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SCMP Sport

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.
New Zealand’s men and women came into the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens as defending champions, and they will leave with their titles intact.
The Black Ferns saw off the USA 36-7 in an emphatic display of rugby, while the men were pushed much closer by France, winning 10-7 in front of a raucous Hong Kong Stadium.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was on hand to present the trophies, the last time they will be handed out at the sport’s spiritual home before the event moves to Kai Tak Sports Park in 2025.
Earlier, a packed out venue watched Hong Kong’s men beat Japan 22-10 to claim Melrose Claymore title, after the city’s women come up short against China.
Reporting by Josh Ball, Tom Bell, Paul McNamara, Lars Hamer and Mike Chan


Hong Kong Sevens: New Zealand’s men and women do double, again; Hong Kong’s men win Melrose final - day 3, as it happened

New Zealand’s men and women celebrate winning their respective competitions at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. Photo: Sam Tsang

Sport

Rugby

HK Sevens

Black Ferns storm to title in emphatic fashion, beating USA 36-7; All Blacks scrape past France in 10-7 triumph
Hong Kong’s men win 22-10 to claim Melrose Claymore title, but women come up short against China


Ferns storm to title in emphatic fashion, beating USA 36-7. All Blacks to take on France in men’s final. Hong Kong’s men win 22-10 to claim Melrose Claymore title, but women come up short against China.


Hong Kong Sevens

Hong Kong Sevens: As it happened

Live

Morning all, it’s day three of the Hong Kong Sevens, and yes, time has stopped having meaning at this point.
The human wreckage strewn across the city is evidence of another successful week, although how productive Monday is going to be is open to question.
Still, the sun is out, the drinks are cold, the stadium is slowly filling up and it’s going to be a great day of rugby.


Everyone OK?

Want a quick guide to what’s going on today, well, we’ve got you covered.
Tom Bell’s round-up of what lies ahead is here, or you can check out the fixtures and results list below.






All you need to know

Hong Kong’s women will take on their Chinese counterparts for the second time this week, with the Melrose Claymore title on the line.
China had little trouble in sweeping aside Thailand in this morning’s first game, winning 24-0.
Their men, however, fell just short against Japan, losing 31-26, meaning Hong Kong will get another crack at the team that beat them 33-14 on Saturday in their Melrose final.
We’re now into the placement games for the sevens series, with Spain’s women up against South Africa in the 11th place play-off.


Melrose finals decided

While all eyes have been on New Zealand as defending champions, France have quietly been going about reaching their third successive semi-finals.
A bronze in Vancouver was followed by an Antoine Dupont-inspired gold in Las Vegas, and Aaron Grandidier told the Post the influence of the world’s best player was still stamped on the team.
“You can tell in the high-pressure moments, he [Dupont] has lived through hundreds of them, and that has given us a real level-headedness,” Grandidier said.



Outside influence

A rare bright moment in a difficult season for Spain’s women, who have finished last in three of the previous five HSBC SVNS Series legs this season.
First half tries from Lide Erbina and Paula Requena get them up and running against South Africa, who struggle to get much forward momentum.
Olivia Fresneda’s score, which Juana Stella converts, stretches the lead, before South Africa finally get on the scoreboard.
Nadine Roos races clear to go under the posts, and Ayanda Malinga adds a second to set up a nervy finish.


FT: Spain 17 South Africa 14

Not so much when it comes to sevens, as it turns out.
The heady days of the England or Scotland winning in Hong Kong seem to be as far removed from reality as a Trump supporter, and the combined Great Britain teams haven’t made the strongest starts to their existence.
Still, after a disappointing two days the men have finally won a game, beating Canada 26-17 in their 11th place play-off.
Great Britain’s women are up next against Brazil, with only a point separating the pair in the standings.


Rule Britannia?

Spain’s women are really enjoying that winning feeling after picking up their first victory of the weekend.
They have been pitch side since the game ended, signing autographs, taking selfies and even giving each other piggy backs.



