By Ian Laybourn, PA Sport

Gold medal favourites New Zealand are on course to retain their sevens title after gaining a comprehensive win over surprise semi-finalists Samoa at the City of Manchester Stadium.

The top seeds ran in five tries to two to predictably claim their place in this afternoon's final with a 31-12 victory in front of a muted capacity crowd.

The inconsistent Samoans, who lost to Kenya in the pool stages before beating Australia in Saturday's quarter-finals, were simply outclassed by the sevens specialists.

Brad Fleming grabbed two first-half tries to put the issue beyond doubt and others came from Bruce Reihana and 37-year-old captain Eric Rush as New Zealand led 24-0 at the break.

Replacement Lome Fa'atau demonstrated electrifying pace to pull back two tries for Samoa in the second half, one of them a spectacular 75-metre effort, but Mils Miliaina piled on the agony for the islanders with a fifth try, to which Reihana added a third conversion.

Fiji, led by their inspirational 34-year-old captain Waisale Serevi, ended English medal hopes through a 7-5 quarter-final victory last night, while South Africa reached the last four by knocking out Canada.

And it was South Africa who made the early running, stretching Fiji wide as Anton Pitout sprinted over for a try that Gaffie Du Toit converted.

Fiji found it difficult to establish momentum against a well-organised South African defence, but they broke through just before-half-time.

Rupeni Caucaunibuca, the tournament's top try-scorer, spotted a gap and went through it as South Africa tried to close down his space. Serevi though, could not convert.

With the sky darkening ominously and rain starting to fall, it was Fiji who struck a critical blow, going ahead for the first time when Caucaunibuca raced clear from inside his own half.

Showing blistering pace, he left the chasing South African defenders in his wake, and Serevi's conversion gave the South Sea islanders a 12-7 lead.

Fiji now began to turn the screw, squeezing South Africa territorially and forcing mistakes from their opponents.

Jean de Villiers knocked on behind his own posts to give Fiji a close-range scrum, but South Africa emerged with possession and launched a win-or-bust counter attack.

It all came to nothing though, and a brilliant Serevi tackle on de Villiers allowed Vilimoni Delasau to gather possession and sprint some 75 metres for the clincher and a 17-7 success.

Fiji and New Zealand - both major world sevens powers - will meet in the final, a repeat of the 1998 Commonwealth Games, while Samoa and South Africa now contest bronze.