Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: England win the London Sevens in thriller against New Zealand

Thursday, May 28, 2009

England win the London Sevens in thriller against New Zealand

England won the home leg of the IRB World Sevens Series at Twickenham in London on Sunday with a thrilling 31-26 victory over New Zealand in a classic final that went to sudden death extra time.

In front of a festive home crowd, the England side staged a miraculous comeback with three quick fire tries after being 19-0 down at half time. Tries from Uche Oduoza, Micky Young, and James Rodwell pulled things back after New Zealand had flown ahead early on, thanks to a Kurt Baker try, and two from Julien Savea.

At 19-19 and with little time left in the match, the ever impressive Zar Lawrence crossed for the try that looked like breaking English hearts.

An inspired substitution by English coach Ben Ryan meant that the flying youngster Dan Norton came on and with his first touch of the ball, gassed the New Zealand defence to score a classic try and keep the home side in the match.

Three minutes into extra time, Mickey Young darted over for the winning try, capping a sensational final that will live long in the memory of those who turned out at Twickenham to support this fantastic shortened version of the game.

"We never gave up believing in ourselves even though we were 19-0 down at half time," said England coach Ben Ryan. "We knew we had a mountain to climb, New Zealand had their tails up and we hadn't been making progress.

"In the second half we allowed ourselves to breathe a bit more in attack and tightened up our defence. Then we brought on Dan Norton and that was that."

Would you like to see Rugby Sevens in the Olympics?

Show your support by signing the petition at Olympic-Rugby.org now!

I love how the highlights video of a sevens match is nearly half the match itself.

Way to go England; they've had quite the Series this year, huh.

By Pipopo, at May 29, 2009 12:32 am
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By Anonymous, at May 29, 2009 12:42 am
To the brainless anonymous above.
Winning a sevens championship is a major achievement. Competition is tougher than in any other form of rugby, as there are even more top countries.
Fiji, Kenya,Tonga etc have first class national sides when they are crap in Union.
If you've watched a rugby sevens game you also notice the huge physicality of that game and the great spectacle it provides.
So from a frenchman who has every reason to hate the English : kudos to you

By Jean, at May 29, 2009 1:29 am
cant believe gloucester let dan norton go! absolutely gutted, he never even got a run in the firsts. thats gonna be another regret, well done DR!

By caucau's no.1 fan, at May 29, 2009 2:53 am
cant believe gloucester let dan norton go! absolutely gutted, he never even got a run in the firsts. thats gonna be another regret, well done DR!

By caucau's no.1 fan, at May 29, 2009 2:53 am
pretty amazing comeback by england especially with the kiwis looking so strong early on

By Anonymous, at May 29, 2009 5:08 am
Well done England from an Irishman. Whoever beats the kiwis is alright in my book;)

By Anonymous, at May 29, 2009 8:23 am
Norton has got some real toe! I loved watching him scorch down that touchline.

Just a mention for Vickerman who hooked the ball against the head in the last scrum to give Young the try.

Steve

By Anonymous, at May 29, 2009 10:55 am
great come back from england

congrats to them

By Flooz, at May 29, 2009 11:25 am
Great game to see. In Portugal the tv chanell Sporttv broadcasts the IRB Sevens Tournaments, and a lot of people see it, even those who do not like XV Rugby. Great promotion to the game.

By Anonymous, at May 29, 2009 12:31 pm
You gotta love sevens what a great sport

By Jakjak, at May 29, 2009 12:43 pm
Amazing match.. that Norton try was superb.

There was a comment on here (its been removed now) stating that nobody cares about Sevens. From my point of view, if you have that attitude, you're completely ignorant.

Some of the best players we've ever seen started and were spotted playing Sevens. Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen, Campo, even Brent Russell.. they all made a name for themselves on the Sevens stage and then made it in Fifteens. So to slate Sevens is ridiculous.. It's not opposition to fifteens - it's the breeding ground for it.

Cheers for the highlights, and well done Eng

By Shaft, at May 29, 2009 1:02 pm
What a come back by england i was at twickers for the finals day and the atmosphere was fantasic, the reaction of the crowd when england got it back to 19-19 was like nothing ive ever heard before its almost 6 days later and i still have no voice lol

By ryebye, at May 29, 2009 1:10 pm
Great tries, great come back from england, U gotta love rugby7s this game..

By adrian, at May 29, 2009 1:28 pm
Congrats England. A win like that, at home, must be huge. Pay attention to Portugal Rugby in Sctoland this weekend. We will beat fiji and australia.

By Anonymous, at May 29, 2009 2:16 pm
Very enjoyable watching the Kiwi's lose

By Anonymous, at May 29, 2009 3:14 pm
What a great game. Coming back from 19-0 ? Damn.

By EARugbyFan, at May 29, 2009 7:13 pm
I played sevens against Dan Norton at the POW in Cheltenham about 2 months ago. He's not very good, in fact, pretty average, how the hell he's in the national sevens team is beyond me.

By Toppsy, at May 29, 2009 11:13 pm
that adouza is ramming the roids in him :D

By magret, at May 30, 2009 12:11 am
Mickey Young will play for the England senior side

By Anonymous, at May 30, 2009 12:53 am
paloupiloudifioudoudou

By trochtafreskofru, at May 30, 2009 1:13 am
Bad season for AB 7's. Knocked out by Kenya in Hong Kong, lost in the final against England in Wellington in their own turf.
England has been brilliant. Knocked by eventual winner Fiji in HK, won in Twickers and Wellington.
Brilliant team work.
Rugby 7's for Olympic!!

By Anonymous, at May 30, 2009 5:26 am
I've got a feeling I'm going to get slated for this, but forget 15 a side, it all about 7's!

Greatest sport on earth, get it in the olympics so we (England) can win a gold!

Let the slating commence...

By Anonymous, at May 30, 2009 12:36 pm
This would be something to show the Olympics committee to make a case for 7s. And if they need more evidence pretty much any final from the last few years would be fine.

Cheers RD!

By gfhmon, at May 30, 2009 9:28 pm
Here here mate, and a team of people from Britain, often thought what the lions sevens team would be like, we may soon find out!

By Anonymous, at May 30, 2009 11:15 pm
Message to Toppsy about the POW sevens....it was a joke tournament and I was out on the lash with Dan until bout 4 in the morning the night before he didn't want to be there he was doing a favour for a mate...when u score a try like that under those cirumstances then u can comment....

By Anonymous, at June 01, 2009 12:16 am
i went to school with micky young - couple of years younger than him- and its amazing to have seen the transformation from him training on the playgroup to that spectacular final! the whole england team did amazing to come back from 19-0. It was a cracking tournement especialy when you see small rugby nations such as kenya and portugal playing, 7's is one of the only sports you can see these kind of specticals and should deffinaly be allowed into the olyimpics, after all it is a sport for true atheletes!

By michael, at June 01, 2009 4:27 pm
it would be brilliant if sevens were enterred into the olympics, helping to spread the coverage of this already popular sport throughout the world and hopefully boosting the awareness that rugby is not about fighting and "doggy piles"!

as for the british sevens team... this is an excellant idea, so long as we dont do the same as the australians in the commonwealth games and fill it with 15 man superstars, strictly sevens maestros please!

By Lloyd, at August 03, 2009 8:37 pm
I was at twickers that day, and from 19-0 down nobody saw england getting back after seeing the all blacks play so well all day. After dan nortons try the atmosphere was electric, and when young crossed in the corner the place went mad, one of the best rugby atmospheres ive ever experienced!

By Joe M, at April 23, 2010 6:29 pm