Australia, S. Africa pull off Rugby Sevens upsets

GOLD COAST, Australia (AFP) –

South Africa’s Stephan Dippenaar (left) beats the tackle of New Zealand player Tomasi Cama during their match at the IRB Sevens rugby tournament at Skilled Park on Australia’s Gold Coast on October 13, 2012. Sevens kingpins Fiji and New Zealand suffered defeats upon reaching the knockout quarter-finals of the Gold Coast IRB Sevens on Saturday.

Sevens kingpins Fiji and New Zealand suffered defeats upon reaching the knockout quarter-finals of the Gold Coast IRB Sevens on Saturday.

Australia held on to down the defending champions Fiji 15-14 to finish the pool stages unbeaten alongside Samoa and South Africa.

The Springboks led 19-0 early before beating last year’s World Series champions New Zealand 31-21 to finish top of Pool A.

Australia, who have not won a Sevens tournament at home in a decade, will face Kenya in Sunday’s quarter-finals after the east Africans beat Spain and drew 14-14 with England in Pool C.

Fiji, fielding eight World Series debutants, will face South Pacific rivals Samoa in their quarter-final after finishing runners-up to Australia in Pool B.

Samoa cruised through unbeaten in Pool C with wins over Spain, Kenya and England.

Argentina’s reward for finishing top of Pool D is a sudden-death match against the All Blacks, while South Africa face France.

England, who finished third in last year’s Series, missed out on a place in the Cup quarters along with Wales.

England were edged out of a quarter-final place after a 19-17 defeat against Samoa and went into the last pool game without Chris Cracknell (knee) and Mat Turner (ankle).