England edge Kiwis in thriller
24 May 2009
Micky Young’s extra-time try gave England a 31-26 win in an enthralling final at Twickenham.
Trailing 19-0 at half time, England scored three unanswered tries of their own to level the game. With time almost up New Zealand looked to have broken the home fans’ hearts when they scored under the posts.
But the hosts were not done yet as a brilliant solo effort by the lightning quick Dan Norton saw England draw level with time up to force extra time.
England started the extra time the better of the two teams and pegged the Kiwis deep in their own half and in the end Young’s try was enough to earn his side maximum points from their home tournament.
Earlier in the day New Zealand knocked South Africa out of the London Sevens when they ran out 10-5 victors in the first of the day’s semi-finals.
In a heated encounter with a fair bit of niggle, New Zealand grabbed the first try of the game through Solomon King just before half time.
The kiwis extended their lead early in the second stanza through Kurt Baker before Gio Aplon got South Africa back in the contest with time running out after some good work from Vuyo Zangqa.
Tomasi Cama was binned with time up, but South Africa couldn’t take advantage of their numerical advantage and New Zealand managed to hang on for the win.
South Africa will now have to wait until Murrayfield next week where a minimum points haul will seal their first ever IRB Sevens World Series title.
For all the results click here.
41 Comments
24 May 2009, 11:40 am
Can SA finish the job? Or will Tunisia zap them?
24 May 2009, 12:14 pm
#1 TheTackler:
Looking at how things are going you might want to concentrate on holding onto your women’s rugby title as it might be the only one you have left in the cupboard at the end of 2009…
24 May 2009, 13:04 pm
If I remember correctly it is 20 points for winning the tournament, 16 losing in the final and 12 points losing the semi final. SA needs at least 12 points in this tournament, thus winning against France is not negotiatable.
24 May 2009, 13:09 pm
#3 dWeePer:
Cup winners – 20
Cup runners-up – 16
Losing Cup semi finalists (x2) – 12
Plate winners – 8
Plate runners-up – 6
Losing Cup quarter finalists & Plate semi finalists (x2) – 4
Bowl winners – 2
Log Standings:
South Africa 104
England 76
Fiji 74
Argentina 68
New Zealand 64
24 May 2009, 13:15 pm
#2 PissAnt:
Touche….
24 May 2009, 13:34 pm
#5 money_man:
douche…..
24 May 2009, 13:54 pm
#6 cane:
Obviously your mother didn’t…
24 May 2009, 13:56 pm
SA beat France. 12 points in the bag. Another win and it is the title
24 May 2009, 13:58 pm
#8 dWeePer:
Yup, a semi win secures the title, IF England can win both remaining legs…
If England gets beaten in the next round, SA takes it.
24 May 2009, 18:21 pm
Just a matter of time before we are WChamps….AGAIN!
Kennekie, Jukskei, Rolbal en nou 7′s.
No need to be humble now….. Hell we are good
24 May 2009, 18:28 pm
haha humble enough to lose to the abs 75% of the time hell you are good
24 May 2009, 18:34 pm
#11 hawkes: oi, zip it before you choke on that fat maori tounge of yours eh!
24 May 2009, 19:49 pm
Mmmhmmm Champions! As it should be, were there about 3 New Zealanders in that team? And they still have to resort to thuggery!
24 May 2009, 20:47 pm
The NZ team is basically Fiji B anyway. Congrats to Mickey Young, he’ll be scrum half for the national team soon, livewire.
24 May 2009, 21:52 pm
According to my calculations England can’t win the title anymore. If they score 20 points (maximum) for winning the title, and South Africa don’t get any points, they will be tied with 116 series points each. In that case, this is what the rules say:
“In the event of two or more teams being equal on Series points for any position on the Series table, such position shall be determined on the margin of points scored for and against the team, with the highest margin of points scored for and against being considered the leading team in the respective position.
In the event of (ii) above not providing a decision, the position on the Series table will be determined on the basis of the team scoring the most tries in the Series.