Enjoying the moment

Great Britain’s women put a bit more daylight between themselves and the bottom four in the HSBC SVNS Series, beating nearest rivals Brazil in the 9th place play-off game.
First-half tries from Heather Cowell and Grace Crompton give Great Britain a comfortable 14-0 lead, and they then hold Brazil to a single Thalia Costa score in the second half.


FT: Brazil 5 Great Britain 14

Trust the process, says Brazil’s Raquel Kochhann after her side leave Hong Kong deeper inside the dreaded bottom four with only one win under the belt.
The South American side are ninth, just behind Great Britain, who beat them 14-5 earlier today in the 9th place play-off.
“The whole tournament, the series, it’s a process,” Kochhann says. “Last year, we were growing little steps, this year, bigger steps. Every year it’s a process.”


Trusting the process

The South Stand is slowly filling up, a sign the excesses of the past two days are finally catching up to some?
Before the stadium opened for the third day, workers hosed down the seats. I dread to think what they were washing away.



Removing the evidence

Feeling confused by this sequence of “finals” to decide the minor placings?
“Was that one the Bowl?” my boss has just asked. “And the next one, that might be the Shield. Or the Plate. Or something.”
We’re not sure it was necessary to hand GB a trophy just now for their stunning ninth place. Back when minnows were allowed in, they’d get walloped in their pool but then have a lower-tier Plate or Bowl to play for, and that was their Everest.
This – big guns who’ve lost multiple times contesting repechage playoffs – is no one’s Everest, not even K2. Certainly not Samoa’s: their men have just taken a 42-0 pasting from “Bowl champions” Argentina.


Empty cups?

We’ve been slowly building to this point, the semi-final stage of the Hong Kong Sevens.
The women are up for first, with USA taking on France, and then it’s the big one; defending champions New Zealand against Australia, who they beat in last year’s final.


Nearly go time

Also, he says refusing to let it go, why are we handing out trophies before we’ve even reached noon? People are still waking up.
This, though, is World Rugby’s chosen format, and we go again. Japan’s women beat Ireland 12-5 to finish seventh.
More to the point, the South Stand is finally beginning to fill and the atmos is heating up gently. Like a pleasant Sunday barbecue, if you will.


Sunday BBQ

USA’s men end their tournament on a high with a 19-17 win over Spain in the 7th place match, but now it’s time for the games everyone is really here for.
The American women are up next against France in the first semi-final, and they’ve been enjoying their time on and off the field in Hong Kong, as Post reporter Lars Hamer found out.



US men end on a high

Alev Kelter has been doing some damage for USA all weekend, and she draws first blood again, eventually falling over the line with French defenders hanging off her.
France take a while to get going, but the power running of Seraphine Okemba draws in three defenders, the ball comes to Chloe Jacquet and she goes over to reduce the deficit.
The US though seem to be in the mood, and Ilona Maher piles over soon after, Kelter slots her second conversion, and the healthy lead is restored.


HT: USA 14 France 5

You’d think Argentina had won the Sevens, rather than the extremely underwhelming ninth place the league leaders ended up with.
Huge shout out to Rodrigo Isgro who told our reporter he did not speak English, literally 30 seconds after telling his Australian friends he’d meet them for a drink later, before engaging in his second lap of honour.
When he got back to the media zone, he just blanked everyone. Thanks mate, it’s not like we waited for over an hour to speak to someone from Argentina anyway.


A little salty

The USA are through to the women’s final, beating France 19-5.
After absorbing almost constant pressure in the second half, the USA hold firm on their line, and Sammy Sullivan comes up with a big turnover.

The Americans get the ball clear to Jaz Gray, who races away down the touchline to score a game-winning third.
Now it’s the big one, New Zealand v Australia.


USA women into final

This one is huge: the second women’s semi between Australia and New Zealand.
The trans-Tasman tussle is a repeat of last year’s final, and features the world’s top two sides. NZ ended up on this side of the draw after their shock loss to France yesterday.
Strap in.


The final before the final

My word, this first half is nip and tuck.
Maddison Levi puts the Aussies in front but Michaela Blyde hits back. Two of the world’s best making their mark.
Charlotte Caslick goes in again for Australia but straight back come the Kiwis through Risi Pouri-Lane. Level at half-time.


