CANADA 24

NEW ZEALAND 12

It was an afternoon of revelations for the Langford-based Canadian men’s rugby team at the Cape Town Sevens in South Africa on Saturday.

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The Canuck players showed they are good enough to beat among the best in the world, with a stunning 24-12 win against New Zealand on tries by Phil Mack of Victoria, James Bay-clubmate John Moonlight and University of Victoria Vikes grad Nathan Hirayama.

“We kept the ball away from them [the Kiwis] and we really capitalized on that,” Moonlight said of only Canada’s second-ever victory against New Zealand.

This is the second tournament of the 2015-16 Sevens World Series, with the Kiwis placing fourth and Canada 13th in the opening Dubai Sevens last week.

New Zealand finished the 2014-15 World Series No. 3 to gain an automatic berth into the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics that went to the top-four placers. Canada finished ninth last season.

Earlier Saturday, a 24-10 Canadian loss to Samoa was sobering because the form charts have the last-chance Olympic qualifier June 18-19 in Monaco coming down to a Canada versus Samoa final for the 12th and final spot into Rio 2016. Canada was beaten by the U.S. this year in the final of the North American and Caribbean regional Olympic qualifier.

The Samoans jumped into a 24-0 lead before Moonlight and Mike Fuailefau of Victoria, a graduate of St. Michaels University School, scored late tries for Canada.

Canada ended pool play with a 26-26 draw against Rio-bound France. The French led 19-0 before Justin Douglas of Abbotsford and Mack, with a Hirayama-conversion, brought Canada to within 19-12. UVic Vikes-product Sean Duke scored the next Canadian try. It was left to an Admir Cejvanovic try and Hirayama convert to tie it at the final buzzer.

Also dressed were Pat Kay of Duncan, Sean White of Victoria, Nanyak Dala of the Castaway Wanderers of Oak Bay, Harry Jones of North Vancouver and Matt Mullins from Belleville, Ont.

The 1-1-1 record wasn’t good enough to get Canada into the championship quarter-finals as it was bumped out on tiebreakers. Canada will meet Russia in the consolation bowl quarter-finals this morning. It will be another meeting to watch as a harbinger, because Russia is emerging and will be looking to gain the upset berth into Rio 2016 at the last-chance Olympic qualifier in June.

It’s another of those teams Canada will be working to solve when it returns to training in the new year at Westhills Stadium.

The Rio-bound Canadian women’s sevens team, also based in Langford, finished the 2014-15 season ranked No. 2 in the world, which gained it automatic qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com