Blitzboks fall at the final hurdle in Sydney as rampant New Zealand crowned champions

A dominant performance in which they never relinquished control handed New Zealand an emphatic 38-0 win over the Blitzboks in the final of the Sydney Sevens.

Both sides started the final nervously, with several knock-ons stopping any attacking momentum.

New Zealand opened the scoring in the 3rd minute with a long-range effort in which Roderick Solo stepped two South African defenders to gallop away and score a converted try under the posts for a 7-0 lead.

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Joe Webber then scored a second as he crashed over from a scrum close to the Blitzboks' line.

Akuila Rokolisoa added the conversion for a 12-0 lead.

That became 17-0 at half-time after Sam Dickson got over in the right-hand corner well after the hooter had sounded.

South Africa would need a monumental effort to get back into the encounter, but New Zealand kept control by starving the Blitzboks of any meaningful possession.

When South Africa did launch a promising attack from deep, they were undone by a knock-on which snubbed out any momentum they had hoped to build in search of their first score.

New Zealand had a chance to put the match to bed when they launched a break out from their try-line, but Rokolisoa knocked on with no South African defenders in sight.

?? New Zealand has taken over #Sydney7s!@nz_sevens are your CHAMPIONS with a massive 38-0 win over South Africa! ????#HSBC7s pic.twitter.com/vrJHLXxrpi

New Zealand put the Blitzboks under immense pressure from the resulting scrum, allowing Rokolisoa to kick through, collect and score.

He added the extras as New Zealand opened up a 24-0 lead with just two minutes left in the final.

New Zealand's domination continued as Amanaki Nicol scored a converted try