Fiji strengthened their position at the top of the International Rugby Board ( IRB ) Sevens World Series, after they beat off a strong challenge from Samoa on Day Two in Round Six of the series in Adelaide on Sunday.


The Fijians, coming back from conceding an early try, went on to win the Final 21-7. They also had to come from behind in the quarter-final (where the game against South African went into sudden-death extra time) and the semi-final.


It was the fourth consecutive IRB Sevens World Series event in which the two Pacific Island nations clashed in the Final and they have now each won two - Samoa winning in Wellington, Fiji winning in San Diego, Samoa taking Hong Kong and now this week Fiji winning in the inaugural Adelaide Sevens.


It put Fiji on 104 points, with Samoa overtaking New Zealand in second place on 94 points. New Zealand, with two rounds remaining, are still in the race on 90 points, but fourth-placed South Africa (80) are almost certainly out of the race. To make up 24 points in just two events is near impossible.


Fijian coach Waisale Serevi admitted that his team can't afford to now rest on their laurels.

"It doesn't mean we've won the series," he said after the Final in Adelaide. "We can lose in the quarter-finals in the next two and then we are out of it. We knew we had to win here in the Final to stay ahead in the race, but a lot of work awaits."

Serevi described the Adelaide leg of the eight-tournament event - especially after having to come from behind in beating South Africa in the quarter-finals and New Zealand in the semi-finals.


* Hosts Australia were deserved winners of the Plate competition, as they beat a sloppy South African outfit 31-0 in a one-sided Final. The Aussies held a narrow 5-0 lead at the break, but four more tries in the second-half saw them punish the visitors for every mistake.


* In the Shield Final Canada took the honours by beating Japan 43-17, while Wales won the Bowl competition by beating an injury ravaged Tongan team 26-14 in the Final.


* Earlier Samoa qualified to meet Fiji in the Final after the Samoans overpowered the game, but clearly outclassed, Kenyan side 31-0.


New Zealand and Fiji, who have often met in finals in the past, played out a thrilling semi-final in which the lead changed hands a couple of times before the Fijians sealed it with a try after the hooter for full-time had already sounded to take it 24-17.


* In the quarter-finals Kenya produced one of the biggest upsets of the year to beat England 17-12 and advance to their first ever appearance in an IRB World Series semi-final.


Samoa beat Australia 22-17 and New Zealand easily marched past Scotland by 40-14.


The game that produced most excitement in the quarter-finals was when Fiji had to come from being 12 points behind (17-5) to score a dramatic extra-time 22-17 win against South Africa. This ended the South Africans' World Series hopes.

Follow up:

Adelaide, Day Two wrap!


Bowl quarter-finals:


Tonga - who beat England on Day One and came within a point of also upsetting Fiji and claiming a place in the Cup competition - simply proved to be too fast, too strong and too skilful for Japan and raced into a 31-0 lead at half-time, with five unanswered tries. After another early score in the second half by Tonga, the Pacific Islanders were reduced to five men after two horrible and dangerous head-high tackles. Japan were able to take advantage of their numerical advantage and two tries saw them narrow the gap to 36-12 at the end.


Argentina were also in control of their match against Hong Kong and raced into a 19-5 half-time lead - thanks to tries by Alejandro Abadie, Gonzalo Camacho, Santiago Gomez Cora (the most prolific try scorer in IRB Sevens history). Gomez Cora added another (try number 165) after the break as Argentina ran out comfortable 33-5 winners.


Tal Selley opened the scoring for Wales after three minutes, with Alec Jenkins adding a second as Wales took a 12-0 lead into the break against Portugal in a far more evenly contested game. Selley scored a second just after the break, before Portugal finally put points on the board through Pedro Leal. Lee Williams capped it off for a 24-7 Welsh win.


Brodie Henderson opened the scoring for Canada, but Pierre Yves Montagnat hit back almost immediately. Nicolas Carmona added one more as France took a 12-7 lead into the break. Henderson again opened the scoring after the break to put Canada back into the lead. An almighty punch-up involving almost all the players on the field then saw Cédric Beal (France) and Brodie Henderson (Canada) being yellow carded. However, rugby broke out again and Marc Giraud managed to score the winner for France right on full-time - the French winning 17-14 in dramatic fashion.


