Sport: Fiji on cusp of world sevens title after Glasgow triumph

Transcript

Fiji are on the cusp of sevens rugby glory after winning the Cup title in Glasgow to overtake South Africa in the World Series standings.

A top three finish in this weekend's final leg in London would be enough to clinch their first series title in nine years.

Vinnie Wylie reports.

GAME COMMENTARY:  Have they won the ball? It's a meelee of bodies in there. Fiji come away with the ball - it's delight for Fiji. Fiji win the Glasgow Sevens and what a thriller we've had. Absolute delight from the Fijian fans.
 

Fiji scored the opening try in the Cup final but trailed New Zealand 12-5 at halftime.  Captain Osea Kolinisau says that led to some stern words at the interval.

OSEA KOLINISAU: I thank Ben Ryan for letting us have it in our second half talk. He told us that the team that played in the first half wasn't the same team that was playing in the first two days so we banded together with the boys and told them we just need to keep possession, and we kept possession and eventually we came out first.
 

Apisai Domolailai came off the bench to score a second half double while Kolinisau himself also crossed the line to inspire Fiji to a 24-17 victory.  It's Fiji's sixth straight win over New Zealand while their fourth Cup title of the season is also a team record.  It capped a memorable two days in which Ben Ryan's team also secured qualification for next year's Rio Olympics.

BEN RYAN:  It's been a cracking weekend and hopefully we've got all twelve fit and healthy for next week. I will have to get my week right but like Oscar [Kolinisau] said we're not running away with ourselves. Five points is good and we've got that extra point with our points difference is significantly better than South Africa and New Zealand - so they've got to be six points better than us, anyone. Third place does it for us next week for certain but we want to win back to backs in London. It would be a good place to do it.

The All Black sevens coach Sir Gordon Tietjens concedes they will struggle to defend their World Series title but says they still have a chance.  New Zealand are eight points behind Fiji and will likely need to win at Twickenham this weekend and hope Fiji and South Africa are knocked out before the semi-finals.

GORDON TIETJENS:  We're in with a chance and anything can happen, as we've seen right throughout the year. South Africa's still there - they're a couple points shy of Fiji as well and we're a just a couple behind them - so it's going to be tough and I'm looking forward to the tournament in London.

It wasn't such a happy weekend for Samoa who lost all of their pool games and were beaten by Wales in the bowl quarter finals.  The Manu did finish on a high, beating Japan and Portugal to take out the Shield final and remain ninth in the overall standings.   Adding to Samoa's woes, England finished third in Glasgow to move 16 points clear of Australia in the race for the fourth and final Olympic qualifying berth.  That means the green and gold are all but certain to join the Manu in November's Oceania Olympic qualifier in Auckland, from which only the winner will advance to Rio.