1
‘We thrive on that’: All Blacks Sevens grind out tough win in Dubai
By Finn Morton
Much like their countrywomen earlier on Saturday morning, the All Blacks Sevens had to do it the hard way as the defending world champions opened their new SVNS season with a thrilling win.
Veteran Scott Curry opened the scoring in just the first minute for the New Zealanders, but it was far from smooth sailing as a red-hot Canada outfit took control at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium.
Josiah Morra, Jake Thiel and Matt Oworu all crossed for decisive scores as the North American underdogs mounted a genuine challenge against their more fancied opponents.
But when the going got tough, the All Blacks Sevens delivered under pressure with Curry and Fehi Fineanganofo scoring a try each inside the final two minutes.
That completed a memorable comeback for the New Zealanders who registered a hard-earned 26-21 victory to kick off their 2023/24 SVNS campaign.
“Yeah it was tough. It was tit for tat… it was back and forth the whole game really, we had to grind it out,” Scott Curry told RugbyPass. “Proud of our fight till the end.
“Canada are a good side, we’ve got to respect them and the work that they did. We probably didn’t execute well on attack.
“When you can’t hold onto that ball for long phases and you turn it over then you’re stuck on D for a while.”
Playing in the esteemed black jersey is an honour like no other in New Zealand. It’s the opportunity to represent a nation that expects excellence, and there’s plenty of pressure that comes with that.
Both the New Zealand men’s and women’s teams enter the new SVNS season as defending world champions, but their successes and history-making campaigns and in the past now.
With a new season underway, the All Blacks Sevens might just be the team to beat on the men’s side of the draw as the other 11 teams fight to experience the feeling of what it means to be on top of the rugby SVNS world.
“There’s always pressure when you put the jersey. It’s a pressure that we put on ourselves and the New Zealand public expects us to win,” Curry added.
“There is pressure all the time and we thrive on that, we love that. We love those moments when we’re down with a minute to go (and) we’ve got to find a way.
“We always embrace it. Everyone’s coming for everyone. 12 teams on the circuit now.
“There’s no easy games anymore and to make those quarterfinals is going to be tough every weekend.
“We’ll use the old cliché, we’ll take it one step at a time.”
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Northampton sign legend's son to add a 'massive physical presence'
3
Harlequins confirm the 11 players leaving at the end of the season
4
Connacht confirm 11 end-of-season leavers, name nine new arrivals
5
Latest Comments
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
Go to comments