New Zealand 7s vs Great Britain 7s

Great Britain started brightly, with Darcy Graham — recalled after injury — and Lloyd-Gilmour enjoying early possession. But the turnover that led to Solo's opening try shifted momentum decisively. New Zealand's defensive line, described by the official SVNS report as "an unpassable All Black wall," absorbed everything Great Britain threw at them. The All Blacks Sevens held GB scoreless for 12 minutes of the 14-minute contest, by which point the quarter-final was decided.

Brady Rush (New Zealand 7s) — Player of the match. Two tries, including his 50th career SVNS try. Also provided the assist for Vai's score with a looping pass that broke the GB defensive line. His 22 carries, 12 defenders beaten and 2 clean breaks (per match stats) told the story of a dominant attacking display.

Roderick Solo (New Zealand 7s) — Opened the scoring with his 40th career try and carved up the left edge all afternoon. His footwork and finishing set the tone in the first minute.

Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand 7s) — Converted 2 of 4 attempts (Rush's first and second tries) and marshalled the backline with composure. Also made key defensive reads.

Ben Salmon (Great Britain 7s) — Scored GB's only try and was one of their most dangerous ball-carriers, beating multiple defenders in a losing cause.

The stats from the match reflect New Zealand's clinical edge rather than total dominance. Possession was virtually even (49% NZL, 51% GBR), but the All Blacks Sevens made it count where it mattered. NZL beat 12 defenders to GB's 5, completed 5 clean breaks to GB's 1, and conceded just 2 turnovers to GB's 5. The tackle count was lopsided (22 NZL, 12 GBR) — a product of New Zealand's superior territory management rather than defensive frailty. GB's 6 penalties conceded (to NZL's 1) repeatedly killed their attacking momentum.

NZL converted 2 of 4 conversion attempts; GBR failed with their only attempt after Salmon's try. The scoreline of 24-5, built on four tries to one, accurately reflected a performance where New Zealand's finishing quality and defensive structure were the decisive differences.

New Zealand advanced to the Cup semi-finals at the SVNS World Championship Series finale in Bordeaux, where they faced Spain on Sunday 7 June. The win kept them on track for a potential final against Australia or hosts France.

For Great Britain, the defeat ended their tournament and, as noted in the match broadcast, confirmed their relegation from the top-flight HSBC SVNS Series. Despite squad reinforcements including Scotland's Darcy Graham, they could not replicate their opening-day upset of South Africa.

New Zealand entered the quarter-finals having topped Pool C with wins over France (26-21) and Argentina (24-21), while Great Britain reached the last eight by beating South Africa (19-14) and Kenya (14-5) in Pool A.

New Zealand's quality in the decisive moments was the story — four tries, two of them from Rush, delivered with the composure of a side chasing a second consecutive SVNS World Championship Series tournament win. Great Britain, brave in defence but blunt in attack for long stretches, simply could not breach the black wall until it was far too late.