The young Digicel Fiji 7s team rallied hard in the second spell but were not able to overcome their old nemesis New Zealand falling short 21-31 in the IRB 2007-2008 Series Dubai final.

Trailing 0-21 at the break after tries by Zar Lawrence (2) and Nigel Hunt, Gordon Tietjens' men stretched that advantage to 26-0 when Steven Yates crossed after Neumi Nanuku became the second Fijian player to be sin-binned in the final.

Not to be outdone the Digicel Fiji 7s team threw caution to the wind, attacking from everywhere and were rewarded Nanuku, Vereniki Goneva and Akuila Nawerecagi touched down to cut the deficit to five with little more than a minute remaining.

However there was to be no fairytale fourth try for the Digicel Fiji 7s team, that instead going to New Zealand when Yates rounded off a move in which they appeared to have knocked on, clinching a 31-21 victory.

Earlier on in the semi-final Fiji accounted for England 22-21 in a close encounter while New Zealand defeated South Africa 12-7 in the other semi-final. Fiji had done well in the pool games coming out at the top of their Pool B with a clean slate having won all three games.

Meanwhile the Plate went to Pool B runners-up Argentina who defeated Samoa 15-14, the Bowl to Australia after overcoming a brave Canadian outfit 31-0 with Zimbabwe coming away with the Shield after defeating Tunisia 22-19.




Pool A                                                                                                                                                                                          
New Zealand 41 Scotland 5, France 26 Arabian Gulf 0, New Zealand 64 Arabian Gulf 0, France 12 Scotland 17, Scotland 27 Arabian 5, New Zealand 21 France 19             

Pool B  
Fiji 31 Argentina 19, Australia 28 Zimbabwe 21, Fiji 34 Zimbabwe 5, Australia 12 Argentina 19, Argentina 12 Zimbabwe 7, Fiji 46 Australia 12   

Pool C  
Samoa 24 Kenya 19, Wales 22 USA 7, Samoa 29 USA 0, Wales 12 Kenya 14, Kenya 12 USA 7, Samoa 19 Wales 14             

Pool D  
South Africa 31 Canada 5, England 27 Tunisia 12, South Africa 42 Tunisia 0, England 24 Canada 24, Canada 24 Tunisia 19, South Africa 22 England 10

SHIELD
Semifinals                                                                           
Zimbabwe 29 USA 17, Tunisia 36 Arabian Gulf 0
Final                                                                                                           
Zimbabwe 22 Tunisia 19  

BOWL
Quarterfinals                              
France 24 Zimbabwe 19, Canada 21 USA 12, Wales 17 Tunisia 12, Australia 36 Arabian Gulf 5              
Semifinals
France 5 Canada 21, Wales 19 Australia 22
Final   
Canada 0 Australia 31  

PLATE
Semifinals
Argentina 17 Kenya 14, Samoa 28 Scotland 19
Final   
Argentina 15 Samoa 14  
 
CUP
Quarterfinals
New Zealand 40 Argentina 7, South Africa 17 Kenya 15, England 26 Samoa 19, Fiji 28 Scotland 5                            
Semifinals
New Zealand 12 South Africa 7, England 21 Fiji 22
Final
New Zealand 31 Fiji 21