Kenya and USA join top seeds in last eight

New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa and Samoa may have finished top of their respective pools at the Emirates Airline South Africa Sevens, but it was USA and Kenya who sprung a surprise by joining them in the Cup quarter-finals.

The USA last reached a Cup quarter-final in the 2001/02 IRB Sevens World Series in Beijing and Brisbane but a 14-12 defeat of France on their George debut and a 15-5 defeat of Canada saw Al Caravelli's side to a last-eight meeting with New Zealand.

Kenya join them in the last eight after England lost 26-24 to New Zealand with the last play of the match, the Africans having beaten England 17-7 earlier in the day with two Innocent Simiyu tries. They now face Pool B winners Fiji.

South Africa were equally impressive in topping Pool C, conceding only one try - a penalty score against Argentina. They now meet Scotland, who finished as Pool D runners-up behind Samoa. The islanders now meet Argentina in a repeat of the Dubai Plate final.

POOL A

New Zealand were slow to start with Kenya making several threatening breaks, but ultimately the defending champions ran out 19-0 winners after tries from Edwin Cocker (2) and Israel Dagg. 

The defending champions were more clinical against Zimbabwe with Dagg scoring two of New Zealand's seven tries in a 41-0 victory after captain DJ Forbes had touched down the opening try.

England also started with a victory, overcoming Zimbabwe 24-7. However their hopes of a Cup quarter-final were dealt a blow when two tries by Kenya captain Innocent Simiyu saw his side run out 17-7 winners.

Kenya then came from behind to beat Zimbabwe 15-5 in an all-African affair, meaning England had to beat New Zealand to finish as runners-up. They led 17-14 at half time and then 22-21 before Dagg completed his hat-trick to seal the victory.

POOL B

Emosi Vucago, the joint leading try scorer from Dubai, scored the first of Fiji's five tries in a comfortable 29-0 defeat of Canada and was then one of three players to score two in their 47-7 defeat of the USA.

The USA had earlier made a winning debut in George with a 14-12 defeat of France after tries from flyer Takudzwa Ngwenya and Riaan Hamilton gave them a 14-0 lead before France fought back.

France bounced back to beat Canada 24-14 with two tries from Eddy Labarthe after Rob Turk had given the north Americans, missing their leading try scorer from Dubai in the injured Daniel van der Merwe, an early lead.

Ngwenya's late try proved the match winner for USA against Canada to seal their quarter-final berth, before Fiji proved too strong for France, running out 34-12 winners thanks to a double from Neumi Nanuku among their six tries.

POOL C

Fabian Juries scored two tries as South Africa delighted the home crowd with a 24-7 defeat of Argentina in their opening match. Juries then claimed another double as the Springbok Sevens team ran in seven tries against Uganda in a 41-0 victory.

The biggest cheers in both matches though were reserved for local favourite Kabamba Floors when he crossed the try line. Uganda had earlier lost 38-0 to Wales in the first ever IRB Sevens World Series meeting between the sides.

Wales had looked slick in that victory, but failed to build on the performance in their next match with Argentina for whom nothing but victory would suffice - which they got with a 24-12 win with Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino and Pablo Gomez Cora among their try scorers.

Adrian Cherro scored two of Argentina's six tries as they beat Uganda 38-7, before South Africa sent their supporters home happy with a 31-0 defeat of Wales with Juries again scoring another double to end the day as joint leading try scorer with Dagg.

POOL D 

Samoa were Plate runners-up in Dubai, but clearly have their sights set higher after following up their impressive 38-7 opening victory over Scotland with a second win, 22-14 against a battling Tunisia.

The islanders twice came from behind in the first half against a Tunisian outfit who had fought back from 12-0 down in their first match to draw with Australia after tries from Lofti Ben M'Sallem and Khaled Zegdene, a missed conversion costing them the win.

Australia therefore needed a win to kickstart their hopes of a Cup quarter-final, but tries from Richie Vernon and Stephen McColl saw Scotland recover to triumph 21-10 and record their first win of the tournament.

Samoa survived a late Australian fight back to triumph 20-19 in their final match, while Scotland also finished strongly with Colin Gregor scoring two of their three tries in a 21-14 defeat of Tunisia which confirmed a Cup quarter-final berth.