Hong Kong Sevens - finals

England secured their fourth Hong Kong Sevens title after engineering a brilliant 26-24 victory over Fiji in a mesmerising finale to the 30th edition of this famous competition.

No Quarter Given: Samoa and England contest a thrilling quarter-final encounter

FINALS - DAY THREE:

CUP QUARTER-FINALS:

Fiji booked their place in the Cup semi-finals with a less-than-magical 26-12 win over the much-improved Scots. Alistair Warnock got Scotland off to a great start by slicing through to score in the first minute of the game. Fiji steadied themselves and hit back with a try from former Waikato flyer Filimoni Bolavucu before Epeli Dranivasa took advantage of a poor Scotland scrum to slide over on the stroke of half-time. Fiji's growing dominance continued into the second half with big Semisi Naevo Saukawa sauntering over from close range. Border Reivers flyer Andrew Turnbull answered back with a try to keep Scottish hopes alive but Fiji playmaker Jone Daunivucu put the result beyond doubt by striking from long-range at the death.

As expect, New Zealand claimed the spoils in the trans-Tasman quarter-final with Australia, notching up a very convincing 35-7 victory in a rather ill-tempered game. The New Zealanders got off to a blistering start as Nigel Hunt finished off a clinical move to score an early try. The steadying hands of NZ skipper Tafai Ioasa and Cory Jane then engineered Hunt's second before Ioasa ended another fine move to put the men in black in compete control at the break. But Hunt's glorious half was tainted with a yellow card for taking exception to Shawn MacKay's rather dubious 'ball-freeing' act on a prone player. Luke Milton got Australia off the mark early in the second half but Fiji-born Lote Raikabula soon cancelled out Milton's efforts by finishing off a move at the other end of the park before Otago's Edwin Cocker swotted off a series of weak tackles to make the game safe.

South Africa ended Argentina's participation at the Hong Kong Sevens with a well-taken 17-7 victory in a keenly contested encounter. Griffins flyer Tobela Mdaka got the opening try of the game after a determined run down the left. Mdaka's score turned out to be the only points of the half as both sides fell foul of self-inflicted wounds, namely Argentina's use of the boot and South Africa's perchance for throwing their passes forward. South Africa talisman Fabian Juries then scored a brilliant individual try at the start of the second half, thereby joining England's Ben Gollings at the top of the all-time try-scoring stakes with his 131st touch-down in Sevens rugby. Argentina then upped the gears and conjured up a try for Francisco Bosch but South Africa soon hit back via Mzwandile Stick to end hopes of a South American uprising.

England won the right to face South Africa in the cup semi-finals after pipping Samoa 14-10 in an epic quarter-final - the game of the day thus far, if not the tournament. Uale Mai turned the English the same colour as their jerseys by sliding over in the opening seconds of the game. Simaika Mikaele then stole a line-out on the white 22 before sending Keneti Tofilau into the corner. England captain Simon Amor then slapped his troops into action and was soon powering home from sixty metres to leave the reigning Hong Kong Sevens champions just three points adrift at the break. A good stint of English defence subdued Samoa's fire in the early minutes of the second half before they managed to break out via Northampton's Andy Vilk who scored under the sticks. But the Pacific islanders weren't finished and laid siege to the English lines. They managed to cross for a try in the last minute of the game - but a flag held ahoist on the opposite side of the field for a foot in touch denied them a famous win.

