Rugby Sevens – Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women’s Gold Medal Match – Australia v New Zealand – Robina Stadium – Gold Coast, Australia – April 15, 2018. Kelly Brazier (L) of New Zealand runs to score a try. REUTERS/David Gray
April 15, 2018
By Greg Stutchbury
GOLD COAST, Australia (Reuters) – Etene Nanai-Seturo and Regan Ware scored first half tries to ensure New Zealand regained the Commonwealth Games men’s rugby sevens gold with a 14-0 victory over Fiji, while a sensational Kelly Brazier effort gave their women a maiden title.
Brazier’s 60-metre dash in extra time to complete a 17-12 win over the Rio Olympics champions Australia had silenced a boisterous local crowd at Robina Stadium on Sunday, so they switched their support to Fiji for the men’s decider.
However, New Zealand quietened them once more by jumping out to a 14-0 lead against the Rio champions inside the first four minutes and were never really threatened thereafter.
New Zealand even had an opportunity to put the game completely beyond doubt when Fiji’s Sevuloni Mocenecagi was given a yellow card for an early tackle on Sam Dickson.
The champions put Ware across as Mocenecagi watched on from off the field to extend their lead to 19-0, only for the try to be ruled out when a video replay showed the 23-year-old had lost control of the ball over the line.
Fiji looked to recover when they were restored to a full complement but New Zealand captain Scott Curry produced two desperate cover tackles to stop what would have been sensational tries and ensure they regained the title they lost in Glasgow.
The women’s final was also characterized by a strong first half performance from New Zealand and some desperate defense before Brazier stepped up to end home hopes of victory.
Brazier’s lung-bursting effort, however, would have been in vain had Michaela Blyde, who scored one of New Zealand’s two tries in the first half, not produced two sensational cover tackles as Australia pressed in the second half.
New Zealand had opened up a 12-0 halftime lead after tries to Portia Woodman and Blyde, before Emilee Cherry exploited some poor tackling close to the line and Ellia Green outpaced the cover defense to send the contest into extra time.
The Australians, who had won the first Olympic gold medal in Rio in 2016 and dominated this season’s women’s sevens series, had been heavy favorites heading into the final between the trans-Tasman rivals.
The two sides had also met in the final of the Rio Olympics, with the Australians claiming the gold.
England had earlier won both bronze medals with the men beating Glasgow Games champions South Africa 21-14 while the women beat Canada 24-19.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by John O’Brien)
