LONDON (AP) Fiji failed to reach a sevens rugby world series quarterfinals for the first time in more than three years after it lost to New Zealand 27-21 in pool play in the London leg at Twickenham on Saturday.
Fiji lost its pool opener to Canada 22-19, for which John Moonlight scored the late winning try, and had to beat New Zealand to advance.
In a thriller, New Zealand led 12-0, Fiji was up 14-12 by halftime, New Zealand raced away again to 22-14, and Fiji closed within one point. Then New Zealand’s Jesse Houston fended off a defender to score in the right corner to make the result safe.