M45: Fiji 26-12 Scotland 
M46: Australia 7-35 New Zealand 
M47: South Africa 17-7 Argentina
M48: Samoa 10-14 England

CUP SEMI-FINALS:

Fiji, the 11-time champions of Hong Kong, progressed to the Final after handing New Zealand a comprehensive 35-10 defeat in the cup's first semi-final. Tall Fijian forward Mosese Volavola pinched a New Zealand line-out and made for the line to open the scoring in the second minute of the game. Sevens master Waisale Serevi then pulled the trigger on his side's bullet, Filimoni Bolavucu, setting him free down the left where he beat the cover defence to score under the posts. Before New Zealand had time to utter a profanity or two, Serevi sent Volavola over for his second. New Zealand, the Commonwealth Games gold medalist, then conceded a fourth try, claimed by Epeli Dranivasa - and it wasn't even half-time. The Kiwis got off the mark early in the second half following a good period of pressure which saw Tafai Ioasa scamper across the whitewash. With two minutes to go, New Zealand's Nigel Hunt fanned the flames of hope by scoring a breakaway try under the posts. But fittingly it was Fiji who had the last say as Neumi Nanuku ran home a brilliant try at the death.

England booked a date with Fiji in the Final after recording a solid 24-0 victory over South Africa, much to the delight of onlooking former British Prime Minister, John Major. Full England cap Mathew Tait opened the scoring by out-sprinting Renfred Dazel over 80 metres to score a converted try. Tobela Mdaka then thought he had put South Africa back into contention when he took advantage of an over-elaborate England attack by intercepting and beating Tait to the corner. But Jonathan Mokuena was guilty of deliberate obstruction in the build up to the score. The try was disallowed and Mokuena given a yellow card. England's Andrew Vilk then showed huge power to drag two would-be tacklers up the field before making the ball available to Simon Amor who scurried into the corner for a try just before the break. England speedster Tom Varndell then scored a breakaway try just after the restart before David Strettle followed suit with another try born of blistering pace. To their credit, South Africa never gave up, but emotions got the better of them and they ended the game one man short after Mzwandile Stick was given his marching orders for a high tackle on Tait.

M53: Fiji 35-10 New Zealand 
M54: South Africa 0-24 England 

CUP FINAL:

England secured their fourth Hong Kong Sevens title after engineering a brilliant 26-24 victory over Fiji in an absolutely mesmerising finale to the 30th edition of this famous competition.

England chose to fight fire with fire and pit their speedsters against the fleet-footed islanders.

The tactic seemed to work as Leicester Tigers star Tom Varndell drew first blood by handing-off a tackle to score an unconverted try in the corner after a tense couple of minutes of play.

Sheer skills gave birth to the second try of the game as Fiji's Jone Daunivucu danced past two challenges to score a converted try after five minutes.

Fiji were then reduced to six men as Epeli Dranivasa was pinged for an alleged spear-tackle - a dismissal that proved very costly.

Ben Gollings used England's numerical advantage to burst through a gap and powered over the whitewash for the 132nd time in his Sevens career, thereby restoring his position at the top of the all-time try-scoring list.

Mathew Tait, head swathed in bandages following his encounter with South Africa's Mzwandile Stick in the semi-final, then ran in a long-range try on the stroke of half-time to give his side a 19-7 lead at the break.

Sevens master Waisale Serevi, as he has on countless occasions, then waved his magic wand and Dranivasa soon squeezed over the line in repentance for his earlier sin-binning.

Serevi was soon at it again, drawing in the English defenders before setting big Semisi Naevo Saukawa into the corner to leave the scores balanced at 19-19 with just four minutes to play.

From Serevi's inch-perfect re-start, William Ryder goose-stepped his way to the corner to snatch back the lead.

Serevi the creator then the turned Serevi the destroyer as he foiled a certain try by nailing Dave Seymour in a one-on-one before winning back possession for his side. Has this game ever seen a greater player than the little Fijian?

But adventure then got the better of the Fijians as they set off in attack as the full-time siren sounded. England applied immense pressure in defence and the ball was coughed up. Gloucester's Henry Paul spied a gap in the line and Gollings was on hand to level up the scores with a try near the posts.

A steady nerve was needed for conversion and Gollings was equal to the task.

"It was hammer and tongs all the way and we deserved to nick it," said England coach Mike Friday.

"Games are always tight against Fiji and we took our chances and our young guys didn't panic in a high-pressure environment.

"Ben Gollings came through for us and they will all benefit from this experience if they all move into their senior development.

