Black Ferns Sevens triumph, All Blacks struggle
- editor59343
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
The Black Ferns Sevens have won another title, this time in Perth, however the All Blacks Sevens have struggled despite finishing fourth.
The Ferns esily dispatched defending champions Australia in Perth, scoring five tries in the final to win 29-7 and further extend their lead in the Sevens World Series.
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New Zealand were just as dominant as a week earlier at the Singapore tournament, when they crushed their arch rivals from across the Tasman 36-7 in the decider.
The two sides have met in all four finals this season, with the Black Ferns Sevens prevailing in the opening round in Dubai, before Australia struck back in Cape Town.
It was New Zealand's first women's title in Perth, a tournament the Australians have traditionally dominated, with Jorja Miller and Kelsey Teneti standing out after the hosts scored the opening try.
Teneti scored tries either side of halftime to give the Black Ferns Sevens control, using her power for the first and her speed for the second, racing 75m to score.
It was enough to earn her the player of the final award, capping a tournament in which she crossed for eight tries.
Katelyn Vahaakolo and Alena Saili crossed late to leave New Zealand on 58 points and Australia 54 with tournaments remaining in Vancouver and New York in March.
New Zealand's men had a final day to forget, blitzed 35-0 in the semifinals by Fiji before conceding a try after the final hooter to lose 12-10 to Australia in the playoff for third in what was a spiteful game.
The All Blacks Sevens won just one of their five matches in Perth, having gained their semifinal place on the back of a lone win in their pool play.
Their hopes against Fiji effectively ended when Akuila Rokolisoa was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle.
New Zealand remain third in the standings while Fiji held on to their top spot, despite a 21-19 loss to second-placed South Africa in the Perth final.