Dubai: Fiji carried forward their momentum from last week's IRB HSBC Sevens World Series opening stage win on Australia's Gold Coast by qualifying top of Pool A on day two of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens.
Victory over Argentina 40-7, UAE 43-0 and Samoa 31-14 secured their safe path out of the group and into tomorrow's Cup quarter-finals.
Argentina, who earlier drew 28-28 with Samoa, finished surprise runners-up in the group on points difference after beating UAE a resounding 73-7 to leave the Samoans — twice Dubai Sevens runners-up — to contest in today's bowl competition. Hosts the UAE join them after finishing fourth with three defeats.
Wales topped Pool D thanks to a euphoric 33-14 win over Australia after relatively close games against Scotland 14-7 and Canada 15-12. Australia finished second thanks to earlier wins against Canada 40-7 and Scotland 24-12. Scotland's 19-14 victory over Canada ensured they took third.
Fiji will now face Australia, while Argentina take on Wales in their Cup quarter-finals. Samoa face Canada and the UAE will play Scotland in the Bowl.
South Africa won Pool B, finishing ahead of New Zealand thanks to a 21-5 win against the defending series champions. That split the giants in the group after both had earlier seen off Portugal and USA with ease.
Portugal's narrow 12-10 win over the USA, meanwhile, sorted the men from the boys in the lower half of that pool. Finally in Pool C, last year's Dubai Sevens champions England beat France 29-12 in the final international men's match of the day to top the group.
With both European outfits having earlier brushed off rivals Zimbabwe and Kenya, this last tie of the night decided the table-toppers, while an earlier match-up of the African nations went in Zimbabwe's favour 21-5, to leave Kenya bottom.
Kenya now face Portugal, while Zimbabwe take on the USA in today's other Bowl quarter-finals. South Africa, meanwhile, face France, while England have an unenviable showdown with New Zealand in the other set of Cup quarter-finals.
