New Zealand off to perfect start

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New Zealand have kicked their 2009/10 IRB Sevens World Series campaign off to the perfect start by winning the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens, beating Samoa in a superb final on Saturday.

In doing so they won their first IRB Sevens event in 18 months to take an early lead in the new World Series with 24 points, ahead of Samoa (20), and England and Fiji (16 apiece), reports the IRB website.

Reigning World Series champions South Africa kicked their season off in disappointing fashion, however, beaten by a superb performance from a young Australian side in the Plate final.

Gordon Tietjens' trusted core of captain DJ Forbes, Zar Lawrence, Lote Raikabula and Tomasi Cama played their hearts out for the kiwis as the men in black punished every blemish in a fine final by the proud Samoans, themselves starting afresh under new coach Stephen Betham.

New Zealand and Samoa each performed heroics in winning through to the final with fine respective victories over Fiji and England in front of 40 000 spectators at 'The Sevens' stadium.

Inspired by Forbes and his brother in arms, Lawrence, New Zealand blitzed Fiji in a supreme show of aggressive and confrontational Sevens to win the first semifinal 19-0.

Samoa then started like a steam train against England, quickly establishing a lead with Alafoti Fa'osiliva and new captain Lolo Lui both outstanding, and applying the pressure throughout to deny England, who hit back but could not overhaul the islanders' lead.

The last time the Samoans faced New Zealand in a Cup final, they beat them to win their first IRB Sevens Cup final in Wellington in February 2007.

** Earlier, in a breathless hour and a half of more thrilling Rugby Sevens Fiji, New Zealand, England and Samoa had won through to the semis, at the expense of defending champions South Africa, Kenya, Argentina and Australia.

The Fijians came through against the World Series champions to play New Zealand after they came from behind to edge Kenya at the death.

England needed sudden death extra time to beat Argentina, to the delight of the ex-pat crowd, before Lui capped a remarkable sequence of matches by landing a fine conversion from the touchline to give Samoa a one-point victory against Australia.

** Australia's youngsters claimed a superb victory against the full-time Sevens professionals of South Africa to take the Plate trophy.

Earlier, South Africa had won an all-African affair against Kenya, coming from behind to score from a clever cross kick, before Michael O'Connor's young Australians hit back from the disappointment of their late loss against Samoa to overwhelm a strong Argentinian team.

** The final match-ups in the Bowl also produced some champagne rugby.

Wales secured fine victories against Scotland and the United States to reach the final and then turned in a remarkably mature performance to beat impressive Zimbabwe in the final.

The World Cup winners have a new, young core squad under coach Paul John and look to have gelled quickly. They are likely to pose an even greater threat next week in George.

** In the Shield, European champions Russia won the final 17-14 against Portugal to cap a fine weekend and a first ever appearance at the Dubai event.

Read more on the latest rugby news page.

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