CELEBRATIONS: The Australian Qantas Men’s Sevens team featuring Berry’s Will Miller (top row, fifth from left) after the team’s win over Scotland in the plate final at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, the fourth round of the 2012/13 HSBC Sevens World Series. Photo: IRB/MARTIN SERAS LIMA.
THE Australian Qantas Men’s Sevens team, which features Berry’s Will Miller, has collected the plate title at the Wellington Sevens with a strong 22-7 win over Scotland in the final.
The team then backed up with a shield win in Las Vegas last weekend.
The plate win was the best the Australian team has performed since starting the tournament on the Gold Coast in October 2012.
Held on February 1 and 2, round four of the series saw Australia in pool D.
Australia played its first game against Portugal, which it won 24-5. In its second pool game, Australia had an easy win over Scotland 29-5.
Australia then came up against the hosts New Zealand in the quarter final of the cup.
New Zealand was just too strong, beating Australia 24-5.
Australia bounced back from the loss with a 28-12 win over South Africa in the plate semi-final, setting them up for a final showdown and a second clash across the weekend with Scotland.
Australia opened the bowl final with a dominant first-half performance, taking advantage of having the majority of possession.
When the half-time whistle went the Australians found themselves with a commanding 17-nil lead.
Both sides traded possession in the latter stages of the game before a break to Australia in the final minute led to a try and the Australians securing the 22-7 win.
The tournament was eventually won by England, who defeated Kenya 24-19 in a nail-biting cup final.
Round five of the HSBC Sevens World Series was held in Las Vegas last weekend. Australia claimed the shield in emphatic fashion, securing a 41-0 win over Uruguay on day three of the tournament.
The Australians found themselves contesting the shield after leaving the pool stage with just one win from three, and falling to England in the bowl quarter-final 26-21.
Earlier on the final day, the Australians defeated Kenya 38-7 to advance to the shield final.
The Australians emerged from pool play in third place, following a win over the United States and losses to Samoa and Spain.
While the Qantas Men’s Sevens added to the series points tally it could not move up the table, sitting 11th in the rankings.
Australia will return to action on the HSBC Sevens World Series in Hong Kong on March 22 to 24.