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Nicolas Atkin

It’s been all about one team in the 2018-19 World Rugby Sevens series, with the USA flying high at the top of the table.
Mike Friday’s team reached the finals of the first four events. After three losses they finally claimed their first title on home soil in Las Vegas,
New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa have shared the other titles, and sit behind the US in the top four of the standings going in to Hong Kong.
If you need a refresher on all the action from this season, let us jog your memory:

Dubai
It was perhaps only fitting that New Zealand would lift the Dubai Sevens title, given the year they had.
The All Blacks Sevens collected medals for fun in 2018, winning the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco.
The USA had been looking to avenge their disappointing showing in that tournament on home soil, but fell 21-5 to New Zealand in the Dubai final, as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series got off to a flier.
England took bronze by edging Australia 15-14. Fiji won the fifth-place final, beating South Africa 24-19 in an extra-time thriller with two tries from debutant Aminiasi Tuimaba.

It was an impressive feat for New Zealand given the injuries they had in the build-up to the tournament. They were down to nine players for the final with Scott Curry, Sam Dickson, Akuila Rokolisoa and Regan Ware all unavailable.
“We missed a few soldiers,” said Andrew Knewstubb, who was named player of the final. “But you look across and try and connect on the field, we’re all great mates. The boys back home were cheering us on.”

Cape Town
You felt Fiji wouldn’t take long to make up for their showing in Dubai, and they put in a vintage display to blow away the USA 29-15 for the South Africa Sevens title in Cape Town.
Mistakes, ill-discipline and fatigue put paid to the Eagles’ hopes of a first triumph at the tournament, as a rampant Fiji ran in four unanswered tries before the USA even got on the scoreboard through Ben Pinkelman.
There were doubles for Kalione Nasoko and Valimoni Botitu, and a try for Sevuloni Mocenacagi. Another Ben Pinkelman score and a trademark Carlin Isles effort late on made the scoreline look a little bit more respectable for Mike Friday’s men.
But in the end, the USA were powerless to stop Fiji winning their first title in South Africa since 2005, and their first ever in Cape Town.

“It’s been a long time coming here for the Fijians to win in Cape Town,” Fiji coach Gareth Baber told World Rugby Sevens. “We were disappointed in Dubai that we didn’t manage to perform to the levels that we did this week. That’s what makes me most proud, that these boys have done everything for their families back home, the country of Fiji and their Lord.
“We’ve had some battles here this weekend, most notably probably South Africa in the semi-final. But all credit to all the players and staff that are concerned with our team, they’ve manned up.”
South Africa edged New Zealand 10-5 in a scrappy bronze-medal match. Sione Molia put the All Blacks Sevens into the lead but scores from Werner Kok and Dewald Human either side of the break turned it around for the Blitzboks.

Sydney
New Zealand collected their second title of the season with a 21-5 victory against the US in the final at Spotless Stadium.
Tries from Regan Ware, Sam Dickson and Tone Ng Shiu helped seal the win in February – the second time the Eagles had fallen to New Zealand in a final this season. The Kiwis had beaten Fiji 36-14 in the semi-finals.
“I thought we played extremely well over the past two days apart from a slow start yesterday morning,” said New Zealand head coach Clark Laidlaw. “To execute as well as we did in those last two games is really pleasing and shows the huge amount of belief this team has.”
England finished third after beating Fiji 19-17, with South Africa beating Australia to fifth place with a try in the last play of the match.
“We are once again hugely disappointed with the result after a very attritional and exhausting second day where we had to scrap for everything,” US head coach Mike Friday said.
“The final as expected was a hugely physical affair and whilst we did control the ball for good periods, unfortunately we made some errors which let the New Zealand team build scores in the first half.”
“We need to get some perspective as well in how well as a squad we are performing. We are sitting top of the table going into Vegas and our aim is to be in the top four at the end of the season, but we are hungry for cup wins along the way.”

Las Vegas
After three final defeats, the US finally cracked the code and won their first tournament of the 2018-19 campaign, and on home soil to boot.
The Eagles hammered Samoa 27-0 in the final, with Ben Pinkelman scoring twice. Samoa had thrashed Argentina 33-19 in the semis.
“There’s something about singing your national anthem at home,” Pinkelman told the Las Vegas Review Journal. “It’s so passionate. So emotional. It just gets everybody on the same page.”
Captain Madison Hughes, Matai Leuta and Martin Iosefo were also on the scoresheets for the hosts.
“We’ve always loved it here,” Hughes said. “The support is so amazing. We know it’s going to be hard going to the final every weekend. We just want to keep getting better.”
New Zealand beat Argentina 26-19 in the third-place final, after England had overcome Fiji 19-15 in the fifth-place play-off.

Vancouver
Defending series champions South Africa got their season up and running with a win over surprise finalists France in the final of the Canada Sevens last month.
Selvyn Davids starred in the final with a try, with Impi Visser and Werner Kok also crossing. Pierre Gilles Lakafia had scored early on, while Stephen Parez also scored for France, who had thumped the US 33-5 in the semis. Quite a turnaround for a team who finished 15th at the previous leg in Las Vegas.
“It was a much needed win for our team and I think the boys played some fantastic rugby throughout the tournament,” South Africa captain Philip Snyman said.

“I’m really happy with the win and hopefully we can build on this one now. There’s a lot of talent in this group and back home and I can’t wait to see everyone together as it was only a matter of time before this team started to gel.
“They showed glimpses this week of what they can do and I believe there is a strong squad coming through.”
The win put South Africa fourth in the standings behind the US, New Zealand and Fiji – who were thrashed 31-12 by South Africa in the last-four. For the first time this season, the US did not feature in a final.
New Zealand had to settle for fifth place in Vancouver, after a 22-21 defeat by Fiji in the quarter-finals.


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The US lead the standings coming into Hong Kong. Photo: AFP

New Zealand's Ngarohi Black chases the against the U.S. during the final match of the Emirates Airline Rugby Sevens in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

New Zealand's players perform the Haka after they beat the U.S. in the final match of the Emirates Airline Rugby Sevens in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Steve Tomasin of the US celebrates victory against Samoa in the Cup final match at the USA Sevens Rugby tournament on March 3, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. - the US defeated Samoa 27-0. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)

epa07340197 Joe Ravouvou (R) of New Zealand is tackled during the Sydney Rugby 7's Men's Cup final match between the USA and New Zealand in Sydney, Australia, 03 February 2019. EPA-EFE/CRAIG GOLDING AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

epa07219880 Danny Barrett (up) of the USA dives over Amanaki Nicole (bottom) of New Zealand to score a try during day 2 of the 2018 HSBC Cape Town Sevens rugby tournament in Cape Town, South Africa, 09 December 2018. EPA-EFE/RYAN WILKISKY

Selvyn Davids.

Gold medalist South Africa's team (C), silver medalist France's team (L) and bronze medalist Fiji's team (R) pose on the field at the Vancouver World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver, BC, Canada on March 10, 2019. (Photo by Don MacKinnon / AFP)

Fiji players celebrate after winning the HSBC World Rugby Sevens tournament at the end of the final match between United States and Fiji on December 9, 2017 at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

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US are the team to beat with four finals and one title this season
New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa hot on their heels with victories



The US are the team to beat with four finals and one title this season, but New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa are hot on their heels.


HSBC Sevens World Series

World Rugby Sevens: the story so far as series comes to Hong Kong with US dominating

US are the team to beat with four finals and one title this season New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa hot on their heels with victories

US are the team to beat with four finals and one title this season

New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa hot on their heels with victories