Australia beat Fiji 20-17 to win the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens on Sunday, denying the Fijians a sixth consecutive title.
It has been 34 years since Australia gained the title, again in 1988 when David Campese and Michael Lynagh helped the group defeat New Zealand.
Fiji began the stronger aspect, leaping out to an early 12-0 lead by Josua Vakurunabili and Waisea Nacuqu, and appeared assured of constructing on its 36-game profitable streak in Hong Kong.
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However Henry Hutchison replied for Australia to cut back the deficit to 12-5 on the break. The second half began with one other Australia rating courtesy of Tim Clements earlier than Nacuqu replied for Fiji to increase the hole as soon as once more.
However a yellow card to Fiji’s Joseva Talacolo appeared to swing the match in Australia’s favor with Hutchison touching down a short while later to shut the hole to 17-15.
Nathan Lawson accomplished the comeback after sprinting down the left flank to the touch down on the nook flag within the dying seconds to safe gold in an exhilarating closing.
Earlier, France beat Samoa 19-17 within the Bronze closing and Argentina shut out the US 36-0 within the Plate closing.
After an unbeaten document in pool play, Fiji beat South Africa 12-7 in a quarterfinal and Samoa 19-7 in a bruising all-Pacific semifinal to achieve the ultimate for the seventh time in eight editions of the oldest event within the World Sequence.
Australia, in the meantime, gained each its quarter-final and semi-final after full-time, counting on Maurice Longbottom for the profitable rating in each matches.
Longbottom scored the match-winning strive after the fulltime siren in Australia’s 26-19 quarterfinal win over Eire, then kicked a penalty in extra-time to offer Australia an exhilarating 8-7 win over France in its semifinal.
Fiji was spectacular in its semifinal win over previously-unbeaten Samoa however ended up falling simply brief to an impressed Australia squad enjoying in its first Hong Kong closing since 1994.
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