KEY POINTS:
Top seeds New Zealand and Fiji eased to wins and were immune from the upsets that dotted the first round of matches at the International Rugby Board sevens tournament here today.
New Zealand opened with convincing 43-0 defeat of Canada in pool A, with captain DJ Forbes and playmaker Tomasi Cama both scoring two tries. The others went to Tafai Ioasa, Steven Yates and Nigel Hunt.
In hot conditions at Westpac Stadium, Fiji were nearly as convincing in disposing of Wales 40-7, scoring six tries in the process.
The biggest surprise came in the other pool B match when the Cook Islands beat England 21-17, racing out to an early lead which the traditionally-strong English failed to haul back.
Another European powerhouse, France, were emphatically beaten by another minnow, going down 0-19 to Kenya.
The other pool C match saw South Africa scrape past a stern challenge from Australia 24-14.
There were twin upsets in pool D, where the United States stunned Argentina 19-7 and Scotland trounced Tonga 26-0.
The second pool A match saw Samoa beat Papua New Guinea 24-0
- NZPA
