HSBC SVNS VANCOUVER ROUND-UP: Familiar winners emerge in tournament of firsts

So many beautiful sporting moments from the HSBC SVNS in Vancouver will linger in the mind for years to come.

There was the pace shown by Thalia Costa to chase back and prevent a last-gasp winner for Australia as her Brazil team beat the Aussies for the first time...

Michaela Brake setting a new all-time women's sevens try-scoring record, and stretching it to 264, to surpass her former Black Ferns Sevens team-mate Portia Woodman-Wickliffe...

The spirit of the Spanish men's team, epitomised by their captain Pol Pla...

And the roar that met Piper Logan and her Canada team as they ran out to face New Zealand in their quarter-final, or the anticipation when Asia Hogan-Rochester got hold of the ball...

Every fan will have their own assortment of favourites from the 64 matches played under the dome at the city's BC Place in part four of the series, following events in Dubai, Cape Town and Perth.

Los Pumas out in front - but not without a scrap

Men's champions Argentina are so firmly in the winning habit on Canada's west coast that the temptation is to assume their victories are routine.

Yet in five of their six ties, Los Pumas won by seven points or fewer. Their fourth title win on the trot did not come without a lot of hard graft.

They have now won back-to-back events in the HSBC SVNS Series, having lifted the trophy in Perth too, and hold a four-point lead over second-placed Spain with the tournaments in Hong Kong and Singapore on the horizon. Fiji and South Africa are two points further back.

New Zealand's multi-pronged attack

In the women's competition, the Black Ferns Sevens were in imperious form. They have so many attacking options that when they click they are almost unplayable. If it's not Brake going on the attack, it's Mahina Paul or Jorja Miller or Stacey Waaka or Risi Pouri-Lane.

Opposition coaches have their work cut out to formulate a plan to keep them away from their try-line in Hong Kong at the end of March.

Breaking new ground

It is not only the very best teams who could point to success in Vancouver. In the women's competition, Japan in fourth and Brazil, who finished fifth, registered their highest ever placings. Fiji's reaching the final lifted them three places in the overall standings, up to eighth.

It will be interesting to see if that trio can build on their results a month from now.

Colour and humour in the stands

Finally, the fans inside BC Place deserve a special mention. Their support for the underdog, their appreciation of the top talent, their hilarious outfits, the bagpipes, the Kenyans' drums - all added to the occasion.

There's plenty to marvel over until the action resumes in round five in Hong Kong.