Living up to billing

Jaz Gray talks us through the the try that sealed the USA’s spot in the women’s final.
“I was resting on the bench for pretty much most of the game, so I was happy to be able to get in there,” she says.
“Coming on as an impact player is special because you get to see how the game is going.
“On the bench, the coaches are constantly feeding us information, so when we get out there, we know exactly what to do and know their tendencies.”



Impact player

This is tremendous stuff.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe goes on a meandering run that keeps encountering traffic. She tries one way then another then still another before locating the only pocket of space left and the exhausted Aussies have run out of cover to stop her.

From there, having been counter-punching til this point, the Kiwis take a clamp-like grip, hanging on to the ball and eating up the minutes.
They gift Australia possession eventually, but Sariah Paki drops it and, with the siren gone, Jorja Miller makes it 28-14.


NZ through!

Ireland and France are the best European teams in 15-a-side at the moment and were respectively first and second in the recent 6 Nations Championship.
Well, they’ve got the edge in sevens, too, and meet here in the first men’s semi-final in a sort of northern hemisphere final.
To remind you, Ireland have never won an elite sevens tournament but have been consistent this season and are second in the series standings.
France, though, arrived on a high having won the series’ previous tournament, in LA.


Like the 6 Nations?

Big Fiji fan Andrew Lupton, who thinks he has only missed four events since his first Hong Kong Sevens in 1992, says his best fan experience at the Hong Kong Stadium has been watching Fiji win with their “skillful, amazing, free passing”.
“I love their style of offloading rugby, passing the ball, to me, they’re the essence of sevens rugby.”

The 60-year-old from Scotland also says he’s going to miss the convenience of being able to walk to Wan Chai or Causeway Bay for shops and drinks after the Sevens.
“It’ll be a different experience, we’ll have to probably take the train across [after they move to Kai Tak], I don’t know if there’s going to be a village or whatever around the new stadium, so I’ll miss walking to Wan Chai to carry on having a beer.”


Down memory lane

It’s a close first half, Varian Pasquet and Stephen Parez scoring for France either side of Zac Ward’s reply.
After that, France take over for a spell. They keep sending the ball left and it twice brings tries, finished by Antoine Zeghdar and Joachim Trouabal. Pockets of fans chanting “allez Les Bleus” find their voice.
Terry Kennedy, one of Ireland’s stars of the weekend, takes a cross-field kick to pull one back, but his side lack the time to launch a comeback.
All over for the boys in green.


Farewell, boys in green

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin chats to press during a break in proceedings and says the crowds, atmosphere and general feeling of the week means “Hong Kong is definitely back”.
“I think it was amazing see over the past few days that the international fans are really back, 40 per cent of a 120,000 sell out is incredible.
“Hong Kong is absolutely the jewel in the crown of sevens.”


‘An amazing weekend’

It’s now the turn of the southern hemisphere for the second semi, as we find out who will join France in the men’s Cup final: New Zealand, the 2023 Hong Kong champions, or 2022 winners Australia.
The men in black strike first, Dylan Collier dotting down in the left corner.
It takes Australia some time to work their way to within range, but when they do, Maurice Longbottom fairly zips through a gap for 7-5.
The green-and-gold scrap superbly to resist the black waves but finally Tepaea Cook-Savage scoots over to grab NZ the half-time lead.


Battle of the past 2 champs

This would have been a worthy final but instead it’s a cagey semi. The Australians are struggling to get back upfield.
Once they cough up possession, New Zealand work it right then left, and Cody Vai bulldozes over to score his side’s third try.
With a watching Michael Hooper unable to get on and try to make an impact, Tone Ng Shiu races clear for another to NZ.


FT: Australia 7 New Zealand 26

There’s probably no better one to talk about the history of Hong Kong Sevens other than the city’s former captain Rowan Varty, who has been at the stadium for more than 30 years, as a spectator and a player, of course.
Ever since bringing his first child, Leo, to the stands in 2019, Varty has brought two more children to the tournament in each of the next two editions, and this year is the first time he didn’t.

