The current leaders of the world series, New Zealand, have made an impressive start to the Singapore leg. They won all three pool matches and are now set to face Great Britain in the quarter-finals on Sunday. A victory in this tournament would make them the first team to secure automatic qualification for the Paris Olympics.
New Zealand’s success in Singapore builds on their recent victories, including last weekend’s iconic event in Hong Kong. They started strong on Saturday, defeating Hong Kong China 47-0 in their first match, with Moses Leo and Leroy Carter both scoring doubles in a seven-try display. The second game against Australia was more challenging, but New Zealand emerged as 24-12 winners, boosted by Sione Molia’s brace, who was playing in his 50th world series tournament.
In the crucial match against South Africa, who needed a victory to qualify for the quarter-finals, they initially fell behind with Mfundo Ndhlovu scoring for South Africa. However, Dylan Collier scored a try on the stroke of halftime to level the scores 7-7. The victory was sealed when Cody Vai crossed late in the game, showcasing the talent of the 19-year-old newcomer. This season has been a breakthrough for Vai and other newcomers who have been shining for the New Zealand team, currently sitting 21 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Argentina, after eight rounds of the world series.
Source: rnz.co.nz
