PNG sevens shine

THE Export Lager PNG sevens team capped off a successful Commonwealth Games debut when they defeated Canada 17-10 in the bowl final at the Delhi University sports grounds yesterday.
PNG took a 12-5 lead at the break through an Albert Levi double coming off the bench while Eugene Tokavai kicked one conversion.
Sean Duke scored an unconverted try for Canada for a seven point margin at halftime.
Canada were first to score after the break through Justin Mensah-Coker two minutes after the restart reducing the deficit to two 12-10. 
PNG coach Shane Howarth reacted by making several substitutions simultaneously  and injecting some energy into a tiring PNG side.
It proved to be critical a decision as the Pukpuks held strong for the remainder of the match before Tokavai settled the issue scoring on the stroke of fulltime.
The result came on the back off several competitive performances from the side over the two-day event.
PNG exacted some revenge in the bowl semi-final over Tonga beating them 24-5.
Tonga had previously edged out PNG 12-7 in the third place playoff of the Oceania sevens last week in Darwin which cost the Pukpuks a place in the Hong Kong sevens.
This is PNG rugby’s best finish at an international sevens tournament since 2000 when they made the plate quarter-finals of the Hong Kong sevens.
The Delhi Games results would also represent a significant step forward for PNG sevens after disastrous performances at the Wellington and Adelaide sevens earlier this year under former coach and Fijian sevens star Waisale Serevi.
Grouped in pool C, PNG succumbed to Samoa’s experience and size going down 38-17 in their opening fixture on Monday but rebounded with a 56-10 thrashing of Malaysia and giving Kenya some anxious moments before losing 17-15.
In the bowl quarter-finals yesterday PNG beat Sri Lanka 26-12.
Levi was PNG’s top try scorer with seven which included a hat-trick in the quarter-finals while fellow speedsters Tokavai (6), Smith Lakas (4) and Henry Liliket (4) were also impressive.
New Zealand won the gold medal defeating Australia 24-17 in the cup final with the play of the match provided by Sherwin Stowers, who stood up Wallabies winger, and perhaps one of the fastest players in the world, Lachlan Turner, before handing off to Kurt Baker to score the final try after holding a slender 19-17 lead.
In the bronze medal playoff, South Africa kept England scoreless in the second half after trailing 14-5 at the break to win 17-14.