New Zealand 7s vs Germany 7s

Vai's try inside the opening minute extinguished any hope Germany had of building early momentum. New Zealand's relentless kick-chase and line speed meant Germany spent most of the first half pinned inside their own half, and the deficit grew too quickly to recover.

Kitiona Vai — Set the match's trajectory with a charging try inside 60 seconds and was a constant physical threat in the carry.

Ngarohi McGarvey-Black — Added a crucial second try and his distribution kept New Zealand's shape fluid through the middle. Also involved heavily in the earlier win over France.

Roderick Solo — Scored tries in both of New Zealand's matches on day one, including the late winner against France. His finishing in tight space stands out.

Philip Gleitze (Germany) — Led from the front and grabbed a well-earned try at the death, emblematic of a Germany side that played with spirit despite the scoreboard.

New Zealand ended day one with 59 points scored across their two matches (33 v Germany, 26 v France) and just 28 conceded. That points difference — plus the head-to-head win over France — secured them top spot in Pool C. Germany, by contrast, conceded 68 points across their two outings (35-19 to Argentina and 33-7 to New Zealand) but showed enough attacking ambition to suggest they can trouble opponents in the 9th-12th place bracket.

For a Germany side drawn into a brutal pool with New Zealand, Argentina and hosts France, avoiding a whitewash was a minor moral victory — Gleitze's late try ensured they at least got on the board.

New Zealand finished first in Pool C and advanced to the Cup quarter-finals, continuing their pursuit of the HSBC SVNS World Championship title in Bordeaux. They went on to reach the gold medal match, where they ultimately lost 14-5 to France in front of a roaring home crowd on finals day.

Germany, as one of the core HSBC SVNS 1 sides, dropped into the 9th-12th place play-offs, where they faced Kenya in the qualifying quarter-finals, needing results to secure their status for the following season.

Clinical and ruthless when it needed to be. New Zealand's sevens machine ground through a potentially tricky fixture with minimal fuss, and the depth of their squad — with five different try-scorers — bodes well for the knockout rounds. Germany, undermanned but never disheartened, at least left Bordeaux with a moment to remember through their captain's late score.