"In a 20-minute final, you know that Fiji are going to come back - they've got a never-say-die attitude.

"As a spectacle, I think the crowd was very pleased with what they saw."

Gollings was a picture of modesty after his last-gasp intervention won the tournament for his country.

"It wasn't major, I was just in the right place at the right time," he said.

"David Strettle got the ball to me and he created the opportunity for us to win.

"The victory is massive, and it is very crucial in the context that it narrows the gap between us and Fiji at the top of the standings.

"We were disappointed at not getting the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games last week and this definitely makes up for it - Hong Kong is the biggest Sevens tournament in the world."

The victory takes England to 90 points overall in the IRB Sevens standings, just six points behind the Fijians on 96. South Africa lie on 70 points and New Zealand on 56.

M57: Fiji 24-26 England

PLATE QUARTER-FINALS:

The fans get another chance to cheer on the charismatic Kenyans after they recorded a fine 36-12 victory over Russia to progress to the Plate semi-finals.

The Africans will face France, who ended Korea's participation in proceedings with a tense 21-14 victory.

Canada will play Wales in the other semi-final after Shane Thompson's Canadians put an end to Japan's fine run with a good 22-12 win and Dai Rees's Welsh side dispatched Portugal with a very convincing 31-0 victory.

M41: Kenya 36-12 Russia 
M42: France 21-14 Korea
M43: Canada 22-12 Japan 
M44: Portugal 0-31 Wales 

PLATE SEMI-FINALS:

Two tries a piece for Gareth Chapman and James Merriman contributed to Wales's 29-0 semi-final win against Canada. The Welsh face Kenya in the final after the Africans' pace proved too much for France as they ran out 24-14 winners, Teddy Omondi again among the scorers.

M51: Kenya 24-14 France 
M52: Canada 0-29 Wales 

PLATE FINAL:

Wales made up for the disappointment of failing to reach the Cup play-offs by winning the Plate courtesy of a hard-fought 15-5 victory over the industrious Kenyans in the penultimate game of the day.

Kenya's long-striding flyer Benjamin Ayimba, who plys his trade with the Cornish Pirates in England, got the scoreboard ticking over with a long-range try after just a minute of action.

Wales responded with a try from Rhodri McAtee on the stroke of half-time to leave the scores poised at 5-5 at the break. Wales then added a second try to their tally just after the re-start, speedster Gareth Chapman claiming the honours.

Aled Brew then secured the spoils by using his power to get over in the corner in the final minute of the game.

"I'm extremely pleased with my players," said Wales coach Dai Rees.

"We were very disappointed to miss out on the Cup competition yesterday, so to pick themselves up showed their character.

"I think the union has seen the value of sevens and I'm confident we'll be involved in the whole series next year."

M56: Kenya 5-15 Wales 

QUARTER-FINALS - BOWL:

To the approval of the assembled locals, Hong Kong booked their place in Bowl semi-finals with a clinical 33-0 win over Singapore.

In fact, the Bowl Final will feature two Asian sides for the first time after China, Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei joined the hosts in winning their respective quarter-final encounters.

China saw off a poor Italian side and Chinese Taipei accounted for Madagascar whilst Sri Lanka's win over under-achievers USA was perhaps the pick of early action of Day Three of the competition.

M37: Hong Kong 33-0 Singapore 
M38: Italy 12-17 China 
M39: USA 17-21 Sri Lanka 
M40: Madagascar 12-22 Chinese Taipei 

BOWL SEMI-FINALS:

China made few friend by punctuating Hong Kong adventure with a 26-14 win in the first Bowl semi-final. China will meet Chinese Taipei, who recorded an exciting 28-19 victory over Sri Lanka.

M49: Hong Kong 14-26 China 
M50: Sri Lanka 19-28 Chinese Taipei

BOWL FINAL:

China clocked up their first title win in Hong Kong courtesy of an emphatic 47-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the Bowl Final.

M55: China 47-0 Chinese Taipei