It’s business as usual despite bumpy passage for All Blacks Sevens
New Zealand top their group - as they usually do - but it was far from plain sailing
Let the records forever show that New Zealand did what they always seem to do - top their qualifying group at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
But the fine print - and the memories for those inside Hong Kong Stadium - will forever reveal they did so only after the unthinkable almost happened as Portugal missed a chance after the buzzer that would have shaken up the sevens playing world, instead settling for a 24-24 tie that regardless sent a tremor through the game's very foundations.
The All Blacks Sevens rode their luck as Nuno Guedes' conversion attempt sailed wide, then they regrouped and got their act together later in the day against Australia, grinding their way to a 14-5 win inspired by teenage sensation Rieko Ioane's two tries.
Last year's winners will awake on Sunday with a quarter-final clash against Argentina looming - and perhaps the words of coach Gordon Tietjens still ringing in their ears.
We defended really badly [against Portugal] and missed so many tackles and it cost us. We were probably a bit lucky to get away with the draw. But we got it together against a good Australian team
He is about as measured as a man can get, in public, but you were left at the end of the day's play thinking Tietjens had let his charges know what he thought about that game against Portugal, in no uncertain terms.
"We were pretty disappointed with the morning's effort," he said. "We defended really badly and missed so many tackles and it cost us. We were probably a bit lucky to get away with the draw. But we got it together against a good Australian team.
