HSBC SVNS: New Zealand stunned by France fightback in day two of men's event in Hong Kong

Fans at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium were treated to four memorable quarter-finals featuring tries galore, nervous moments, possible upsets, comebacks and, in Fiji's case, fortune favouring the brave (and the skilful). 

QUARTER-FINALS

Australia skipper Henry Hutchison said his team had got "better and better" with every half they played, and certainly they shone against Great Britain in the first of the quarter-finals. They won 34-5, with Henry Paterson scoring a hat-trick to go with singles by Hutchison, James Turner and Maurice Longbottom. 

"We’ve punched our ticket to the next round, top four, but we’ll bring ourselves back down," added Hutchison. "It’s a game of humility.”

For a brief spell in the second half, Ireland, bottom of the overall SVNS table, must have believed they could beat leaders Argentina to the semis. Marcos Moneta, Luciano Gonzalez and Matias Osadczuk had made it 15-0 to Los Pumas, but when Hugo Lennox scored a converted try in the follow-up from a Dylan O'Grady attack the gap, Argentine minds may have drifted to their record of never having reached a semi-final in Hong Kong in nine attempts.

Instead, they held their nerve and Agustin Fraga made sure of a 22-14 triumph in the final minute, and a date with Australia in the last four.

The other two matches were thrilling, too. Spain's Alejandro Laforga scored two minutes into the red zone to take his team's tie against Fiji into golden point time, whereby the next score of any description wins the game.

With four converted tries each, who would cross over next? No player, in fact. Instead, Fiji decided to entrust Iowane Teba to take a pop at goal when they were awarded a penalty about 30m from goal. His strike was sweet and decisive. Fiji were through.

Next was New Zealand, eyeing three Hong Kong wins in succession, against France in a repeat of last year's final. Ngarohi McGarvey-Black put the All Blacks Sevens ahead and things were looking rosy when Dylan Collier scored under the posts as a result of Cody Vai’s quick attack from midfield and McGarvey-Black's support play.

But from nowhere Gregoire Arfeuil halved the deficit, then levelled matters after the break. New Zealand were dazed further when Joe Quere Karab barrelled over and Enahemo Artaud's right boot made it conversion number three for a 21-14 lead they held until the gong sounded. A semi against Fiji beckons.

"It was very difficult," remarked Arfeuil as 'Allez Les Bleus' rang round the stands. "Our play today was good. It’s a great opportunity." How momentum shifts in sevens rugby. Sport at its best.

NINTH-PLACE SEMI-FINALS

Kenya were 17-10 winners over USA in their ninth-place semi-final. No matter how well the American team does in Singapore next weekend, they will be in the relegation play-offs when the SVNS series concludes in Los Angeles on 3 and 4 May.

South Africa took their frustration at failing to reach the quarter-finals with a 33-7 win over Uruguay. Impi Visser showed he has pace to go with power as he scored the first of five tries, but Gino Cupido's brace will be a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing weekend for the Blitzboks.

POOL A: Fiji no contest for relentless Argentina 

Argentina topped their pool in Hong Kong for the first time since 2009. The series leaders made it three wins from three with a 35-7 success over Fiji, who will be thankful for their two wins on day one.

That the Fijians at one point played with eight men made no difference to Los Pumas as Joaquin Pellandini's balance and vision set up Matteo Graziano then the baby-blue-and-white-hooped steamroller Luciano Graziano to score. Graziano helped himself to another while Iowane Teba was cooling off in the sin bin after slamming Pellandini to the turf, and Santiago Mare and 20-year-old Santino Zangara got on the scoresheet too.

With neither USA nor Ireland winning on day one, their match early on Saturday provided the opportunity of clinching one of the two places available for the teams finishing third in their pool. Jordan Conroy and Dylan O’Grady, the latter collecting the kick-off from the score of the former and running in to score, put Ireland in the box seat by half-time.

Nicholas Greene made the result safe before USA's David Still, a man at odds with his surname, moved at jaw-dropping pace from 80m out, swatted aside the imposing Greene and sped over. Will Chevalier made the final score of 19-10 a bit more palatable for USA.

POOL B: Blitzboks stunned as they miss out on the quarters

South Africa's wait to win their first Hong Kong sevens was extended by another year at least as they failed to get beyond the pool stage.

Grouped with New Zealand, Australia and Uruguay, there was always a danger one of the big three could be squeezed out, and so it proved. Cody Vai, Dylan Collier and the rampaging return of Amanaki Nicole put 17 points between New Zealand and the Blitzboks, who needed at least a losing bonus point to ensure they, and not Ireland, progressed. Donavan Don's late try wasn't enough, 17-7 the final score.

Prior to that, Australia sealed their last-eight spot as they recovered from Alfonso Vidal's diving, one-handed touchdown for Uruguay to score through the exciting Aden Ekanayake, Matthew Gonzalez, Henry Hutchison and Maurice Longbottom. The match ended 28-12.

POOL C: Kenya so close...

Pool-stage sevens can create some head-scratchers. Kenya thumped Spain 19-0 in their first match on day one; on day two they came within a whisker of taking their game against Olympic champions France into golden point. Yet they lost 14-7 at the death against France thanks to substitute Mateo Garcia's try and, despite finishing on five points, were bottom of the pool. France also had five points but claimed third place on the head to head rule, and also reached the last eight.

Great Britain had already qualified and perhaps didn't match the intensity of a Spain team desperate for three points. Alejandro Laforga's brilliant dummy off the back of the scrum sent him on his way to the first score, before Eduardo Lopez, pigtail flying in his wake, and Manu Moreno sent their team through with a 26-12 win.