“It was a family tradition, so, my earliest memory must have been when I was around eight, or nine years old, back then this stadium was still under construction so there was no seats or roofs up there.
“We had to bring our own cushions and that rainy final involving Western Samoa in 1993 was particularly memorable.”


Man and boy

The women’s semi-finals give way to the play-off games for 5th place, and Canada are up first against Fiji.
After a slow start, Canada’s Krissy Scurfield chases down her own kick and just gets to it before it runs out of touch.
That sparks Fiji into action, and Heleina Young gets clear to go in under the posts from long range, with Lavena Cavuru’s conversion edging the Pacific Islanders in front at the break.


Calm after the storm

Ed Kelly channels Ted Lasso in his post-match thoughts after the semi-final loss to France, very much ‘be a goldfish’ vibes in these comments.
“Losing the semi-finals is a tough one to take. We kind of had no real kind of control over that [against France]. I think we’re all angry with that.”

Still, Ireland have a third-place battle on their hands against Australia to come, and according to Kelly “what we say to ourselves all the time is to have a short memory”.
“You talk about it in the changing room, set yourself 20 minutes, then move on. We will have a quick look [at what happened], then everything’s about the next game.”


Ted Lasso vibes

It wouldn’t be the Hong Kong Sevens without Fiji winning something, even if it is the Plate.
Canada’s Piper Logan and Fancy Bermudez score either side a Younis Bese effort, which seals a 19-15 win for Fiji.
Up next, it’s men’s action between Fiji and South Africa.


Fiji take Plate

New Zealand’s Tone Ng Shiu says they knew Australia would be a tough game in the semi-finals.
“We knew we needed to treat this like a mini Olympics and the boys turned up, so happy days,” he says.
The All Blacks face France next, who they beat in a tight semi-final in Vancouver.
“We know they’re going to bring a lot of physicality, and the flair they always have. We need to match those things, and bring our own quality.”



A mini Olympics

Not so much a game as a cakewalk, at least for the first five minutes, during which Fiji run in 19 unanswered points.
Waisea Nacuqu, Jeremaia Matana and Joseva Talacolo all score before South Africa finally get over the line through Shilton van Wyk.


HT: Fiji 19 South Africa 7

The Fijian men add to the women’s Plate victory, completing a comprehensive win over a Blitzbok side hampered by injury and suspensions.
A penalty try and Viwa Naduvalo effort stretch Fiji’s lead, before Kat Letebele pegs them back to a slightly more respectable 33-14.


More silverware for Fiji

The all-conquering Hong Kong women are up next, unbeaten over two raucous matches so far, it’ time for their Melrose Claymore final against China.
It just got very loud.


Here come Hong Kong

Shouts of ‘Hong Kong, Hong Kong’ echo around the stadium, only interrupted briefly to boo Wang Wanyu when she opens the scoring for China.
The roars get louder when Chan Tsiz-ching crosses for Hong Kong’s first score, although she’s too wide for a successful conversion.
More boos, Yang Feifei is next to score, and the home side have some work to do. And cheers again, Chong Ka-yan gets the ball from restart and there’s no catching the speedy winger from there.


HT: Hong Kong 10 China 12

Any errors here are proving costly. Hong Kong make a mess of their lineout throw, which sails over the jumpers to Zhou Yan. She runs from halfway to score.
Then the hosts are penalised on the floor after Chan Tsz-ching is hauled down, and there’s another run-in for Wang Rui.

On come a raft of replacements and the crowd dial up the volume to lift Hong Kong for a last effort, which they deliver with a lengthy spell of possession. It goes to waste when Gabriella Rivers’ pass sails into touch, and that’s the game.
No silverware for Hong Kong, but they line up before the West Stand and receive an almighty ovation.


FT: Hong Kong 10 China 24

The prize may have eluded the city’s women, but there’s a Melrose Claymore cup on the line for Hong Kong’s men, too.
And their final against Japan is coming up now.
It’s about to get noisy in here.


