LOS ANGELES -- New Zealand has successfully defended its throne in the 2023 HSBC Los Angeles Sevens. After beating Fiji in the Cup Final in 2022, the All Blacks weathered a late storm against Argentina to win 22-12 in the Cup Final on Sunday.
After the opening four minutes passed by in an attempt-to-control-possession battle, New Zealand broke the deadlock first.
The All Blacks won the ball off an Argentine infraction near their own try zone, then they moved the ball from the right side to the left that led to Moses Leo running it all the way down nearly the full length of the field to make it 5-0 after a missed conversion. The speedy Marcos Moneta nearly caught up, but it wasn't enough.
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It went from bad to worse for Argentina from there. Moneta had to be replaced after a rough tackle, which saw New Zealand get the ball back. The All Blacks then added two more tries from Leroy Carter -- the first a deep run from the left flank, then another long one from the right side. It was 17-0 at halftime.
Argentina responded well out of the gate, scoring a try via Tobias Wade in the opening two minutes to make it 17-7 without Moneta, their best player. But Moneta returned with three minutes to go to spice up the game, with Agustin Fraga scoring a try the subsequent minute to slice the lead to 17-12 after a missed conversion.
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But the All Blacks managed to hang on late and added one more try to its score with five seconds to go, courtesy of Brady Rush. They had worked the ball up the field down the left-hand side, but an errant pass nearly saw Argentina retain possession. However, New Zealand recovered the loose ball first, leading to Rush circling home.
The win gives New Zealand its second straight gold medal in the 2022-23 table as well, having won in Sydney last time out to claim all 22 points. The All Blacks' extended their lead atop the table in the hunt for automatic qualification to the 2024 Paris Games. They came into Los Angeles in first place with 85 points, nine ahead of second-place South Africa, but are now even higher heading to Vancouver, Canada for the next tournament from March 3-5.
Argentina claimed silver, good for 19 points and a spot in the top four after entering the tournament in sixth place with 67 points. Fiji won bronze by beating Australia in the third-place game and added 17 points to its tally. The Flying Fijians came into the weekend in fifth place, also with 67 points but possessing the advantage over Argentina on points differential.
