New Zealand’s Jorja Miller scored a landmark touchdown on an entertaining opening day at BC Place, while Australia’s Maddison Levi added eight to her impressive try tally as she closed in on the retired Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, lying in second on the all-time list.
Miller described her 100th try for the Black Ferns Sevens as an, “awesome achievement” but warned rivals that she, “has not reached her best, yet” as the Black Ferns Sevens, hunting for their eighth Vancouver title, extended their four-year unbeaten run at BC Place by another three matches.
Australia’s Levi, meanwhile, was in scoreboard-shifting mood on day one at Vancouver, scoring two tries in her first outing of the day and three in her second as the two dominant teams in the HSBC SVNS marched into day two with perfect pool records.
POOL A: Landmark moments for Miller and Teneti as New Zealand hit their marks
Kelsey Teneti scored her 50th and 51st HSBC SVNS tries as the Black Ferns Sevens overcame a slow start against a spirited Great Britain side to win 35-5 and get their Vancouver challenge off to the perfect start
After Teneti’s landmark, Jorja Miller registered her 100th touchdown for New Zealand with a brace in their second outing of the day in Vancouver, a thoroughly convincing 43-5 win over Japan to set up a Pool A decider against unbeaten France. Stacey Waaka added a double of her own.
New Zealand made it three from three on day one, and extended their winning streak over fellow semi-final qualifiers France to eight matches with a 38-15 win in the final Pool A match of day one. Jaymie Kolose scored two of the Black Ferns Sevens’ six tries.
France had opened their account with a smart and determined 22-0 win over Japan to kick off their Vancouver challenge in style after ending February’s Perth run with a podium finish.
More suffocating defence as an offensive weapon helped France to a 31-0 lead over Great Britain in their second outing of the day, before Abbie Brown scored the first points of the day against Les Bleues. But Anaick Konyi answered back with a highlight-reel second of her own to take the final score to 38-5.
Japan finished off their day’s work with a 31-7 win over Great Britain.
POOL B: Eight-star Levi lights up BC Place
If Pool A was all about New Zealand and France, Pool B was a tale of Australia and USA.
With Madison Ashby pulling the playmaker strings for Australia in the absence of the rested Teagan Levi, try-machine sister Maddison scored twice in their first outing of the day at BC Place, as they held off a strong Fijian challenge to kick off their tournament with a 34-28.
She added another three in an uncompromising second outing, a statement-setting 26-12 win over hosts Canada to set up a pool decider against fellow unbeaten Pool B side USA.
And there was still time for her to score three more in Australia’s final outing of the day to lead them to a 22-7 win over USA.
Earlier, Su Adegoke’s first-half hat-trick set USA on the way to an early-day crowd-silencing 40-7 win over host nation Canada in an early battle of the Olympic medallists, before Sarah Levy’s last-gasp touchdown settled matters after USA left it late to beat Fiji 26-19 to make it two from two.
Last year’s Vancouver finalists Fijiana got their first win of the day in their final outing, coming from behind against hosts Canada to win 14-12 courtesy of a late converted try from Adi vani Buleki.