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New Zealand suffer shock defeat on opening day of Hong Kong Sevens

Steve Onosai. (Photo by ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP via Getty Images)

The All Blacks Sevens have suffered a sizeable defeat in their opening match of the Hong Kong Sevens, throwing their tournament into disarray.

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Playing against Samoa in the penultimate game of the day, NZ flattered to deceive on the pitch, succumbing to a significant 24-0 defeat.

While tries were hard to come by in the early exchanges, with scores locked up at nil-all until the final moments of first half, Melani Matavao touched down immediately before the break to give Samoa a 5-0 lead going into half-time. Samoa scored three further tries through Vaa Apelu Maliko, Paul Scanlan and Steve Onosai in the second half to leave New Zealand with a tough task tomorrow.

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The All Blacks Sevens will take on pool mates Australia and Hong Kong in Sunday’s fixtures and will need to bank two victories in order to give themselves any chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.

After securing first place in the final leg of the 2021-22 series, missing out on the quarter-finals of the opening tournament of the season would mark a less-than-ideal start to their new campaign.

NZ’s loss was the only upset of the day, although Spain came ever-so-close to tipping over the United States, with a Malacchi Esdale try in the final play of the game saving the USA’s blushes and securing them a 15-14 victory. France also surprised with the dominant display against Great Britain, smashing the composite side 34-0. Aaron Grandidier dazzled with a hattrick of tries for Les Bleus.

The two top seeds in each pool are due to face off on Sunday, with France squaring off with South Africa, Fiji taking on USA, Argentina tackling Ireland, and NZ and Australia going to battle in the final match of the day.

Hong Kong Sevens Day 1 results:

Ireland 28 – 12 Kenya
Argentina 36 – 0 Canada
USA 15 – 14 Spain
Fiji 59 – 12 Japan
France 34 – 0 Great Britain
South Africa 21 – 0 Uruguay
New Zealand 0 – 24 Samoa
Australia 43 – 0 Hong Kong

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C
CO 2 hours ago
Whose ship has sailed before the first All Blacks squad?

Based on last weekend there should be no Hurricanes loose forwards in the mix, they all seemed poor with the Brumbies once again fantastic at playing and executing as a team. The Hurricanes were also poor in the halves with the ten invisible and Cam Roigard trying to play up tempo, Helter skelter rugby which is what the Brumbies wanted.


Roigards passing was telegraphic with his running game and sniping non existent, Ratima also appears to be getting metronomic, devoid of flair and his ten went invisible as well.


If you can't step up at finals then you need to be punished, yes the blues were poor at times this season but they were right on either the last two games when it really matters.


CWL is a bit larger but both him and Lakai are down on size for an eight and aren't freaks like Savea. Sotutu has to be in the mix and Dalton, but only if they front this Friday night.


However six is an ongoing issue, Josh Beehre could be an answer to the lack of height in the loose forwards at Allblacks level, his driving try to ice the contest through a decent Chiefs pack was raw determination even with support.


As for the previous try being ruled out on the flimsiest of technicalities that highlighted everything wrong with the TMO, it wasn't ‘rabbiting’, his knees dropped one after the other and he then brought his shoulders forward to extend and score, big guys can do that, that's why Sotutu has to be in the mix.


Sititi looked short of a gallop and the Chiefs might be acting a bit too cute with their bench, the coach is saying all the right things but he's in the departure lounge and the signs are there that the Chiefs expected to be the best team in finals simply because they had the best bench.


They're now under the pump and the winner of this year's super final will almost certainly be whoever wins this Friday in Christchurch.

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