Argentina 7s vs New Zealand 7s

Early in the second half, a yellow card reduced New Zealand to six players. Argentina capitalised immediately when a deliberate infringement prevented a certain try, earning a penalty try that cut the deficit to 17-14.

But New Zealand demonstrated their composure. Playing a man down, Rokolisoa produced a moment of individual brilliance, stepping through Argentina's defensive line to score his second try and restore a ten-point lead. He converted his own score to make it 24-14.

Argentina refused to fold. Luciano Arrieta found a gap late in the match to drag Los Pumas back to 24-21 with Vera Feld's conversion keeping them within a converted try. But New Zealand held firm in the final exchanges, snuffing out Argentina's last attack.

Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand 7s) — Two tries and a conversion in a match-winning performance. His footwork in the second half, particularly when New Zealand were down to six, was decisive.

Marcos Moneta (Argentina 7s) — The superstar winger scored his fifth try of the weekend with a breathtaking solo effort from halfway, exploiting a gap in the All Blacks defence that only he could see. He finished the tournament with a hat-trick against Uruguay in the ninth-place semi to reach 199 career tries.

Santiago Vera Feld (Argentina 7s) — Flawless off the tee with two conversions from two attempts, keeping Argentina in touch throughout.

Player of the match: Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand 7s)

New Zealand's 54% possession and 43 passes to Argentina's 26 reflect their control of the game's tempo. The All Blacks Sevens won all 13 of their rucks (100% success) compared to Argentina's 77% (7 from 9), a decisive edge in the breakdown. Argentina's discipline told in the turnover count (5 conceded to NZ's 1) and a yellow card against New Zealand produced the penalty try that briefly swung momentum. Yet the All Blacks struck for four tries to three and held Argentina scoreless for long stretches of the second half. NZ's 2/4 conversion rate was their only inefficiency.

The result sent New Zealand through to the Cup quarter-finals as Pool C winners, where they beat Great Britain 24-5 before losing to France in the gold medal match. For Argentina, defeat meant elimination from the top-eight knockout phase — they finished 9th with a 26-17 win over Uruguay in the ninth-place semi. The result also confirmed South Africa as HSBC SVNS World Champions for 2026, as Argentina and Australia both failed to reach the semi-finals.

New Zealand delivered when it mattered most, showing composure through a yellow-card spell to knock out a dangerous Argentina side. Rokolisoa's double was the difference between a comfortable win and a nail-biter, but the All Blacks Sevens will know they let Los Pumas claw back twice — a vulnerability that ultimately cost them in the final against France.