Haughton paves path toward final

England have unearthed a new sevens star in Richard Haughton, whose five tries in the two matches he played - a hat-trick against Canada and two against Samoa - kept Joe Lydon's charges on course for a meeting in the final of the London leg of the World Sevens Series with New Zealand, a side they have never beaten in this form of the game.

Victory in all three matches (they overcame Spain as well) meant they topped Group B to earn a quarter-final tie against a lacklustre Australia, as well as keeping them on course for their longer term goal, a top-three finish in the overall series for a preferential seeding in the Commonwealth games in Manchester in August. New Zealand, who had sealed the title before this penultimate round, will tackle Samoa.

The day was also notable for mass absenteeism which reduced Twickenham to an echoing emptiness. A couple of thousand braved the weather to enjoy the festival which continues with the knock-out stages today for which 20,000 tickets have been sold.

The stay-aways missed some exciting rugby, the odd dark deed, England's progress and some thrilling results: Wales beating Fiji with the final kick of the match, Ireland beating France and Scotland running Fiji close. The South Sea Islanders were without Waisale Serevi, the master of the art of short-course rugby, but they are still a force.

The Fijian management claimed Serevi had had to pull out because of a commitment with his French club Mont-de-Marsan, but they were said to be fuming at having been let down at the last minute.

Argentina's Martin Gaitan misses the Cardiff leg and the rest of the London round after being stamped on by France's Frederic Benazech. The latter was given a two-match ban, but can play in the latter stages of the tournament.

Wales result against Fiji was the more remarkable because at one point they were 26-7 down. Craig Richards scored the last-minute try converted by Gareth Swales.