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Bok Sevens off to flying start
01/02/2008 07:58 - (SA)
Wellington - South Africa started their challenge in the Wellington leg of the IRB Sevens Series in the most emphatic fashion when they convincingly beat Australia 24-14 in a first round marked by two shock results, and then accounted for France 29-7 to virtually assure themselves of a place in the quarter-finals.
The US Eagles and rugby minnows the Cook Islands, both scored massive upset victories in the first round.
The Eagles, who surprised in the George tournament when they advanced to the Plate final, were the first to strike, their 17-7 win against Argentina coming in the first match of the tournament, and then the Cook Islands pulled off the unlikeliest of wins against a powerful but lacklustre England.
This is the shock of the 2007/08 series so far, considering that the 14 scattered islands that make up the Cook Islands have a combined total population of only 21 000.
The Eagles showed their first-round win was no fluke when they held a competent Scotland to a 7-7 draw in Pool D after the Scots had earlier beaten Tonga 26-0 in an impressive display.
The Springboks' Sevens master Fabian Juries looked back to top form and scored two excellent tries against Australia in the Boks' win, but the South Africans will have to beware of Kenya who could cause another upset in their Pool C clash.
The East African side looked good in their 19-0 win over France and could set some posers for South Africa in the two team's third and last match of the day one.
Argentina, a pleasant surprise in George, went into the Wellington tournament in fourth place on the series log, but after losing to the United States, were also beaten 19-17 by Tonga who bounced back after a 26-0 drubbing to Scotland in Pool D.
In Pool A, favourites New Zealand powered their way to an opening 42-0 victory against Canada and Samoa beat Papua New Guinea 22-0. In Pool B two tries from Setefano Cakau helped Fiji to an impressive opening 40-7 win against a young Welsh side.
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Rugby
