With the Levi sisters, Maddison and Teagan, in menacing form, Australia built an imposing advantage. After Kelsey Teneti struck first from a sustained phase attack, Australia assumed control with Maddison racing 80 metres from a Black Ferns spillage and Teagan spearing through twice - initially running off the shoulder of Madison Ashby and then punishing a rare mishandle from skipper Risi Pouri-Lane at the start of the second half.
Pouri-Lane remedied matters with a roaming foray that opened a hole for Stacey Waaka. Alena Saili on a cut further splintered the Australian defence, and there was some hope at 21–10.
Previously outhustled at the breakdown, Mahina Paul secured a jackal at the ruck from the restart just outside the 22. A breathless 16-pass sequence in all directions eventually left Teneti unmarked.
By her usual stratospheric standards, Jorja Miller had been subdued in the decider until her predatory instincts surfaced. The influential Ashby was isolated and penalised at a ruck 30 metres out from her own line. Paul took off from a quick tap.
Continuity, pace, muscle, support. Even Martin Scorsese would struggle to script such drama in the Big Apple. It took nine passes for a chink to appear in the Aussie armour. Saili headed for glory until Maddison Levi crashed into her like a comet, the ball just short of the tryline. It was two on two at the ruck. Saili wriggled the right way and quickly recycled for Vahaakolo, who placed the ball down with the care and precision of a hen delivering eggs to a nest. Still, the conversion had to be kicked. Just to the left of the posts, five metres out, Pouri-Lane sent her kick straight down the middle.
There was time for a restart. Waaka and Maddison Levi collided. The loose ball trickled into touch, and the Black Ferns Sevens won their 47th SVNS Cup final in 59 appearances. Twenty-six of those wins have come in 36 matches against Australia, whom they beat by eight points in the SVNS League standings. The Black Ferns Sevens have now won their last 20 consecutive matches.
The League title was secured with a 31–10 pool win over Fiji. Qualifying for the semi-finals gave them an unassailable lead over Australia in the standings. Fittingly, Miller was in galvanic form. Her first try — featuring a swerve, left-hand fend and 60-metre surge — broke the stalemate. From the restart she swooped on an unexpected bounce and galloped 30 metres, celebrating with a Statue of Liberty pose. Miller further endeared herself to the New York crowd with a pass reminiscent of Clyde Rathbone to set up Pouri-Lane, who is not glamorous but is the glue of the Black Ferns Sevens.
Reapi Ulunisau, who has scored 96 tries in 23 tournaments, salvaged some respect for Fiji with two cracking tries. She picked off an errant Vahaakolo pass at halfway and then fended off Nuku before a 60-metre sprint.
France challenged the Black Ferns in Vancouver last weekend and proved even more difficult to subdue in New York. Ahead 19–12, France lost Lou Noël to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on — a harsh decision as her arm caught the ball while supporting a tackle on Teneti, who had thrown a ragged pass.
The Black Ferns Sevens capitalised by quickly shifting the ball to the edges. Teneti burst 40 metres, evading the last defender like a turnstile to level the scores. Waaka soared high on the right wing to deflect the restart back to New Zealand, who created an overlap for Waaka to finish. With 50 seconds left, the Black Ferns Sevens led 24–19 with possession on halfway and France swarming. Paul grubbered in behind the blue wall and, in a Keystone Cops episode, three players fell while chasing. Of course, Miller was there to dot down.
Hosts USA were beaten 26–14 in the semi-final. There were anxious moments — including a length-of-the-field stunner from the “Brooklyn Bullet” Su Adegoke — but the Black Ferns’ greater precision proved decisive. Jaymie Kolose grabbed a wayward pass just before halftime to make it 10–7, and Pouri-Lane appreciated 50 metres of empty real estate from another US fumble.
The Black Ferns Sevens have won 377 of 417 SVNS matches and 61 of the 93 tournaments they have contested since 2000. They have also won 527 of 579 matches across all competitions.
“To win the league and be consistent throughout it is probably one of the hardest things to do because it’s such a long season,” Pouri-Lane said.
“I’m proud of the girls for getting that done, but just because we’ve got the league title, it doesn’t mean we can slack off.
“The girls know that we’ve got more to give, so nothing changes.”
All Blacks Sevens finish sixth
The All Blacks Sevens finished sixth, with lapses in concentration and ill-discipline hurting them. Conceding 14 penalties and four yellow cards on the first day alone made them the most penalised team at the tournament.
Regardless of how pedantic some of the officiating might seem, beating eventual champions and series winners South Africa with three players in the sin bin — and at one point with only five players — is a forlorn task. The first pool game was lost 22–7.
A yellow card to Kitione Vai opened space for Dietrich Roache to score the opener for Australia in the next game. Vai then atoned by levelling the score after a Sam Clarke turnover and break when New Zealand were reeling.
Roache scored his second right from the kick-off as the All Blacks Sevens fumbled. Despite desperate attacks, Australia’s tackling was resolute, especially from Henry Hutchison. The final score was 12–7.
The All Blacks Sevens seemed headed for a winless pool performance when they trailed France 24–14. However, an improbable rally salvaged an impressive victory. The New Zealand resurgence began with a Brady Rush grubber that Fletcher Morgan gathered before supplying Sam Clarke. France failed to secure the restart. On the 22, Riley Williams fended off Liam Delamare — who had earlier hurt New Zealand — and touched down under the posts, converting his own try for the winner.
Earlier, Brady Tocker had scored twice, his second a 65-metre run-in after two behind-the-back passes from Kele Lasaqa and Clarke that became an instant social media hit.
The 5–8 play-offs followed a similar pattern. Twice the All Blacks Sevens built 14–0 leads, and twice they lost them. There was no comeback against France in the fifth-place final, with a Vai intercept gifting Ali Dabo his second try. France were fortunate that Antoine Zeghdar was not red-carded for a closed-fist, stiff-armed fend on Clarke. A positive was Dylan Collier scoring a try, moving within a dozen of a century of tries in SVNS competition.
The All Blacks Sevens’ best moment was the revival against Great Britain. Down 24–19, Michael Manson — “the fastest man in New Zealand rugby” — was quicker than Billy the Kid, stealing a kick-off to break clear. From a lineout, Rokolisoa fired a long throw to create space and trigger a movement finished by Williams. It was an attritional environment in which “The Waihi Whippet”, Morgan, thrived. The Southland Ranfurly Shield winner outlasted the defence.
South Africa beat Fiji 10–7 in the final to win their fourth event out of six this season and claim the SVNS League title for the fifth time, edging Fiji 104–102. South Africa has won 47 of 79 Cup finals, Fiji 47 of 89. New Zealand finished fourth on 80 points, two behind Australia.
