Rugby
Australia win Oceana Sevens
2010-10-02 16:38
Darwin - Australia underlined their Commonwealth Games gold medal credentials by outgunning world series champions Samoa 34-12 to win the Oceania Sevens Championships in Darwin on Saturday.
The Australians over-ran the IRB’s number one ranked side in an exciting final and will head to New Delhi on Tuesday confident of bettering Australia’s best Games result of third place achieved in 1998.
Returning Sevens star Luke Morahan scored a double in the final and forward Jesse Parahi also crossed for two tries in Australia’s six-tries-to-two romp.
The victory also ended Australia’s run of four losses against Samoa this year.
Australia completed the tournament undefeated after also accounting for Tahiti 51-0 and Tonga 24-5 on Saturday's final day.
Player of the tournament Morahan said the Oceania Sevens victory was a good hit out before the Games.
"I think that’s the first time that I have ever beaten Samoa, but they’re only going to get better in a big tournament and we’re going to have to contend with New Zealand as well," Morahan said.
"I definitely think we’ve proven we’re medal contenders in Delhi."
After top performances at the Darwin tournament, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea and Tonga have qualified to compete at the Adelaide and Wellington Sevens events in the 2011 IRB Sevens World Series, while third-placed Tonga will also compete in Hong Kong.