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All Blacks Sevens outlast Fiji to book Las Vegas semi-final spot

March 3, 2019

The All Blacks Sevens have advanced to the semi-finals of the Las Vegas Sevens, surviving a tense quarter final for a 19-14 victory over Fiji.

Coming into the match having been unbeaten in pool play, New Zealand found themselves against familiar opposition in Fiji, having claimed victory the last time the two sides met, coming in the semi-finals of the Sydney Sevens early last month.

Sione Molia got the ball rolling for New Zealand, grabbing the first points of the match, catching Fiji napping from the back of a penalty to score.

However, Fiji wouldn't stay behind for long, with Jerry Tuwai levelling the scores, before the All Blacks Sevens went behind from the conversion, taking a 7-5 lead into halftime.

Tuwai had a double to start the second half, evading the New Zealand defence long enough to score, with the conversion putting the All Blacks Sevens even further behind.

Molia would keep the Kiwis in the game with his second try, a clever dummy seeing him race away and score under the posts, Kurt Baker's conversion making it a two point game at 14-12 in favour of Fiji.

Baker then put the Kiwis ahead late in the second half, going over from close range, before the TMO confirmed the try. Baker would convert his own try to give New Zealand a five point lead heading into the last minute.

Fiji had one last attack, awarded a penalty after the siren, but New Zealand's defence would hold, seeing them book a semi-final spot.

New Zealand will face the winner of the second quarter-final, with South Africa and hosts USA battling to join the All Blacks Sevens in the semi-final.

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