In the women’s competition, the more things change the more they stay the same. New Zealand and Australia contested their 26th Cup final with Australia winning a pulsating battle 26-24 to capture the Dubai title for the fifth consecutive time stretching their winning run in the desert to 28 successive matches.
The All Blacks Sevens made a Cup semi-final for the 161st time but was stunned for a second time in 24 hours by new contender Spain 19-14.
Fiji won the tournament, their first success in 22 tournaments, defeating the stubborn Spanish 19-5 in the final. Fiji won every match, including a 62nd victory in 121 games against New Zealand on the first day. World Cup holders Fiji have won the Dubai Sevens three times.
Black Ferns Sevens
It was heartbreak for the Black Ferns Sevens pipped narrowly by Australia 26-24 in the Cup final.
Down 21-12 at halftime tries to Theresa Setefano, bursting 40 metres on a cut, and Manaia Nuku, completing a barnstorming charge by Kelsey Teneti, propelled New Zealand into a 24-21 lead.
The physical battle at the breakdown had turned in the Black Ferns Sevens' favour and a promising attack ventured deep inside Aussie territory with an overlap forming.
Cruelly with a minute remaining a Jazmin Felix-Hotham pass was intercepted by the prolific Maddison Levi who sprinted 90m for her 15th try of the tournament. Levi’s tally passed the record for the most tries in a single event previously held by Black Ferns legend Portia Woodman-Wickliffe with 14 in Atlanta in 2015.
There was still time for New Zealand to rally but the player of the final Charlotte Caslick (54 tournaments) secured a turnover to win a penalty. Australia scrambled to win a subsequent scrum meekly kicking the ball out to terminate proceedings.
Australia started with a freight train pace. A turnover by captain Isabella Nasser created the first attacking chance. Faith Nathan scored her 106th SVNS try on the right wing.
Australia quickly doubled their lead with Teagan Levi fending off Jorja Miller to score a converted try.
Miller smartly atoned for her miss-palming aside Caslick in a 70m solo blockbuster.
Caslick made a try-saving tackle on Felix-Hotham but Risi Pouri-Lane, previously 8-0 in Cup finals against Australia, wouldn’t be denied her 39th SVNS try.
Nasser had a profound influence. Her extravagant dummy at halfway split open the New Zealand defense.
“I’m lost for words. I’m close to tears but also laughing and so happy,” Nasser said afterward.
“The Black Ferns are my favourite team to play. They’re champions on and off the field.”
Australia was fourth at the Olympics but with Levi running amok and Caslick determined, clinical and composed always looked ominous.
There’s no reason for New Zealand to panic ahead of Cape Town next weekend. While the pace of Michaela Blyde on the left edge was sorely missed. Miller was in supreme form. Teneti played her best tournament, busy and bustling on the right edge. Captain Sarah Hirini has 90 SVNS tries.
Earlier in the tournament the Black Ferns Sevens thrashed Canada 38-5 in a rerun of the Paris Olympics final, the margin was seven points in Paris.
The Black Ferns Sevens are a combined 54-0 against Ireland, Brazil and Spain.
There was a seismic landmark for Ireland's Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe. With seven tries on the first day, she became only the third woman to notch 200 tries in the World Series after Woodman-Wickliffe and Blyde.
Black Ferns Sevens Results Summary
Squad: Kelly Brazier, Dhys Faleafaga, Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Sarah Hirini ©, Justine McGregor (debut), Jorja Miller, Manaia Nuku, Mahina Paul, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane (vc), Theresa Setefano, Alena Saili, Kelsey Teneti, Katelyn Vahaakolo (debut), Olive Watherston (debut)
Black Ferns Sevens: 33 (Felix-Hotham 2, Teneti, Hirini, Setefano tries; Pouri-Lane 3 cons, Felix-Hotham con) Brazil: 5 (Costa try)
Black Ferns Sevens: 36 (Miller, Pouri-Lane, Faleafaga, Felix-Hotham, Paul, Vahaakolo, Teneti tries; Pouri-Lane 2 cons, Nuku con) Japan: 12 (Chiaki Saegusa, Suzuha Okamoto tries; Minako Taniyama con)
Black Ferns Sevens: 38 (Miller, Teneti 2, Nuku, Falefaga, Vahaakolo tires; Nuku 3 cons, Pouri-Lane con) Canada: 5 (Mahalia Robinson try)
Black Ferns Sevens: 33 (Teneti, Miller 2, Paul, Vahaakolo tries; Pouri-Lane 4 cons) Ireland: 12 (Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Eve Higgins tries; Stacey Flood con)
Black Ferns Sevens: 28 (Miller, Hirini 2 Pouri-Lane tries; Pouri-Lane 4 cons) France: 12 (Valentine Lothoz, Hawa Tounkara tries; Lothoz con)
Black Ferns Sevens: 24 (Miller, Pouri-Lane, Setefano, Nuku tries; Pouri-Lane 2 cons) Australia: 26 (Faith Nathan, Teagan Levi; Isabella Nasser, Maddison Levi; Teagan Levi 3 cons)
All Blacks Sevens
With Scott Curry, Tim Mikkelson, Sam Dickson, Moses Leo, Payton Spencer, Leroy Carter, Che Clark, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Akuila Rokolisoa, Regan Ware, Amanaki Nicole, Kitiona Vai, Roderick Solo, Jayden Keelan, Xavier Tito-Harris, Leroy Carter and Fehi Fineanganofo all retired, injured, or absent from last season the All Blacks Sevens face a colossal task to maintain the excellence of the past.