Results:
Match 25: Tonga 36-12 Japan

Match 26: Argentina 33-5 Hong Kong
Match 27: Wales 24-7 Portugal

Match 28: France 17-14 Canada


Cup quarter-finals:


Kenya opened an early 7-0 lead as Teddy Omondi exploited some space close in from a poor England start. Isoa Damu pulled one back for England, before Kenyan captain Innocent Simiyu scored his team's next as the Africans regained the lead and being up 12-7 at half-time. Simiyu used his strength to go over and open the scoring for Kenya - as they raced into a 17-7 lead with just over four minutes remaining. Damu pulled back a vital score for England with two minutes remaining as Kenyan Peter Ocholla was yellow carded for a professional foul. But Kenya held on for their most famous Sevens win ever and reaching their first ever Cup semi-final.


Samoa raced into an early lead with two quick scores by Mikaele Pesamino, both coming through slick handling, but Viliame Ratu pulled one back for the Australians by using brute force to go over. It left the Samoans with a 12-5 lead at the break. Pesamino continued his scoring spree as Samoa opened the gap with a well-worked try - in which they displayed their full range of stepping and passing skills - leaving the Australians with a 12-point (17-5) deficit to make up. But when Uale Mai scored soon afterwards, it was clear Australia were outclassed. Anthony Sauer and Luke Milton pulled a couple back for the Aussies, but it was far too little, too late as Samoa ran out 22-17 winners.


The Kiwis showed how dangerous they can be from turnovers when Afeleke Pelenise scored after 40 seconds, a try coming after Scotland lost the ball on attack. However, Mike Adamson showed there are some holes in the normally almost impenetrable Kiwi defence when he stepped through and over for Scotland's first try soon after the restart. Ross Rennie added another for Scotland soon afterwards and suddenly another upset appeared on the cards. But Scotland's defence were ripped apart as Lote Raikabula strolled over for the equaliser a minute before the break. The teams stayed level 14-all till half-time. Scottish hopes were given another blow when Zar Lawrence went over a minute into the second half. The Kiwis took a commanding 26-14 lead with a Nigel Hunt try - with further scores by Afeleke Pelenise and Steven Yates making sure there is no way back for Scotland. The Kiwis ran out 40-14 winners.


South Africa were caught napping, with Lepani Nabuliwaqa scoring from an early tap-'n-go penalty inside the first minute. But almost immediately Nabuliwaqa was yellow carded for a professional foul. Mzwandile Stick scored from the tap-'n-go as the South Africans exploited their numerical advantage. Howard Noble put the South Africans ahead as they continued to enjoy possession and territorial advantage - along with the extra man. Marius Schoeman then intercepted a silly back-flip by Fiji and offloaded to Noble as the South Africans took a 17-5 lead into the break. The South Africans continued to display some solid and physical defending to keep the Fijians at bay. Nasoni Roko got Fiji back into the game inside the last two minutes, with a kick and chase from a set scrum. A short restart gave the ball straight back to the South Africans, with a seven-point (17-10) advantage. However, the game was tied at 17-all as Roko found a gap and put Waisale Serevi over to put the game into sudden-death overtime. William Ryder showed his class, pace and power by exploiting the tiring South African defence to score the winner.


Results:
Match 29: England 12-17 Kenya

Match 30: Samoa 22-17 Australia
Match 31: New Zealand 40-14 Scotland

Match 32: South Africa 17-22 Fiji


Shield semi-finals:


Yusuke Kobuki and Hiroki Yoshida scored for Japan, while Colin Bisley replied for Hong Kong as the Japanese took a 12-5 lead into the half-time break. The game was a bit more one-sided after the break as Kenji Shomen, Takashi Suzuki and Hiroki Yoshida scored for Japan to give them a comfortable 29-5 lead. Ricky Cheuk scored a late consolation try for Hong Kong to make the final score 29-10.


Philip Mack opened the scoring for Canada. However, when Brodie Henderson - who earlier escaped further sanction at a judicial hearing for his role in the quarter-final punch-up - was yellow carded, Portugal managed to pull one back through Gonçalo Foro. That left the teams tied at 7-all at the break. Pedro Leal opened the scoring for Portugal soon after the break, but Dave Moonlight pulled one back almost immediately. A successful conversion then put Canada into a 14-12 lead. That's the way it stayed to the end.


Results:
Match 33: Japan 29-10 Hong Kong

Match 34: Portugal 12-14 Canada



Bowl semi-finals:


Teuimuli Kaufusi opened the scoring for Tonga, but Argentina got a penalty try after Vaea Tangitau was yellow carded for an ugly high shot in the ingoal area that knocked an Argentinean player out cold. Argentina were lucky not to have a player yellow carded soon afterwards, but they went into the break level at 7-all. Gonzalo Camacho opened the scoring after the break to put Argentina into the lead as the physical silliness continued. Tangitau, back from his stint in the sin bin, then scored to level matters. Despite plenty of endeavour on both sides this became the second game in the play-offs to go into sudden-death extra-time. Tangitau was then red carded (a second yellow for a high tackle), but Samisoni Pone produced the winning score for the Pacific Islanders.


