Revamped sevens world series produces same Dubai champs as South Africa men and Australia women win

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Revamped and rebranded, the sevens rugby world series produced the same old champions in the Dubai opening leg when South Africa’s men and Australia’s women triumphed on Sunday.

South Africa won a fifth straight Dubai title when it beat Argentina 12-7 in the final under acting coach Philip Snyman. Coach Sandile Ngcobo stayed home for medical reasons.

In the women’s final, Australia ended New Zealand’s 41-game winning streak to win a fourth successive Dubai title.

Captain Selvyn Davids set up both of South Africa’s tries, allowing Impi Visser to crash over after three minutes, and running Shilton van Wyk into a gap in the fifth. They led 12-0 at halftime with Argentina not even touching their 22.

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When South Africa forward Ryan Oosthuizen was sin-binned for a high tackle, Argentina struck with a Matias Osadczuk converted try. But when it was back to seven against seven, South Africa looked closer to scoring again, prevented only by Agustin Fraga’s try-saving push on Rosko Specman in the corner.

South Africa’s fifth Dubai title in a row tied the series record for most consecutive titles at one site equaling Fiji’s five in Hong Kong from 2015-19.

Australia’s women were the last team to beat New Zealand a year ago in the Dubai final, and repeated the feat.

The game was decided in the last two minutes. Two penalties against New Zealand gave Australia the launch pad to get Maddison Levi across to break a 19-19 deadlock.

Levi’s try was her 12th, breaking her own single tournament record from Dubai last year. Then Australia’s defense in its 22 had to force a New Zealand knock on to secure the series-opening title.

Australia scored only 23 seconds into the final when Bienne Terita stepped Tenika Willison and sprinted 80 meters.

Then New Zealand’s Jorja Miller scored twice in two minutes, the second from a brilliant offload by Michaela Blyde.

But Australia went into halftime 14-12 ahead after Teagan Levi scored and converted a long-range try she started by forcing a ruck turnover.

Teagan Levi scored again straight after the break after a Terita break but Miller’s hat-trick try tied the score going into the last two minutes.

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