A fourth-place finish in Dubai is not the result sought after but New Zealand beat South Africa for the first time in five cup quarter-finals to end the Blitzboks five-year reign as Dubai champions. Since 2019, South Africa had won 32 of their last 33 games in the desert but was stunned by New Zealand 24-19 in an outstanding display. The All Blacks Sevens defeated South Africa in Dubai for the first time in seven matches since 2007.
New Zealand started brightly enough but when a contested lineout bounced favorably for South Africa and Blue Bulls tearaway Quewin Nortje scampered clear, it appeared misfortune might hinder New Zealand again.
But New Zealand regrouped and when Andrew Knewstubb was on target with a lineout throw inside the 22, a critical try was scored before the interval. After a regulation hit-up, Knewstubb joined the backline and put Cody Vai in space with a skip pass. Vai held two defenders at bay and lobbed a ball inside to Ngarohi McGarvey-Black who converted from under the sticks.
The second half was a ding dong affair with a McGarvey-Black double offset by the searing pace of Donovan Don and Nortje.
With a minute remaining South Africa led 17-14. New Zealand fielded a deep restart and distributed right to Sofa Maka. The debutant fended off David Brits with a showcase of the raw power that earned his debut out of the North Harbour Bunnings NPC team. A 70 metre sprint to the paint was glorious.
New Zealand copied South Africa with a deep restart. South Africa lost the ball and the All Blacks Sevens hurried it out to Maka who somersaulted over in the corner.
“We had a tough conversation yesterday, last night, after going down to Spain and then going down to Fiji,” McGarvey-Black said on the RugbyPass TV after the landmark result.
“Mentally we’ve just been talking about tough men and to be down two games and then come back to beat the reigning champs, can’t get a better feeling.
“We had to get one over them as well because they pipped us at the Olympics… it feels good.”
Unfortunately, New Zealand couldn’t replicate that success in the semi-final against Spain. The surprise packet of the weekend conquered New Zealand for the second time. A secure set-piece coupled with sturdy defense and orgainsed attack with lightning-quick feet at the line were hallmarks of the first-time finalists' display.
It should be noted Spain made their first Cup semifinal in Los Angeles in 2023 and with Pol Pla boasts a leader of world-class quality. In the semifinal he became the first Spanish player to score 100 SVNS tries, reaching the milestone in 45 tournaments. His sister Barbara captained Spain and played in three Rugby World Cups and an Olympics. Spain’s next highest try scorer is Eduard Lopez with 53.
In the playoff for third New Zealand was beaten 14-0 by Argentina. Talisman Marcos Moneta chased down Maka over 80m in a crucial save that settled a tight tussle for the Pumas. New Zealand was held scoreless for the first time in 275 SVNS matches.
An illustration of how competitive the SVNS season promises to be is that all four quarterfinals were decided by less than a converted try with two outcomes decided well after regulation time.
Great Britain was ahead 14-12 of Spain when they conceded a free kick for taking too long to throw the ball to a defensive lineout. Spain shifted the ball wide and in the 15th minute, Anton Legorburu Anso outpaced desperate chasers to the corner. It was only the second time Spain had made a cup semi after Los Angeles last season.
On the other side of the draw, Viwa Naduvalo was the hero for Fiji as they knocked defending SVNS Series champions France out of the title race 19-17. With time up on the clock, Naduvalo flew down the left wing to score the match-winning try. France had taken the lead in the 14th minute through Victor Hannoun.
Argentina pipped Australia 22-20, despite a Henry Paterson hat-trick. Australia missed their fourth successive conversion with less than 30 seconds left to play. If that attempt had been successful, golden point extra time would have decided the outcome.
All Blacks Sevens Summary
Squad: Dylan Collier (c), Jack Gray (debut), Andrew Knewstubb, Oli Mathis (debut), Sofai Maka (debut), Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Sione Molia, Tone Ng Shiu, Lewis Ormond, Brady Rush, Joey Taumateine (debut), Codemeru Vai, Joe Webber
All Blacks Sevens: 28 (McGarvey-Black 2, Webber, Ng Shiu tries; McGarvey-Black 3 cons, Webber con) USA: 12 (Pita Vi, Porter Goodrum tries; Vi con)
All Blacks Sevens: 14 (Vai, Taumateine, McGarvey-Black tries; McGarvey-Black con, Knewstubb con) Spain: 26 (Manu Moreno, Francisco Cosculluela, Anton Legorburu 2 tries; Cosculluela 2 cons, Legorburu con)
All Blacks Sevens: 12 (Vai, Rush tries; Knewstubb con) Fiji: 21 (Terio Veilawa, Pilipo Bukayaro, Filipe Sauturaga tries; Sauturaga 2 cons, Veilawa con)
All Blacks Sevens: 24 (McGarvey-Black 2, Maka 2 tries; McGarvey-Black 2 cons) South Africa: 17 (Quewin Nortje 2, Donovan Don tries; Tristan Leyds con)
All Blacks Sevens: 14 (Mathis, Collier tries; Knewstubb 2 con) Spain: 19 (Manu Moreno, Pol Pla, Jeremy Trevithick tries; Francisco Cosculluela 2 cons)
All Blacks Sevens: 0, Argentina: 14 (Matías Osadczuk, Joaquin Pellandini tries; Pellandini con, Santiago Vera Feld con)