Pierre Yves Montagnat opened the scoring for Frances and James Lewis replied for Wales as this game got off to a frenetic pace in the searing Adelaide mid-afternoon heat. Montagnat put France back in the lead in the final minute before the break to see his team a 14-7 advantage into the break. The Welsh talisman Tal Selley used his power to open the second-half scoring, but the conversion attempt was wide - leaving the French with a narrow two-point (14-12) lead. Jamie Roberts, with an 80-metre break-out try from a turnover, then put Wales into a 19-14 lead in another dramatic finish. It turned out to be a winning score.


Results:

Match 35: Tonga 17-12 Argentina
Match 36: Wales 19-14 France


Plate semi-finals:


Danny Care scored the opening try between two countries - England and Australia - at a ground on which they had fought numerous historic and classic cricket battles. But Care's score ensured England took a 7-0 lead in the abbreviated version of Rugby Union. James Lew hit back soon afterwards with some powerful running and a strong hand-off as Australia levelled the scores. An English mistake was soon punished as Shawn MacKay strolled over under the uprights to put the hosts in the lead as the end-to-end action continued. From the restart Australia regathered and Anthony Sauer, on the cut-back, split the English defence to score Australia's third try. This gave them a 21-7 lead at the break.


England's Fijian start Isoa Damudamu got his team back into the game soon after a poor restart by Australia as he powered over. But the Australians were soon two scores clear again as they used the width of the field to great effect to send Sauer over for his second try. Danny Care pulled one back for England, but it was too late and Australia advanced to the Plate Final with a 26-21 win.


It was South Africa who opened the scoring after a patient build-up, with Howard Noble eventually using his greater pace to sprint clear from 60 metres out. Some simple interplay from a set piece saw Gcobani Bobo going over for South Africa's second try as the men in Green and Gold started to take command of the semi-final against a tired-looking Scottish outfit. And Bobo regathered from the restart to sprint 40 metres for another easy score as the South Africans raced out to a 21-0 lead. Bobo set up the fourth try in another set-piece move as he offloaded to Mpho Mbiyozo for a 26-0 lead at the break.


Scotland showed a lot more endeavour in the early stages of the second half and Mike Adamson was eventually rewarded midway through the half with a try, after having been denied an earlier score by the corner post. But almost from the restart Marius Schoeman went over to stretch the lead to 33-5. Tobela Mdaka closed out the scoring to give South Africa a 40-5 victory.


Results:

Match 37: England 21-26 Australia
Match 38: Scotland 5-40 South Africa


Cup semi-finals:


Kenya were made to pay for some sloppy work at the kick-off and Mikaele Pesamino - the leading try scorer in Adelaide - collected a bouncing ball and sprinted 40 metres for the opening score. Apelu Fa'aiuga also made them pay for sloppy work at a scrum has he sprinted into a gap and over for a 14-0 lead to Samoa. The Kenyans certainly looked like a group who were not accustomed to the pressures and pace of a Cup semi-final. They were creating opportunities, but sloppy mistakes kept handing the ball back to the Samoans, who were a lot better at protecting that valuable oval-shaped piece of equipment. Lolo Lui scored Samoa's third, a try that started deep in Samoan territory after the Kenyans had turned the ball over while on attack. That gave the Samoans a 21-0 lead at the break.


The Samoans' great angled running and greater strength continued to trouble the Africans as Mikaele Senio went over early in the second half to crush any hopes of a Kenyan comeback. The Samoans now started to man-handle the Africans, using their great strength and physical advantage in the contact situations. Pesamino scored the next try as the Samoans toyed with the Africans to make it 31-0 at the final whistle.


It was a lot of early cut-and-thrust, with both teams creating turnovers, but Steven Yates made the first telling break as he sprinted half the field to open the scoring for New Zealand. Willie Rickards put the Kiwis further ahead, after another turnover as the two teams continued to hammer at each other. It didn't take Fiji too long to hit back, with Mosese Volavola going over after a patient build-up to make it 10-5 at the break.


