Perth SVNS: Top dogs Australia and New Zealand cruise into semis
01/25/2025 10:38 AM
DAY TWO WRAP: Hosts Australia and Olympic champions New Zealand on course for a possible final match-up on Australia Day – but France and Canada will want to upset the odds.
Hosts Australia will take on Canada in the last four on Australia Day, after recording convincing wins over France and Japan on day two in front of their home fans in Perth.
Les Bleues, meanwhile, with third-place finishes to their name in Dubai and Cape Town, managed what their male counterparts could not as they booked a third semifinal place in as many stops on this year's HSBC SVNS tour despite that early setback.
They will face New Zealand, who cruised past China in their quarterfinal after putting 50 on the board against Japan in their final pool match.
France pick themselves up from Australia defeat to reach the last four
France recovered from a thumping error-strewn pool match defeat against Australia earlier in the day to book a semi-final place with an efficient 19-7 win over USA.
Anne-Cecile Ciofani scored twice – taking her HSBC Sevens Series total to 10 this year – and Alycia Chrystiaens added one more as Les Bleues maintained their run to the last four of every tournament to date.
Ariana Ramsey responded for USA with her fifth touchdown in Perth, with the prolific Nia Toliver conspicuously kept on the bench throughout.
Five-star Canada take last semifinal spot
Canada ended a run of three quarter-final defeats in the HSBC SVNS with a 27-5 win over Brazil.
Mahalia Robinson, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Olivia Apps, Florence Symonds and Carmen Izyk all got their names on the scoreboard for the Olympic silver medalists, while Thalia Costa scored Brazil's consolation.
It was her third try of the day, after her double helped consign Ireland to a 26-5 defeat in the pool phase.
Earlier, USA and Canada had served up an enthralling match of to-and-fro, full of drama and tension. A second-half double for Piper Logan and a race-away Carissa Norsten score at the death decided the result 21-7 in Canada's favour.
2024 champions Ireland to face Spain for 11th place
Last year's Perth champions Ireland – fielding a much changed and much more inexperienced side from the one that lifted the trophy in 2024 – will face Spain for 11th place on Sunday, after losing their ninth-place play-off against Fiji 24-7.
Spain had earlier lost 14-0 against China in their final pool match.
In the ninth-place final Fiji, will take on Great Britain for a second time in Perth, after Gisele Mather's charges beat Spain 21-5, after a scoreless second half, thanks to a first-half brace from Lauren Torley and another score for Ellie Boatman – her fourth in Perth and 18th on the HSBC SVNS series so far.
The two ninth-place play-off finalists had met earlier on the second day, with Great Britain easing to a 27-14 win, their first of the weekend in Australia.
Day Two Results:
Great Britain 24-14 Fiji
United States 7-21 Canada
Ireland 5-26 Brazil
New Zealand 53-5 Japan
China 14-0 Spain
France 5-40 Australia
Ninth-place semifinals:
Fiji 24-7 Ireland
Great Britain 21-5 Spain
Quarterfinals:
USA 7-19 France
New Zealand 29-0 China
Australia 35-0 Japan
Canada 27-5 Brazil
Sunday, January 26
Day Three Schedule
(Kick-off is local time – GMT plus eight hours)
11th Place Play-off
Ireland v Spain (13.52)
9th Place Play-off
Fiji v Great Britain (14.36)
Cup Semifinals
France v New Zealand (15.49)
Australia v Canada (16.11)
7th Place play-off
Brazil v China (17.05)
5th Place play-off
USA v Japan (17.49)
3rd Place Play-off
TBC v TBC (19.03)
Cup Final
TBC v TBC (20.11)
