TOKYO: Samoa avenged their loss to Australia in last year’s Tokyo Sevens final yesterday, beating the defending champions 26-14 to progress to the quarter-finals of this year’s event.
Samoa, third in the series standings behind New Zealand and Fiji, scored four tries through Levi Asifa’amatala, Faatoina Autagavaia, Reupena Levasa and Tulolo Tulolo.
“It wasn’t an easy game. Australia are a good team,” Samoa’s Afa Aiono said, adding that for the next match “we have to take ourselves to another level”.
The result means Samoa finish top of Pool D with three wins, earning a last-eight clash against Pool A runners-up South Africa today.
New Zealand, Fiji and Scotland all finished top of their groups.
Series leaders New Zealand defeated France 26-7, Canada 22-12, and Japan 41-5 and will play Pool B runners-up United States in the next round.
Tim Mikkelson scored his 101st try in the win over France while Sherwin Stowers scored a hat-trick against Japan.
“It was good to win three games,” New Zealand’s Belgium Tuatagaloa said.
“The toughest game was against Japan. They were very forward and quick, and they are good team.”
Fiji defeated South Africa, Spain and Portugal for a place against Australia.
Scotland drew with the United States 12-12, and enjoyed wins over Wales 12-10 and Kenya 12-0 to set up a tie against France. The Tokyo Sevens is the seventh leg of the nine-round Rugby World Sevens Series.
Meanwhile, vastly-experienced Australian rugby coach Tim Lane is set to be named coach of French second tier side Lyon according to a source close to the club.
The 53-year-old - who was backs coach in Australia’s 1999 World Cup winning side - is in advanced talks with the club, who were relegated from the Top 14 last season and are presently sixth in ProD2.
Lyon have had a disappointing season under coach Xavier Sadourny despite possessing a budget of 15million euros, the largest ever in the history of the second tier. However, they are still in the running to reach the promotion play-offs. agencies