Hong Kong get another go

Home skipper Max Woodward races on to a chip through and dives to get downward pressure on the ball before it bounces out. The decision goes to the TV official.
He’s ruled not to have scored, but from the ensuing scrum, Bryn Phillips nips over anyway. 5-0.
Hong Kong are all over Japan here, with Alessandro Nardoni using his bulk to make dents. It’s eventually worked left, where Fong Kit-fung loops around to score.
Then Fong is in again as a fine team move earns a 15-0 lead at the break.


HT: Hong Kong 15 Japan 0

Hong Kong are flying here against a side who denied them Olympic qualification, but whom they beat on the way to Asian Games gold. Al Nardoni pumps his arms at the South Stand to remind them of their responsibilities in keeping this going.
They resume and it’s Bryn Phillips in again for the try! He chips the Japan defence and chases down his own kick to roll over the line.
There’s a sliver of hope for the Japanese as Harry Sayers is sin-binned, helping create room for Kippei Taninaka to reply.
Japan get another through Taninaka again, sparking butterflies among the Post contingent. Hong Kong had led with a minute left of that Olympic qualifier.
But no, it’s all over. Salom Yiu got on, too, for probably his last appearance at the Sevens. He’s played every once since 2010, and will finish with silverware.


FT: Hong Kong 22 Japan 10

As the Hong Kong players receive their prize, essentially a huge sword, we now pause the matches for some music and a chance to catch our breath.
To recap: Melrose Claymore glory for China’s women and Hong Kong’s men. And two Cup finals later for New Zealand, against USA in the women’s and France in the men’s.


Time for a break

Here’s a nice one. We spy a chap in a 1983 HK Sevens t-shirt on the concourse and go to ask what his story is. We realise it’s ex-Wallabies flanker Gary Pearse, who won multiple titles here in a star-studded Australia side. Story? He’s brimming with stories.

“In ’83 we’d lost Michael O’Connor to rugby league and wondered if we’d manage,” Pearse recalls. “Then they name the squad and there’s this new bloke called David Campese...”
Yeah, he did OK, if memory serves. Pearse, Campo and co won that year’s Cup final.
“[Teammate] Mark Ella told us: you don’t know bravery in rugby til you’ve faced Fiji at sevens in Hong Kong.” That seemed to focus minds. “It was a complete mudbath but I’m telling you, not a pass dropped.”
Word was getting out about the Sevens, but the players had a ruse for keeping others away from their picnic.
“We’d get home, they’d ask us ‘how was Hong Kong?’ and we’d say ‘oh, it was crap’.” Gary Pearse, folks. He’s been here time after time, he’s won it, and he’s got the t-shirt.



1983 winner in the house

Hong Kong’s Chong Ka-yan, who scored in her side’s defeat to China, has been talking about the game.
“We set out to reach the final before the tournament, we did it, of course we would have want to win it in front of our home crowd in our last game here [at the Hong Kong Stadium] but it was not to be,” she says.
“We played to our standard, we showed what we can do but we can definitely do better.”



‘We showed what we could do’

Journey front man Arnel Pineda is the main attraction this afternoon and he’s pumping out hit after hit, they’re just all Bon Jovi at the moment.
Still the South Stand is jumping, the rest of the stadium is having fun, and it’s hard not to sing along at times, which I guess is the point.



Hits keep coming

This has to be one of the hardest games to play at a tournament, the one for bronze.
It’s the women first, with France taking on Australia.


And, we’re back

For so long Australia looked like world beaters this weekend, until they came up against a New Zealand team playing on another level again.
Still, third place isn’t to be sniffed at, and Madison Ashby gets her side on the board with a breakaway that she finishes between the posts.
France level soon after, with Chloe Jacquet’s conversion from out wide slightly more impressive than Valentine Lothoz’s try.
Joanna Grisez then scampers clear to put France ahead, with Jacquet adding the extras.


HT: France 14 Australia 7

Joy for Australia, misery for France, and Madison Levi has done it again for the green and gold.
With the buzzer gone, Australia launch one last desperate attack, get the ball through several sets of fans, and Levi dives over.
For so long France look like winning, and goes 21-7 up when Chloe Jacquet adds a try and slots over her third conversion.
But Bridget Clark spots a gap between two French defenders down the left and gets over to get her side to within 11 points.
Madison Levi is up next, more space down the left and she’s away and in under the posts, it’s 21-19.


