Joaquin Paz sparked a second-half comeback as unbeaten Buenos Aires clinched the World Club 7’s title at Twickenham over Auckland, who lost out at the final hurdle for the second year running.
Auckland were in the ascendancy after Mitch Karpik’s double but the Argentinians’ resolve throughout the weekend was also present in the final, with the deadly Paz crossing twice to secure a 26-22 victory.
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In 2013, Buenos Aires had been beaten in the semi-final by ACT Brumbies – who denied Auckland in the final.
And there was no less action to be enjoyed in the Plate final, as the much-improved Cardiff Blues crowned their weekend with a win over Blue Bulls, 28-12.
And Seattle go back to America with silverware in tow after fending off Harlequins 28-14 in the Shield final.
CUP
Cardiff Blues ruffled top seeds Buenos Aires early on in the first quarter final as captain Jevon Groves rumbled over, but the Argentinians finally found a way through early in the second half courtesy of Marcos Bollini.
Importantly Buenos Aires’ try was converted and despite the best efforts of the Blues, they could not find a way past before losing 7-5.
In the battle of the Russians, Kuban Krasnodar skipper Vladimir Ostroushko broke the deadlock, but as the hooter sounded RC Enisei’s deadly Denis Simplikevich hit back.
Yuri Gostyuzhev muscled Kuban back into the lead after the break before a wonderful breakaway try was finished off by Vladislav Lazarenko for a 19-12 victory – there was time at the end for Simplikevich to grab his seventh try of the competition.
Auckland came storming out of the blocks against New York, Tom Wiley dashing over within the first 30 seconds and that score was added to by Melani Nanai and Rocky Khan.
In the second half Nanai bundled over before Stacey Ili and Kali Hala got their own rewards as the New Zealanders eased to a 22-5 win, though Carlin Isles had time to scream away for a consolation try.
Next up in the quarter final stage was an all-South African affair between Blue Bulls and Western Province, and a chip-and-chase by Frederick Muller got the latter going.
And the Bulls could not withstand a second-half onslaught – despite Leroy Bitterhout’s double – as Western Province grabbed another three tries to seal a place in the semi-finals by 22-12.
In the first semi-final, Gostyuzhev’s early score for Kuban Krasnodar meant Buenos Aires would have to fight back once more – but it didn’t take long as Paz and Segundo Tuculet pounced.
Skipper Ostroushko led by example to drag Kuban back in it only for Bollini, Rodrigo Etchart and Franco Sabato to kick on and hand Buenos Aires a 21-12 victory.
Auckland and Western Province were next on the Twickenham turf and a fast and furious first half was underlined by Iewan Bartels, who tore away to two tries for the South African side.
But in the space of a second-half minute, Tutu Tairea and Khan levelled the scores to take the game to a golden-point decider – and Karpik stole away from the restart to clinch it for Auckland 19-14.
Undoubtedly the two standout teams of the competition, Buenos Aires and Auckland, were to meet in the final – and Sabato edged the Argentinians ahead to kick things off.
Then Karpik found himself with time and space on the right to run over and restore parity, before the conversion sent Auckland into the lead.
It got even better for Karpik as this time the Kiwi cantered home in the left-hand corner, and Auckland marched on after the break thanks to Kali Hala.
But Etchart zipped away from outstrestched arms to reduce the arrears and the comeback was complete as Paz notched twice in the final three minutes to ensure Buenos Aires took the cup by 26-22, as Karpik’s third came too late.
And in a dramatic third-place play-off, Ostroushko gave Kuban Krasnodar the perfect ending to their Twickenham run-out as he snatched a 22-19 triumph from under the noses of Western Province with a last-minute try.
QUARTER-FINALS
Buenos Aires 7 Cardiff Blues 5
RC Enisei 12 Kuban Krasnodar 19
Auckland 36 New York 5
Western Province 22 Blue Bulls 12
SEMI-FINALS
Buenos Aires 35 Kuban Krasnodar 12
Auckland 19 Western Province 14
FINAL
Buenos Aires 26 Auckland 22
3rd-PLACE PLAYOFF
Kuban Krasnodar 20 Western Province 19
PLATE
The first plate semi-final pitted Cardiff Blues against RC Enisei and the Welshmen continued their upsurge in form in a commanding 35-5 win.
Garyn Smith grabbed another double to add to his Saturday pair while Luke Morgan, Ben Roach and Tom Williams completed an emphatic display.
And the Blue Bulls sealed a Plate showdown after fending off early New York pressure to record a 31-14 triumph.
Speedster Carlin Isles may have stormed over twice but not even he could catch the Bulls, as Andre Warner (2), Ryan Nell, Clayton Stewart and Ganfried May all wrote their names on the scoresheet.
In the group stage the Blue Bulls nosed the Blues by three points but there would be no repeat in the final as the Welshmen brushed them aside by 28-12.
The Bulls did go ahead early on through Ganfried May, but that woke the Blues up as Luke Morgan (2), Tomos Williams and Owen Jenkins brought home the silverware.
And that man again, Simplikevich, bullied his way to another score but Derek Lipscomb stole the show with a hat-trick, as New York secured seventh place by 34-7 at the expense of RC Enisei.
SEMI-FINALS
Cardiff Blues 35 RC Enisei 5
New York 14 Blue Bulls 31
FINAL
Cardiff Blues 28 Blue Bulls 12
7th-PLACE PLAYOFF
RC Enisei 7 New York 34
SHIELD
Harlequins set about ridding memories of Saturday quickly as Senitiki Nayalo and Jack Maslen surged over against NSW Waratahs, but Tala Gray and Lalakai Foketi squeezed through the line in response.
However Quins stormed away in the second half through Sam Aspland-Robinson and Maslen once more – despite Joel Brooks’ consolation try – to a 26-19 win.
Joining them in the final would be Seattle after the American side comfortably saw off Gloucester Rugby 22-12, Daniel Barrett, Michael Teo and Miles Craigwell all crossing in the first half.
Rhodri McAtee had played through Iain Moody for a try from an almost impossible situation and then Ed Tellwright gave the Cherry & Whites a glimmer of hope, but John Cullen closed the game out for Seattle.
In the final the rapid feet of Gavin Dampies handed Quins two tries but Seattle looked the more threatening, as Craigwell and Danny Barrett dotted down.
Their pressure told later on in the second half, with Craigwell again powering up the centre to touch down, before Mike Palefau tied the Shield up for Seattle.
In the 11th-place playoff, combine player Manoa Satala and Steph Reynolds were among the scorers as Gloucester made sure they weren’t going home without a win in a 22-17 triumph over NSW Waratahs.
SEMI-FINALS
NSW Waratahs 19 Harlequins 26
Seattle 22 Gloucester Rugby 12
FINAL
Harlequins 14 Seattle 28
11th-PLACE PLAYOFF
NSW Waratahs 17 Gloucester Rugby 22