Fiji out of ‘sevens’

Press, 9 April 1979, Page 36

Fiji out of ‘sevens’

Fiji, who had been favoured to win — for the third successive year — Hong Kong’s international rugby seven-a-side tournament, foundered yesterday against the inspired challenge of South Korea. The tiny Koreans outplayed the giant Fijians in the quarter finals, disrupting the favourites’ game with some solid defence and incisive attacks to win 10-6. The Fijians lost their usual cohesion in the face of some explosive attacking by the Koreans who were given a standing oyation by the large crowd 'watching the match. The Australian seven gave a fine display of running rugby to beat Hong Kong, 30-0. The Ella brothers, Glen

and Mark, monopolised the scoring with six tries between them.

In the other quarter-final match, New Zealand overran a lacklustre Japanese side, 32-0, while Western Samoa, the team which has surprised spectators with its ability and quiet confidence, romped home to a 24-4 victory over Singapore. The New Zealand provincial champions romped home in games against Malaysia and Brunei on Saturday, but looked very ordinary yesterday morning in putting down Singapore, 26-0. The Singapore win resulted in its being matched against Japan in the first round of post-section play, and the expected win then

will see it up against Australia in a repeat of last year’s semi-final. Manawatu looked impressive in its first match against Malaysia. In its 28-0 victory Mark Thomson scored 16 points with two tries and four conversions. The winger, Ken Granger, ran in two tries and the captain. Hugh Blair, one. Manawatu’s biggest hurdle in its effort to repeat last year’s performance of making the final against Fiji, would appear to be the improving Australian side, managed by a former Wallaby, Sir Nicholas Shehadie. In the semi-finals, Australia meets New Zealand and Western Samoa will play South Korea.