Heartbreak for Fiji as New Zealand Dashes Title Hopes in Thrilling Semifinal Clash at Dubai 7s
A new champion will be crowned tomorrow at the Dubai 7s after defending champions Fiji’s hopes of retaining their title were dashed by a 24-21 loss to New Zealand in the semifinals. The thrilling encounter saw Fiji’s winger, Vuiviawa Naduvalo, shine brightly, scoring an impressive three tries, but it wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the final.
Naduvalo’s first try came in spectacular fashion, as he made a clever switch of direction and breezed past the New Zealand defense to score under the posts. Fiji looked poised for a strong lead, but New Zealand responded with incredible pace. Within a minute, the All Blacks 7s team answered back with an 80-meter counterattack, culminating in Akuila Rokolisoa’s try to even the score at 7-all.
As the match progressed, Fiji had several opportunities but struggled to convert their possession into points. New Zealand, however, took full advantage of their chances. Rokolisoa played a key role again, this time setting up Brady Rush for a try, giving the All Blacks a 14-7 lead at halftime. Fiji came close to levelling the scores after the break, but missed tackles and defensive lapses allowed Dylan Collier to extend New Zealand’s lead.
Naduvalo kept Fiji’s hopes alive with a brilliant solo effort to score his second try, then completed his hat-trick with a stunning effort in the dying minutes. However, New Zealand sealed the victory when Rush scored the decisive try. To add insult to injury, Fiji’s Ilikimi Torosi was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle during the match.
In the other semifinal, Australia secured a comfortable 14-0 win over France to book their spot in the final. Fiji, now relegated to the third-place playoff, will face France at 3:03 am tomorrow morning, with the men’s final between New Zealand and Australia set to kick off shortly after at 4:11 am.