In the event of (iii) above not providing a decision, the position on the Series table will be considered equal (i.e. a tie)” (According to the IRB.
I calculated all the points for and against in the tournaments played so far. The Springboks scored 956 points, while 306 points were scored against them. Difference: 650.
England scored 965 points, but 512 points were scored against them. Difference: 453. This means that for England to win the series, the will have to win the title in Scotland, South Africa will have to get no points at all AND England will have to beat their opponents by 198 points MORE than South Africa… Strange things have happened, but THIS will beat the Big Bang.
I would say the title is ours!!
Oh, if anybody else wants to do the calculations, you’re welcome. All the stats and rules are on the IRB’s website.
24 May 2009, 21:54 pm
#15 DaveyJ: Happy day?
24 May 2009, 21:57 pm
#16 SpringbokSarah: Hêppie-hêppie is what we say in Cape Town. The IPL has tired me a lot, though… Now for the T20 World Cup!
24 May 2009, 22:02 pm
#17 DaveyJ: Hey, I’m from Cape Town and I don’t say that
I can just see how I get no sleep
24 May 2009, 22:06 pm
BTW, watch the golf on SS1 – Rory Sabatini is co-leader. That will definitely keep you awake for an hour or two!
24 May 2009, 22:09 pm
#19 DaveyJ: oh please no. Golf is not my thing
24 May 2009, 22:34 pm
#20 SpringbokSarah: Ja, a bit boring – I only watch when a South African is leading. I save quite a lot of time these days! Sabbatini is now the leader. Maybe it’s the natty pink shirt he’s wearing…
25 May 2009, 03:47 am
So NZ zapped SA?
Surprised?
25 May 2009, 04:11 am
It hasn’t happened much this year.
25 May 2009, 06:14 am
TheTackler:
Here is our theory on a Kiwi pushing **** on a SAFFA blog. You want us to insult you so you can pander to your small ***** syndrome acquired at school, sitting next to real New Zealanders in the change room. As A SAFFA I feel obliged to help you with your syndrome and let you know that ***** extension are available.
We think a shrink addressing the underlying issues is probably a better way forward.
You can, in the mean time keep coming to this site for your insult fix.
We think this P?keh? actually resides in Australia because he is not acting like a real Kiwi.
25 May 2009, 06:19 am
#24 KevinRack:
Tackler is a Saffa as well.
From the Cape.
Now in Wellington NZ.
25 May 2009, 06:22 am
To show how retentive they can be I was banned from Silver Fern for having a different opinion to the Sheepshaggers..and my profile pic was of a cartoon dude shagging a sheep.
Bit sensitive for tough Kiwis one would think…
25 May 2009, 06:24 am
#25 Pietman:
I have a family member that is a full on Sheepshagger supporter. He loaths the Boks..but supports the Sharks.
25 May 2009, 06:25 am
#22 TheTackler:
Doos comment. You can and have done better!
25 May 2009, 06:27 am
#26 Predawn:
An absolute waste of time. Why do you think cane, hurricane, chch, BP, Popps and waka waka da bitchslapper come here? Cause they can say what they like and not be censored by some oversensitive kakapo! (Well most of the time anyway….hey cane?)
25 May 2009, 06:30 am
#23 Predawn: #24 KevinRack: #28 whatever:
Do yourselves a favour, go to the Blue Bulls rugby website, check out that 10 minute video on the tries, especially Spies’ run…magic stuff!
How good is this youngster, I ask you, we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
Bulls to destroy the Chiefs this weekend.
Awesome team the Bulls, indesructaBULL!
25 May 2009, 06:39 am
#29 whatever:
I know boet. Unless you agree with everything they say your membership is destined to be cut short. I know a lot of Kiwis and as nice as most of them are they are about as interesting to talk to as my grandmother.
#30 Pietman:
I’m a Sharks supporter and my man I can almost become a Bulls supporter just because of the type of rugby these guys are producing. As I think I’ll go over to the dark Side one of the Bulls supporters opens his mouth and voks it all up for me.
