The second leg of HSBC SVNS 2024 in Cape Town commenced with an unexpected series of outcomes that saw defending champions Samoa fail to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. Instead, New Zealand managed to progress, alongside Canada’s double upset and Ireland’s surprising victory.
In Pool A, South Africa’s Quewin Nortje displayed exceptional talent and led his team to victory against the Great Britain team. Despite an impressive turnaround by the USA, the hosts triumphed with two late tries. Meanwhile, Ireland demonstrated their strength with consecutive wins over the USA and Great Britain, ultimately shocking the hosts with a 14-12 victory.
Turning to Pool B, Los Pumas’ seasoned player, Gastón Revol, celebrated his 100th tournament with a triumphant 21-7 win over France. The team then managed to hold off a fierce Spain and secured a second close victory. On the other hand, Fiji’s hat-trick hero, Pilipo Bukayaro, led his team to a decisive win over Spain, ensuring their top spot in the pool.
Finally, Pool C was the pool of shocks as New Zealand fell short against Canada in their opener, only to make a fierce comeback with a dominant win over Australia. Additionally, Samoa, despite being the defending champions, suffered losses to Australia and Canada, resulting in New Zealand narrowly qualifying for the quarter-finals as one of the best third-place finishers.
The upcoming quarter-finals promise an electrifying showdown between Argentina and Canada, Ireland and New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, and Fiji and France. The intense battle for victory continues as the unexpected turn of events sets the stage for an exhilarating conclusion.
Source:
World Rugby. “HSBS SVNS 2024: New Zealand scrape into last eight on a day of shocks in Cape Town.” World Rugby, (insert publication date here), (insert URL here).