway at abut 1:15am NZT.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments