All Blacks Sevens break Dubai jinx with 6th title

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New Zealand celebrated their record 10th appearance in the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens Cup final in style as they ended their title drought at the 7he Sevens Stadium with a 21-5 victory over the USA. Saturday's win gave the All Blacks Sevens their first title in the desert oasis since 2009.

Earlier, the New Zealanders were grappling with injury worries as they had gone into the final with only nine fit players. Captain Scott Curry was among the injured quartet as his side took on a USA side playing in their first Cup final in Dubai just a year after disastrously losing all five of their matches.

The energy-sapping final saw the ABs drawing the first blood only after five minutes with an emphatic first try of the game. Tone Ng Shiu powered through the clutches of Ben Pinkelman before Andrew Knewstubb added the conversion for a 7-0 half-time score.

New Zealand's Tone Ng Shiu (R) tackles USA's Danny Barrett during the Final of the Men's Sevens World Rugby Dubai Series Cup in Dubai. /VCG Photo

However, New Zealand's Luke Masirewa was sent to the sin-bin, and that helped the USA bounce back strongly. Making full use of Masirewa's absence, Stephen Tomasin ran in the try but USA captain Madison Hughes failed to get the two important conversion points as his attempt went just wide of the left upright.

But the much-fancied ABs justified their supreme status as tries by Dylan Collier and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black sealed the deal and ensured a long-awaited sixth Dubai title for the side from the southern hemisphere.

Knewstubb, who was named the HSBC Player of the Final, said, “There wasn't much said [before the final]. You just look across at your mates there, they look at you, and you just connect on the field. Off the field as well we're all great mates. Even the boys back home who couldn't be here, I know they were cheering us on.”

Meanwhile, his compatriot, Sione Molia mentioned: “It was really unfortunate for us [to have so many injuries] but we knew we had to get our heads down and start working coming into this final against a really good USA Team. The boys put an unreal shift out there, and we're really happy.”