The opening moments of the second half saw William Ryder showing his class, as he stepped and jinked past defenders to send Emosi Vucago clear for a crucial score. Emosi Vucago scored next, as Fiji started to pick up the pace against what appeared to be a tiring Kiwi outfit. Yates used his strength to tie up the game again as the teams continued to hammer at each other. But with the master, Waisale Serevi, on to direct matters, it was his apprentice William Ryder who made the decisive break and score to seal the win (24-17) for Fiji.


Fixtures:

Match 39: Kenya 0-31 Samoa
Match 40: New Zealand 17-24 Fiji


Shield Final:


Akio Tyler got Canada off to the perfect start in the Final, when he caught the Japanese defence napping and went over for a try. A second try put Canada into a 12-0 lead, but a brilliant kick across the field - almost like a long foot pass - found Takashi Suzuki in open space and he sprinted 60 metres for Japan's comeback try. The Canadians showed great patience in the build-up to their next try, as they took it slowly through the phases before Neil Meechan found space on the left wing. That gave the Canadians a 17-5 lead at the break.


Tyler again opened the scoring after the break, when he used his great stepping to beat a number of defenders and score to give his team a 22-5 lead - an advantage that left the Japanese with too much ground to make up. And Ben Grant took advantage of the tiring Japanese defenders to make it 29-5. The Japanese were not yet ready to give up and Eiji Yamamoto scored next, a try the started inside their own 22, as they showed they do have some great Sevens skills. However, the Canadians came straight back as Philip Mack scored from a great period of interplay. Dave Moonlight scored next and Takehisa Usuzuki replied as the two teams continued to entertain the crowd - with Canada taking the game and the Shield with a 42-17 victory.


Result: Japan 17-43 Canada


Bowl Final:


Jamie Roberts made the first break of a Final that spluttered into action, as he shrugged off a couple of half-hearted tackles to score and spark a bout of Tom Jones music over the public address system. Roberts scored the second try as well, as he again used his strength to hold off defenders and stand up or step through tackles. However, the half soon degenerated into a stop-start affair again.


The second half started with Tonga fluffing another chance, from which the Welsh countered, with Lee Williams scoring after a kick-and-chase effort. Vungakoto Lilo finally got Tonga on the board with four minutes on the clock remaining. Four minutes can be a long time in Sevens and when Lilo scored a second try a minute later the Tongans were right back in it at 21-14. But Jonathan Edwards scored the try that sealed the Final for Wales in the final minute.


Result: Tonga 14-26 Wales


Plate Final:


Australia made a lot of the early play and they were rewarded when Anthony Sauer went over in the right corner after a period of strong phase play by the Aussies. The South Africans were made to defend for large periods, which they did very well to prevent any further scoring by the Australians in the half. The South Africans did have a few opportunities, but their ball control was not as secure as that of the hosts. It left the Aussies with that five-point advantage at the break.


The second half started exactly in the same fashion as the first, with the Australians making their early advantage count - with Sauer powering his way over for a crucial score. Tim Atkinson then caught the South Africans napping as he sprinted through from the restart to score under the uprights. Ben Lucas then put the match beyond the bumbling South Africans as he scored from a tap-'n-go. Sauer completed his hat-trick when the South Africans failed to control another restart. The Australians took the Plate Final by an emphatic 31-0 margin as the South Africans continued to fumble their way through the game.


Result:: Australia 31-0 South Africa


Cup Final:


Samoa controlled the early possession and made all the play. While the Fijian defence held sound for a long time, a gap had to appear somewhere and it was Apelu Fa'aiuga who broke the deadlock. Samoa continued to press hard and the Fijians again spent large periods defending inside their 22. The big hits just kept coming and while it looked impressive, from a Fijian point of view it meant they did not control the ball and thus control of the match rested with the Samoans.


The Fijians did eventually manage to get some possession late in the half and they soon won a couple of penalties, forcing their way deep into Samoan territory and getting a crucial score to go into the break level at seven-all.


Having seen them through to the Final with mesmeric solo efforts at the death in both the Cup quarter- and semi-finals, player of the tournament William Ryder sat on the bench for the first half in Adelaide.


However, with Samoa's warriors tiring in the second half, Fiji then turned to Ryder who sparked them into action.


Fiji took the lead after some strong running, and despite a couple of turnovers, when Mosese Volavola strolled over from a ruck close in to the line. And when William Ryder, the new Fijian and Sevens magician, went over soon afterwards, the Final appeared in the bag with less than four minutes remaining on the clock. At 21-7 it left the Samoans needing to get two converted tries to tie the match.


The Fijians held on and continued to outmuscle the Samoans, taking the Final and 20 valuable points on the IRB World Series standings.



Samoa 7-21 Fiji