D.J. Forbes scored two first-half tries to lead defending champion New Zealand to a 33-12 win over England and a berth in Tuesday’s Commonwealth Games rugby sevens final against Australia.
James Stannard scored a clinching second-half try for Australia in its 17-7 win over South Africa in the other semi-final.
England and South Africa will play for bronze later Tuesday. Samoa, the 2010 IRB sevens champions, was knocked out in the quarterfinals and will play Scotland in the Plate Final, essentially for fifth place.
Forbes said a recent close encounter with his razor has given him some extra strength.
“It’s a tradition for me to shave it now and again,” Forbes said. “It’s not superstitious; it’s a bit like the old Spartan days of going in to battle. I guess it makes me feel fresh and a bit aerodynamic on the field.”
Earlier Greg Barden scored a first-half try and Ben Gollings converted as 2006 silver medalist England edged the Samoans 7-5 in the quarterfinals. Barden’s try came two minutes after Alatasi Tupou gave Samoa the lead with a try before a boisterous crowd at Delhi University spurred on by a Conquistador-style trumpet recording.
New Zealand beat Wales 31-10, Australia defeated Kenya 27-5 and South Africa beat Scotland 10-7 in the other quarterfinals.
Kurt Baker scored two tries for New Zealand as the Kiwis powered away in the second half with 21 points against the Welsh.
“It was good we got stuck in, we did well,” Tomasi Cama said of his team’s second-half surge.
Richie Pugh said his Welsh side couldn’t keep pace.
“Day two of a competition is always going to be a tough day,” Pugh said. “In the end New Zealand just ran us off the park. I think we lacked some experience. We had a couple of new boys in there today.”
Missing from the tournament was perennial Sevens powerhouse Fiji, which has been suspended by the Commonwealth for political reasons and was ineligible to compete.
Rugby sevens will be on the Olympic program for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