Chiefs game will be at 02:30 Sunday morning this side..I will not miss it for anything.
25 May 2009, 07:00 am
#22 TheTackler: This is what we call losing a battle, but if you read 15 you will see that South Africa has won the war. If you don’t understand – it means South Africa is the new Sevens Champions. And the Crusaders were gored at Loftus. Mauled, actually. Drop-kicked to oblivion. Surprised? So whatever you say, won’t change those facts. Oh, BTW, the Springboks are the World Champions in 15-man rugby as well, should the news not have travelled so far south yet.
25 May 2009, 07:34 am
Get it right. SA is not quite yet ready for their maiden sevens champion title. They could have clinched it, but they failed because the eight-times champions NZ denied them. And the one-time champion Bulls beat the seven-time champion Crusaders, but they could be pipped by the unfancied Chiefs who were one of three NZ teams in the four teams in the semis.
And, at their last test encounter, the ABs utterly whacked so-called “world champions” SA by a massive 19-0 on SA soil at Newlands, making a total mockery of that “world champion” status!
Nineteen – zip. A towelling of towellings.
25 May 2009, 07:34 am
#32 DaveyJ:
Couldn’t have said it better. Whining and whinging..that’s what the Kiwis always beat us at..
25 May 2009, 13:01 pm
The Kiwis cheated against us. Joking kiwis were unlucky, England showed some good fight..
25 May 2009, 14:37 pm
#33 TheTackler: Oh, Tackler! Coulda… Woulda… Shouda… But AIN’T!
See post 15, wouldya?
England would have to win the Scotland title, improve their points difference by 198 MORE than South Africa and the South African team will have to get no points at all – only then can England win the series title.
And New Zealand can NOT win the 2008-09 Sevens title, never mind how many times they were victorious in the past. They have L-O-S-T any chance, because they did not WIN TOURNAMENTS this year. And England B-E-A-T them in the London final. All New Zealand had to do was keep the ball for 30 seconds, and they couldn’t even do that!!
So … the future is more important than the past, although, truth be told, in the past the Springboks lifted the World Cup T-W-I-C-E (1995 AND 2007). New Zealand did it only… O-N-C-E.
And it does not matter how many times the Crusaders won the title in the past – although, technically speaking, they are still Super14 champions until Saturday – they have already L-O-S-T the title.
See. It’s all a matter of perspective.
25 May 2009, 20:25 pm
#2 PissAnt: Ah, but we have a few gold medals left from the olympic’s, and how many do you have ??
25 May 2009, 20:27 pm
#34 Predawn: And you’d know having invented it , and do you like being called a Dutchie- Douche?
25 May 2009, 20:29 pm
#32 DaveyJ: And don’t you know it, when I can’t think of anything else drop kick, yeah lot of thought there!!!!!!!
26 May 2009, 02:48 am
#31 Predawn:
What a comment that is.
So you seem to think you know all about us kiwis. You put all of us in one pot and stir. Now if i did that about all South Africans i am sure you would be responding to my post.
#34 Predawn:
So is that all we beat you at? Selective memory i must say.
Now try and remember last 3 years of tri nations,i have been on Keo through all those wooden spoons SA have so deserved,and it wasnt pretty or even the 7 super rugby finals Crusaders had won,i suppose there was no complaining from any SA supporter/player/coach in any of those years.
I am sorry to say but your idea of a perfect person is not South African and i know it isnt Kiwi.So how about you get of your pedestal come back to earth
26 May 2009, 02:55 am
#36 DaveyJ:
Of course the future is more important than the past,especially as your past isnt in the same league as NZ past,its always easy to forget.
Head to Head NZ have over you guys.Tri nations which is to see who is better out of the 3 countries again we are so far ahead of SA its not funny. But hey as you say you have the RWC to fall back on but again NZ is the best rugby team in the world and i can imagine that the next RWC you will be hoping another team kicks NZ out of it cos i know SA have there problems winning against NZ especially in NZ,remember your first win last year was the only win on NZ soil in 10 years.
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