09 October, 2024
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Aussies teams book semi-final spots in Perth Sevens

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Australia’s teams have produced impressive quarter-final performances to charge into the final four of the Perth Sevens.

The women’s team defeated arch-rivals New Zealand 24-14 and the men avenged a pool loss to crush the United States 31-7 on Saturday.

The final day of the tournament at HBF Park on Sunday will be played out in front of a sell-out crowd.

 A disappointed Maddison Levi departs after another red card, which is set to end her Perth Sevens. Image by Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS 

The men face a final four appointment with Olympic champions Fiji, who  twice came from behind to score a thrilling 14-12 win over South Africa in a high-quality contest between the second and third ranked sides in the series standings.

The other semi will feature series leader Argentina, who beat Spain 28-17 with Marcus Moneta bagging a hat-trick of tries, taking on Ireland, who twice overturned a deficit to beat France 21-14.

The women booked a last-four assignment against the United States, who defeated France 21-5.

Australia are likely to be without prolific tryscorer, Maddison Levi, who was sent off against New Zealand in her first match after serving a previous three-game suspension.

In the other last-four clash, Great Britain, who beat Canada 7-0, will play Ireland, who shaded Fiji 14-12.

The Australian men lost two of their three pool games, including a 19-10 defeat by Ireland on Saturday, but squeezed through to the last eight as one of the two best third-placed sides.

With Henry Hutchison prominent, they dominated against the USA, with a try to captain Nick Malouf and a double from Nathan Lawson setting up a 19-0 halftime lead.

Henry Palmer scored soon after the break and even a penalty try to the USA and a yellow card to Lawson, didn’t disturb them with Ben Dowling adding a fifth try.

The Australian women rebounded from Friday’s shock loss to Great Britain by beating Canada 31-14 to finish second in the pool behind the Brits.

That set up just their second quarter-final series match against New Zealand.

Australia scored the first two tries after New Zealand’s reigning World Rugby women’s sevens rookie of the year Jorja Miller was dismissed after just 43 seconds, following a head-on-head collision as she attempted to make a tackle.

Levi, who was playing her first game after a three-game ban, was red-carded for exactly the same offence just before halftime.

New Zealand briefly hit the front after two tries to Mikaela Blyde, but veteran Charlotte Caslick and Dominique Du Toit both crossed to secure the host nation’s win.

It was a dark day for New Zealand as their men’s team failed to make it through to the quarter-finals after they surrendered a 14-0 advantage in a 21-14 loss to Fiji.

Levi’s sister Teagan, who got a red card on Friday following another head-on-head clash, will be available for the final if Australia make it through.

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