(Reuters) - Minnows Uruguay stunned rugby sevens powerhouses Fiji and New Zealand in two astonishing back-to-back upsets on a remarkable opening day of the world sevens series' Perth leg on Friday.
The South Americans launched an epic comeback to beat Olympic silver medalists Fiji 24-17 and followed that with an astonishing 17-12 win over the All Blacks.
Fiji, who had beaten Uruguay 70-7 in Cape Town in December, seemed poised for a dominant win when they took a 17-0 lead before the Uruguayans pulled off an astounding comeback with Pedro Hoblog's late try sealing an historic win.
"It’s a huge win for us,” Uruguay captain Diego Ardao said. "Before getting on the pitch, we didn't think about Fiji. We thought about ourselves.
"It's New Zealand next, so we need to do the same and go for it."
And go for it they did, shocking the 14-time champions New Zealand and earning their first-ever sevens win over the All Blacks.
Uruguay outlasted New Zealand in a tense battle in the second half, dominating possession and capitalising on Kiwi errors with Juan Manuel Tafernaberry slotting a penalty attempt from close range in the 15th minute to complete a five-point win.
Uruguay can complete a memorable Pool C sweep against Kenya on Saturday, while New Zealand face Fiji.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
