The Black Ferns Sevens have booked their place in the Sydney Sevens semi-finals after beating Japan for the second time in one day.
New Zealand had scored 77 points and only conceded 12 across their first two pools games, before playing Japan in the final round-robin match on Saturday morning.
After beating Japan 27-12, the Black Ferns secured their place in the knockout rounds where they’d face… Japan, again.
But this time they were even more dominant, as they recorded an emphatic 33-nil victory at Allianz Stadium.
Sevens veteran Michaela Blyde set the tone from the opening minute with a try, and the women in black added another seven points to their lead shortly after.
Along with Blyde, four players crossed the try-line in the quarterfinal including Jorja Miller, Stacey Flihler and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.
It’s an interesting curveball in the race for this seasons World Series crown, with Australia having been knocked out by France two games earlier.
New Zealand were already four points ahead of their fierce rivals on the World Series standings, but can separate themselves from the pack even more with a win in Sydney.
Sevens star Blyde said that while the Australians would be disappointed to lose at home, the Black Ferns need to make the most of this “opportunity.”
“Obviously it’s gutting for them being at home, but that’s the beauty of sevens,” Blyde told RugbyPass.
“You’ve just got no idea who’s gonna turn up on the day and you have to turn up, no matter if it’s your home, quarters, first pool game.
“Obviously it’s an opportunity for us to get some good points ahead of them.”
Blyde walked off the field with an icepack – insisting it was only for recovery – and appeared firmly focused on the job that awaits her team on Day Three.
While Australia’s elimination is shocking, and could potentially bode well for New Zealand’s pursuit of a World Series title, Blyde insisted that her side won’t “get too far ahead of ourselves.”
“We’ve got to focus on our semi-final first,” she added.
“We’ve got a big game against Ireland, they’re looking extremely fit, they love to move the ball around.
“We’re not going to get complacent we’re not going to get too far ahead of ourselves; what’s most important is our semi-final tomorrow.”
The Black Ferns Sevens will play Ireland in the Cup semi-finals on Sunday afternoon, with the match set to kick off around 3.44pm (AEDT).