Bronze Australia

Hong Kong’s Fong Kit-fung says he doesn’t remember much about his first try against Japan.
“My head was a total blank with the first one, I wasn’t thinking at all so there’s no celebration, I just wanted to rush back and carry on [with the match].
“My second try, I was too nervous because the match is still going on, I don’t want to be too happy too early. But I was really emotional when I sat on the bench, knowing that we’ve done it.”



Two-try hero

Time for the men’s bronze-medal game, Australia v Ireland.
News from the press benches, France’s women were not in the mood to chat after that agonising loss, can’t say I blame them.


All to play for

One word for that start, cagey. Both teams figuring out where the gaps are, and trying to work the spaces.
Ireland eventually get the overlap on the right, and Hugo Lennox has the simple task of running the ball in.
He’s at it again moments later, chipping the ball over the defence he gets his foot to it before the despairing dive of James Turner, adds the extras, and Ireland are well clear.


HT: Ireland 14 Australia 0

There’s a flag in the crowd that says ‘you’ll never beat the Irish’ and this time at least that’s true.
Two first-half tries from Hugo Lennox, and a solid defensive effort after the break gives Ireland, who are second in the world series standings, a second successive third place finish.
Nice switch move between Ben Dowling and Henry Hutchinson within sight of the posts should open Ireland up, except for the fact Hutchinson knocks on, which largely sums up Australia’s day.
There’s another when Henry Palmer drops a pass from Maurice Longbottom in space, and for whatever reason it’s just not working for the Aussies.
Palmer finally gets the bounce of the ball to score with two seconds left on the clock, but the conversion goes wide and no matter what happens they can’t win.


Irish eyes

Same thrilling game, but unsurprisingly, two very different reactions from France and Australia.
French coach David Courteix says he’s “very proud of the girls”, adding he thought they had faced the “best team in the world”.
Madison Ashby, meanwhile, can’t get over the Hong Kong crowd.
“Our captain said we need to use the atmosphere from the crowd and bring it into our game.
“Hong Kong Sevens, the crowd here is one of the best in the world, so I love playing here. Different stadium next year, but same crowd, so it’ll be great.”



‘Best in the world’

The women are here and it’s time for the final between the USA and New Zealand. First though, the national anthems.
At least we aren’t subjected to the Haka.


It’s final time

First blood New Zealand, Jorja Miller breaks a tackle on the 22 and there’s no catching her from there.
Miller finishes off under the posts, Tyla King adds the extras, and it would be a brave person to bet against the Black Ferns from here.
It’s Michaela Blyde’s turn next, although her score in the far corner proves beyond King’s abilities with the boot, so it’s just 12-0.
Not any more, Blyde goes over again, in exactly the same spot, as New Zealand make the most of the extra player following Steph Rovetti’s yellow card.
Signs of life from the USA. Ilona Maher breaks clear, doesn’t have the pace to go all the way, but the ball is recycled and Alex Sedrick gets in for the score.


HT: USA 7 New Zealand 17

New Zealand’s women have done their part, now it’s over to the men.
The Black Ferns defend the title they won last year with a pretty emphatic 36-7 win over the USA.
Michaela Blyde completes her hat-trick, again in the left corner, again diving to finish, and New Zealand are all but out of sight.
It’s Mahina Paul’s turn next, she at least knows where the posts are and goes right between them, giving Risi Pouri-Lane a simple conversion attempt.
There’s just time for Paul to add a second, Pouri-Lane does the necessary, and it finishes 36-7.



