KEY POINTS:
Injury-struck New Zealand continued their perfect start to the International Rugby Board sevens series with a dominant 34-7 thrashing of Fiji in the final at George, South Africa yesterday.
Last week the New Zealanders beat Fiji 31-21 in the final of the series-opening tournament at Dubai but they never gave their traditional rivals a sniff this time, leading 29-0 soon after halftime.
It was smooth sailing all day in the heat at Outenique Park, with comfortable wins over the United States, 36-0 in the quarter-finals, and Argentina, 38-14 in the semifinals, the latter win featuring a hat-trick to Zar Lawrence.
New Zealand won despite missing key squad members Tafai Ioasa, Nigel Hunt and Tomasi Cama with injury.
"It was totally unexpected to win this tournament, I thought we had too many injuries for the guys to respond," said coach Gordon Tietjens.
They were helped by a host of Fijian errors and a yellow card to Emois Vucago, the Islanders possibly still recovering from a tough 21-12 win over South Africa in the second semifinal.
New Zealand scored four of their six tries in the opening seven minutes, with Lote Raikabula the first to cross, finishing off good work from Stephen Yates.
Captain DJ Forbes bustled over, while rising star Victor Vito bagged two tries, the young Wellington forward making a fine fist of wing where he was surprisingly placed by Tietjens.
Victory was guaranteed when James Kamana crossed early in the second half.
A superb individual effort from Neumi Nanuku gave Fiji their only try before New Zealand replacement Israel Dagg scored with his first touch of the ball near the end of the 20-minute final.
New Zealand have now won four consecutive tournaments, having claimed wins in London and Edinburgh at the end of the 2006-07 series to snare a seventh world title.
Tietjens hoped his team could continue their run in the next tournament, at Wellington on February 1-2.
"We're very very fit, I've got a very fit side and that basically wins you tournaments."
New Zealand lead the series with the maximum 40 points, followed by Fiji, 32, and South Africa, 24.
- NZPA
