Samoa have moved two spots up on the Rugby 7s HSBC World Series points table after a solid performance in Sydney where the men in blue won the 5th place final.
The Manu 7s secured 5th place in Sydney after two solid wins to Australia (24-10) and Ireland (24-12) on day three. This gave them enough points to edge back up to 3rd place on the overall points table.
MS7s players Neueli Leitufia and Motu Opetai had both missed out on selection for Samoa’s 5th place final against Ireland, after citation hearings handed down a three match ban for each player.
The 5’4″ halfback and smallest man on the paddock for the Manu Samoa, Neueli Leitufia, was issued with a red card for a dump tackle on Australian Stu Dunbar in the 5th Place Play-Offs.
Dunbar retaliated and pinned down the 65kg Neueli Leitufia by the neck with his elbow. This ignited a reaction from Motu Opetai who is seen on video photos swinging a punch at Dunbar.
Samoa has been drawn to pool with Sydney Champs New Zealand, USA and Chile in the upcoming Los Angeles 7s scheduled for Friday 24 to Sunday 26 February 2023 followed by Canada.
