The All Blacks have outmuscled England 25-5 in the Wellington Sevens semi-finals to set up a tournament decider against South Africa.
A Kiwi side who predicted their size and physicality would be an advantage were true to their word on Sunday as they overwhelmed the English by five tries to one in a repeat of the 2015 final.
Earlier, South Africa came from behind to beat Australia 26-14 in the quarter-finals while Fiji accounted for the United States 21-12.
In the encounter with England, strapping New Zealand winger Ben Lam scored a double inside the first three minutes, with the second set up by the most dominant runner at the tournament, Akira Ioane.
Sonny Bill Williams benefited from another Ioane burst to score his second try of the tournament and put the hosts 15-0 clear at halftime.
Kurt Baker and Rieko Ioane crossed in the second half, while Jack Wilson grabbed an England consolation try.
New Zealand were equally dominant in dismantling Kenya 36-0 in the quarter-finals, with captain Tim Mikkelson bagging a double, while Akira Ioane unleashed numerous tackle-busting runs.
Without a world series win since the 2015 Wellington tournament, the injection of several Super Rugby players has boosted New Zealand’s stocks considerably.
Their sevens specialist players struggled with form and injuries at tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town in December, leaving them sixth overall through two rounds.
The Wellington Sevens final will be a clash of styles, with South Africa boasting a smaller but notably quicker side.
The Blitzboks stunned Fiji 31-0 in the clash of the two world series leaders. Diminutive trio Seabelo Senatla, Cheslin Kolbe and Rosko Specman were too quick for their opponents, who made a swag of uncharacteristic errors.
Kolbe scored twice while Senatla, Specman and reigning world player of the year Kwagga Smith all crossed.
The final, to be played on Sunday night (2030 AEDT), is a repeat of the last pool game on Saturday, when New Zealand won a thriller 19-14 thanks to Joe Webber’s try after the final hooter.
