World Sevens Series giants New Zealand
and Fiji cruised into the quarter-finals of the opening 2000-2001 season event at rain-lashed Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday.

New Zealand topped Pool A after three victories, including the biggest of
the 24 matches, a 53-0 mauling of minnows Namibia, with captain Karl Tenana, Joeli Vidiri and Rodney So'oialo scoring two tries each.

France finished second and offered brave resistance against the defending
champions until Luc Lafforgue was sent to the sin bin soon after Tenana put
New Zealand 10 points ahead in the second half.

Fiji, missing six regulars, had their closest call in Pool B against lowly
rated Wales, winning 17-10 despite failing to score during the second half of a lively match.

The showdown between Canada and Wales for second spot was dominated by the
defences with Canadian Jesse Frender scoring all 10 points from a try in each half.

Australia trailed Argentina twice before emerging 19-12 winners of a Pool C decider that produced the closest match of the nine-hour programme before a tiny crowd braving torrential rain and wind.

Robert McDonald, Julian Huxley and Scott Barton touched down for Australia
and Francisco Leonelli and Lucas Borges scored tries for a rapidly-improving
Argentine squad.

After comfortable victories over Georgia and Morocco, hosts South Africa
were outclassed by Samoa and rarely threatened when slumping to a 21-0 loss in the last match.
Tanner Vili, Semo Sititi and Ron Fanuatanu crossed the line for Samoa and left South Africa with a quarter-final they did not want against third seeds Australia.

Zimbabwe excelled among the minnows, beating England 15-5 to finish third
in Pool C with flying Karl Mudzamba scoring two tries for a tournament tally of five.