Hong Kong Sevens 2022: Surprise package Samoa storm into Cup quarter-finals
- A scare from Hong Kong but unbeaten islanders march on as they look for their first title since 2010
- ‘It’s all about momentum,’ says coach Brian Lima. ‘We’re still developing. We’ll take one game at a time’
There were suspicions on Friday that Samoa had taken a look at their Pool A draw – alongside reigning HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series champions Australia and Rugby World Cup Sevens runners-up New Zealand – and thought they had nothing to lose at this edition of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
On Saturday that was confirmed as fact as Samoans rolled into the Cup quarter-finals unbeaten and playing a thrill-a-minute style of carefree rugby.
It had been enough to roll the Kiwis 24-0 on Friday, and it duly accounted for the Aussies 22-17 and then Hong Kong 31-15 on Saturday.
“It was really tough,” said Samoa coach Brian Lima. “There was a good start yesterday and the boy played really well today. We aimed to lead the group and we achieved that so I am happy. We thought if we can beat New Zealand we can beat Australia as well.”
It was the irrepressible co-skipper Vaa Apelu Maliko who overran the Australians, two late tries sealing the win against tiring opponents who could not deal with this pace.
Lima has 11 players here on their first trip to Hong Kong and the message going in was to soak up the occasion – and to play their natural game. Samoa have heeded those words, with tries from six of their seven starters in their three wins so far.
Fiji keep unbeaten Sevens streak alive as they eye sixth straight title
They didn’t have everything go their own way against Hong Kong, Hong Kong after Steve Onosai was sin-binned for dangerous play early and both Seb Brien and Max Denmark made the most of the numerical advantages to cross for the home side, who trailed 12-10 at the break.
But the Samoans steadied in the second half and put breathing space between themselves and the hosts, who also saw Salom Yiu Kam-shing cross late, and they now face Argentina on Sunday morning.
“Argentina are always a physical team so it’s a big game tomorrow,” said Lima. “[Now] it’s all about momentum. We’re still developing. We’ll take one game at a time.”
It’s been 12 years since the Samoans upset New Zealand 24-21 to win the last of their three titles here but they have arrived in flying form, and the same can be said about Ireland who came here claiming they were still developing as a unit but on the evidence presented look pretty much fully formed.
First of all, they are fast and they look to open up spaces with rapid ball movement, as both Canada (beaten 19-17) and Argentina (beaten 21-17) found on Saturday. But as those scores suggest they are also fierce on the defensive side of the caper and they’ll need all they can muster as they also move into the Cup quarter-finals against Australia on Sunday morning.
For coach James Topping the plan coming in to Hong Kong was much the same as they carried into the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town back in September, where they lit the draw up early with three straight wins, could well have rolled New Zealand in the semi-finals and collected third-place with a win over World Sevens Series champions Australia.
“We didn’t go in there with high expectations going into the tournament,” he explained.
“We don’t really think about medals and trophies, we just want to beat whoever is in front of us and that’s the attitude we’ve brought here to Hong Kong. We’re just learning all the time. This is a great start and the big games come on Sunday.”
