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Friday, 2 August, 2002, 13:22 GMT 14:22 UK
Your sevens reactions
New Zealand beat five-man Fiji 33-15 to win rugby sevens gold.
Were Fiji hard done by?
This debate is now closed.
New Zealand justified their status as pre-tournament favourites but were pushed all the way by a resilient Fijian team.
In a bruising encounter, the Fijians lost Saisi Fuli early in the second half for a late tackle on Mils Muliana and finished the game with only five players on the field.
Your correspondent Dave Godwyn may feel that the ref was disgraceful. (I agree.) But does that justify him accusing NZ of cheating. NZ win because they are good. Not very sporting yourself, Dave.
Sorry guys, but amidst a wonderful Commonwealth Games, my longest memory will be the embarrassment I felt at being a rugby union (and in particular a rugby sevens) fan at the end of the final.
I hope the referee of the final isn't at the Middlesex sevens! It spoilt what had been a wonderful Saturday of entertaining rugby. What rulebook was he using, and what timezone was he in?
As a New Zealander, I would have liked the Fijian to stay on the field, because Fiji looked like giving us a work-out. Fiji were treated harshly, and deserved a well-earned silver.
But NZ had better discipline, which was especially necessary with this harsh referee. That's part of being a champion team. (Wasn't it great when Samoa beat Australia!)
There should be an adaptation to the yellow card rule for sevens. Three or four minutes in the bin would have been a more appropriate penalty for Saisi Fuli's late tackle.
It was a tough decision on Fiji. Hard luck guys - you'll get them again.
I'm glad I had tickets for the rugby sevens quarter-finals and not the final because I would demand my money back. The referee was obviously bribed by New Zealand because they got away with murder but every time Fiji did anything wrong they were hit with the most serious punishment possible for the offence.
It was a total disgrace to rugby!
The ref was harsh. He never gave Fiji an inch of a chance.
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