Back in black

We’ve just been having a yarn with Peter Burbidge-King, who had five years as the Sevens’ tournament director ending 20 years ago, and before that managed Hong Kong’s sevens and 15s teams. (He also coached this writer’s school team.)
A veteran of the first Sevens in 1976 “when it was just a few families and their eskies”, he’s back here for the first time since Covid and tells us the Sevens feels “back to how it used to be”, although he’s unsure if he will follow it to Kai Tak.
One of his highlights this year has been the mini rugby. “There must have been 2,000 players out there. You wouldn’t get that many in Queensland, where I’m based. That’s great news for the future of rugby in Hong Kong.”
Some things don’t change, he adds. Asked to compare the secret of the Sevens’ success now with 20 years ago and with ’76, he says “get the rugby right and the rest is easy”.
He adds he had something else in his favour when it came to Sevens organising: he was a senior police officer (current Hong Kong rugby CEO Robbie McRobbie, also a former officer, still calls him “boss”) and at the time was the area commissioner for Wan Chai – “let’s just say it helped”.


Sevens’ ex-boss back in town

When chatting to Brian O’Driscoll, we can’t resist asking if the Ireland legend feels his beloved Man U can turn over Liverpool in Sunday’s Premier League clash.
“They better had,” O’Driscoll says. “It’s weird that I’m kind of willing Arsenal to win the league – I know United had a huge rivalry with Arsenal. I think we’re all fed up with Manchester City. It’s anyone but Liverpool for me.”
Is it not galling, then, that his nine-year-old son follows Liverpool?
“Because of him, I probably watch more of Liverpool than any other team,” O’Driscoll says. “But I want some bragging rights in my house this week.”


O’Driscoll’s EPL wish

Ireland’s Hugo Lennox, who scored two tries in his side’s 14-5 win over Australia, says the team’s performance in the third-place play-off was a reaction to the semi-final loss to France.
“We just really wanted to right our wrongs from the semi final, so it was great to finish off in third place,” he says.
“It is difficult [to play third-place playoff] as well, as everyone’s body’s hurting, after three days of rugby. But, sometimes, when you get very well beaten, it just gives you that extra spur to get up and go again.”



Righting a wrong

The New Zealand women have held up their end of the bargain, now it’s the men’s turn.
Normally quite popular in Hong Kong, the stadium is ringing to the sounds of ‘Allez Les Bleus’, so a few French fans in tonight it would seem.


The main event, part 2

Two rousing anthems, a stadium belting out La Marseillaise, France v New Zealand, this feels like a Test match.
Such a shame we only get 14 minutes. Still, it’s going to be a belter.


Here we go

Well, this is intriguingly poised. Both sides are very much in the zone.
The French, who won the last event in LA, have their game faces on again and would love to clinch their first ever Hong Kong title. And the Kiwis, the reigning champs, won’t be giving up their crown easily.
Antoine Zeghdar of France is helped off, visibly dazed. And the New Zealanders butcher a try opportunity in the right corner, allowing the French to scramble clear.


HT: France 0 New Zealand 0

After his first game of the week, Australia’s Michael Hooper told us he felt “bloody nervous” beforehand.
He and his teammates ultimately fell short in their bid to win this week, but the former Test captain said he felt “good out there, like I could compete”.
“There are some areas of the game I think I can get a lot better at for sure, how I link with other players and then when I can impact the game,” he says.
“It’s been a good weekend. Today wasn’t our day, I don’t think we performed near to our best, letting in a few points there and not really getting our attack flowing.”



Hooper ‘felt good out there’

This is not something you see every day: 0-0 after 10 minutes of a sevens final.
It’s meant to be a free-flowing game of flair and tries, yet so finely balanced is this contest, so much do both sides want this, that neither is giving an inch.
Tension aplenty. Here we go for the second half.


Unprecedented?

Finally! New Zealand work the ball to the left flank, where Scott Curry is loitering, and he does superbly, withstanding the lunging defenders to ground the ball in the corner.
There’s a pause while they check he wasn’t in touch, and no, it’s good.
No sooner have the floodgates been clawed ajar than they are blown wide open by a moment of absurdity. Perhaps getting carried away after one of his mates did something similar on his own try-line in the first half, Stephen Parez throws a blind pass into midfield to nobody.
Nobody, that is, except Cody Vai, who swallow-dives over. Vai is not a man you give gifts to. “Typically French,” we say here in the press box.
