Update: 11:11PM An injury-depleted New Zealand Sevens team have showed serious stamina to overcome Samoa 24-21 with a try in the final seconds of the Dubai Sevens quarterfinals.
New Zealand were down to eight-and-a-half fit players for their quarterfinal after captain Scott Curry, Tim Mikkelson and Regan Ware all fell on day one.
Curry spent the night in hospital after popping his shoulder, while Mikkelson suffered a head knock in the opening match against France, and Ware hurt his ankle against Portugal.
Because of the injury woes a familiar name led the team out as captain against Samoa, DJ Forbes stepping back into the role he had given up at the start of the season. Forbes was only half fit himself, nursing an apparent knee niggle.
Gillies Kaka, a pre-tournament injury replacement for Beaudein Waaka, kicked deep from the start, showing the need for territory over possession given the lack of numbers sitting on the bench.
Regaining possession with strong work at the ruck inside Samoa’s 22m, New Zealand capitalised as Joe Webber made a break before Kaka launched onto an offload and dotted down.
Sherwin Stowers then darted up the right touchline to score his side’s second of the day with two minutes left in the half.
Samoa scored from the restart, Tila Mealoi recovering a short kick up the middle before speeding home under the posts.
Samoa again won the aerial battle at the restart but this time New Zealand regathered to win possession before clearing up field.
Kaka then provided Webber with the easiest of tries, bursting through the defence before feeding within touching distance of the line.
Tired legs started to show for New Zealand with less than three minutes remaining as Samoa tore up the left flank to score through Samoa Toloa, then Toloa was over for his second straight from the restart, this time to the right of the uprights.
With time up and the hooter having sounded, New Zealand gave all they had to run the length of the field to regain the lead through Dylan Collier, sending them into the cup semifinals.
Webber and standout Sam Dickson led the charge with strong runs up each flank, before Dickson found Collier with open pasture between him and the line.
New Zealand face Fiji in the Dubai Sevens semifinals, while England will face the United States.
The USA stunned South Africa’s Blitz Boks 21-19 in the fourth quarterfinal to begin their season by taking the scalps of both New Zealand and South Africa.
