Kiwis defeat England 33-0 to take World Cup

World Series champions New Zealand signed off a fantastic season by adding the World Cup to their trophy collection to become the first team to accomplish the double. And the New Zealand women made it a day to remember for the country by winning their first World Cup.

It just keeps getting better for Gordon Tietjens. Knighted last month, he lived up to his reputation as the mastermind behind New Zealand's long list of honours when he cleverly changed his team's game plan as the skies opened up over Luzhniki Stadium.

Instead of keeping ball in hand, New Zealand started kicking deep to try and force play inside their opponents' 22, first against Fiji in the semi-finals and then England in the final, with a heavy deluge changing conditions underfoot and turning proceedings into a lottery.

It worked superbly as both Fiji and England capitulated, New Zealand winning the semi-final 17-0 and the final 33-0. They had earlier beaten Wales 26-10 in the quarter-finals, before the heavens opened up.

For a side who had leaked six tries over the first two days, and even come close to being beaten by the US, it was an awesome turnaround adding weight to the All Blacks Sevens aura that on the Sunday of a tournament they are a different breed of men.