Perry Baker sends All Blacks Sevens packing before SVNS LAX quarters

It came down to a missed conversation at the end. There was barely anything in it but after failing to get a losing bonus point, but the All Blacks Sevens have missed out on the Cup quarter-finals in Los Angeles.

New Zealand started their quest for SVNS LAX glory with a defeat to arch-rivals Australia on Friday night, and while they bounced back against Samoa, it all came down to their final match.

With New Zealand and the USA level on one win each, a victory would send either side through to the Cup quarter-finals while the other would need to get their calculators out.

It couldn’t have started any better for the men in black, with veteran Scott Curry crossing for the opener inside the opening minute of play.

Who let the Dawgs out? 😎@USARugby bring it home on their turf 🔥#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX https://t.co/n1aKJ20OXD pic.twitter.com/wRaTq4jRtR

— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) March 3, 2024

But, to the delight of the Los Angeles crowd, a rapid Perry Baker double set the Eagles on the path to glory. The hosts led 21-7 at the break and never looked back.

While the All Blacks Sevens fought their way back into the contest, a missed conversion from replacement Tepaea Cook Savage proved to be the difference.

With the two best third-place sides across the pools qualifying for the knockout rounds, they were two points the Kiwis needed. Instead, Great Britain and Ireland have progressed.

Ireland had a slightly better points differential, but that wouldn’t have mattered if the New Zealanders had lost to the United States by seven or more.

But the final score was 19-28 in the United States’ favour – a difference of nine.

New Zealand will battle it out for ninth place in the City of Angels along with rivals South Africa, Samoa and Canada.

As for the United States, they’ll face Antoine Dupont’s France in the first men’s quarter-final on Saturday evening.

“Just trying not to worry about things. Just trying to get over it and onto the next job and just communicating,” USA’s Perry Baker said on the SVNS Series broadcast.

“I think it’s just helping us.

“Then to have this crowd behind us is the extra little push.”

Argentina will play Ireland, Fiji against Spain and Australia will go head-to-head with Great Britain in the other matches.

But, with the support of a vocal crowd at Dignity Health Sports Park spurring them on, the United States have moved one step closer towards achieving their goal.

“Making it to the finals and winning it all,” Baker added.

“That’s the plan. We don’t come here not to do it.”