Dubai: Olympic, World Series and Dubai defending champions Australia got their six-stage 2016/17 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series off to the best possible start with a 38-5 destruction of South Africa at the Dubai Rugby Sevens on Thursday.
Tim Walsh’s side then followed it up with a 20-7 win over Russia, to sit top of Group A, making it business as usual in their first major outing together since Rio 2016.
Emma Tonegato got three tries in the opening game along with Women’s World Series Player of Year Charlotte Caslick, Emilee Cherry and Mahalia Murphy all getting one apiece. Chloe Dalton got three conversions with Emma Sykes converting the only other effort between the sticks.
Tonegato and Murphy both added one more try to their tally in the Russia game with Alicia Quirk top scoring in the second with two tries.
New Zealand, who hold the record for most Women’s World Series wins with three since the format started in 2012, also got their season off to a strong start with victories over Ireland 27-5 and Fiji 19-10 in Group B.
Michaela Blyde got two tries in New Zealand’s opener against Ireland along with efforts from Sarah Goss, Rebekah Cordero-Tufuga and Shakira Baker. Tyla Nathan-Wong got the game’s only conversion.
And in game two, Nathan-Wong got two more conversions to complement two tries from Ruby Tui and a single from Katarina Whata-Simpkins.
Both Australia and New Zealand are on two Dubai wins apiece since the World Series first came here in 2012, and this weekend will be about New Zealand trying to avenge the humiliation of their antipodean neighbours getting the better of them in every competition of late.
The only title New Zealand still hold over their rivals is the World Cup and with this season acting as qualification to the 2018 World Cup, both sides — who have incidentally won the World Cup once apiece since it began in 2009 — will be looking to outdo each other again in Friday’s knockouts.
Friday is also the first day of the men’s 10-stage HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. And like Australia in the women’s equivalent, Fiji are the Olympic, World and Dubai defending champions as well, thus the team to watch.
However, like the women’s format and with this being the start of a new Olympic cycle, there have been a slew of coach and player changes as teams look to build again after their exploits in Rio.
Fiji kick-off their campaign from 10.52 on pitch one against Canada, before slightly sterner tests against Wales from 14.36 and Argentina 19.53 in Group A.
Just as in the women’s division, the New Zealand men’s team, who have won a record 12 World Series and six Dubai titles, will also be the traditionalists looking to peg back the precocious newcomers in Fiji.
New Zealand will be playing up against Russia at 11.36, Samoa 15.20 and England 20.37 on pitch one in Group C.
Women’s results
Thursday December 1
1 England 31 — 7 Spain, 12.00
2 Canada 26 — 19 Brazil, 12.22
3 France 14 — 21 Fiji, 12.44
4 New Zealand 27 — 5 Ireland, 13.06
5 USA 12 — 10 Russia, 13.28
6 Australia 38 — 5 South Africa, 13.50
7 England 28 — 7 Brazil, 14.56
8 Canada 27 — 7 Spain, 15.18
9 France 24 — 14 Ireland, 15.40
10 New Zealand 19 — 10 Fiji, 16.02
11 USA 7 — 26 South Africa, 16.24
12 Australia 20 — 7 Russia, 16.46
13 Spain 21 — 5 Brazil, 17.53
14 Canada 24 — 12 England, 18.15
15 Fiji 17 — 17 Ireland, 18.37
16 New Zealand — France, 18.59
17 Russia — South Africa, 19.21
18 Australia — USA, 19.43
