Samoa beat New Zealand 26-15 to take their first ever Dubai Sevens title in yet another enjoyable series of the HSBC World Series Sevens. Flyer Paul Perez scored twice in the final, including a try directly from the kick off.
On a day that New Zealand rugby fans would rather forget, Samoa got off to a great start in the final, with Perez scoring after just 20 seconds.
Early in the second half things were tight at 19-15, but a Tulolo Tulolo try put things out of reach for the men in black and secured a great win for the Samoan side.
“It was a very exciting moment for the boys. They played very well. There are a lot of new guys on the team. They stepped up and believed they could do the job,” said Samoa captain Afa Aiono, heaping praise on Perez specifically.
“He’s been a really good player since he came into the sevens and he has a lot of input in the team. He is the other most experienced guy on the team.”
Kenya came third after they beat France 15-12 in the Third Place Playoff, while Wales beat Canada to win the Plate, Argentina won the Bowl, and England won the Shield.
In the women’s tournament final New Zealand thrashed South Africa 41-0
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