Singapore Sevens 2023: New Zealand take victory and clinch Paris 2024 berth
The All Blacks Sevens defeat Argentina 19-17 to claim their fourth title of the season, and become the first men's team to join hosts France at the next Olympic Games.
Rugby Sevens
New Zealand held off Argentina to secure their first Singapore Sevens title since 2005 on Sunday (9 April).
Reaching the final in Singapore saw the men's All Blacks Sevens guarantee themselves a top-four finish in the 2022/23 World Rugby Sevens Series and a place at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
They then defeated the Pumas 19-17 to seal their fourth title of the year and extend their lead in the overall standings.
Tries from Dylan Collier and Moses Leo put New Zealand into a 12-0 lead before Argentina hit back through Joaquin Pellandri and German Schulz.
But Brady Rush crossed early in the second half, and two conversions out of three from Akulla Rokolisoa proved decisive as Marcos Moneta scored a try late on.
New Zealand underlined their claim to be the best team in men's sevens at present with a dominant weekend display.
On Saturday, they opened their Pool A campaign with a comfortable victory over Hong Kong, China before beating Australia and South Africa to take top spot.
On Sunday, they dispatched Great Britain 22-10 in the quarter-finals and then Fiji 19-10 in the semis.
Argentina, who consolidated their second place in the overall standings, edged out Great Britain in their final pool match but then outgunned Australia 29-12 in the quarter-finals.
They then reached the final in memorable fashion with Moneta, who crossed twice against Australia, completing a magnificent team move in extra time to seal victory over Samoa.
Fiji deny Samoa third place at the death
With France looking booked for fourth in the series and already at Paris 2024 as hosts, an automatic spot at the Games will go to the nation finishing fifth in the standings.
Australia's fifth place in Singapore meant victory for Samoa over Fiji in the third-place match would see them leapfrog the Wallabies by a point.
Things were looking good just after half-time as Taunuu Niulevaea's converted score put Samoa into a 19-7 lead.
But back came the two-time reigning Olympic champions with Terio Tamani's last-minute try, his second of the game, securing Fiji a 24-19 win to avenge their defeat in the pool stages.
That means Australia are just one point clear of Samoa in the battle for that crucial fifth place with South Africa five points further adrift.
There are two more rounds remaining in the 2022/23 World Rugby Sevens men's series: in Toulouse from 12-14 May, and the finale at Twickenham the following weekend.