The New Zealand Sevens team edged further ahead of arch rivals Fiji in the overall standings after finishing third at the Japan Sevens.
Gordon Tietjens' side has rallied from 17-nil down to beat England 24-17 in the third place playoff, after earlier losing 17-12 in extra time to Samoa in the semis.
Australia won the tournament, defeating Samoa 28-26 in the decider.
Tietjens says the England win is vital for their title hopes.
"Every win after losing that semi is a few more points on Fiji because they got beaten in the quarters so for us it's important," he says.
