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New Zealand 14
Ireland 12
THE IRELAND MEN’S 7s team will face defending back-to-back champions Fiji in the Olympic quarter-finals this evening in Paris [KO 9pm Irish time, RTÉ2] after losing their last pool game against New Zealand on a 14-12 scoreline.
James Topping’s side weren’t able to follow up yesterday’s wins against South Africa and Japan with a third pool victory, meaning they now face the huge task of downing the Fijians in tonight’s quarter-finals at Stade de France.
Fiji have won all 15 of their matches at the last three Olympics since 7s rugby was introduced to the Games back in 2016, with their form so far in Paris suggesting they have an excellent chance of claiming a third title. They beat hosts France to seal top spot in Pool C earlier today.
Captain Harry McNulty and his team will feel they should have won against New Zealand in Paris, spurning close-range opportunities on several occasions.
Ireland missed a fine early chance as Hugo Keenan knocked on a few metres out from the tryline, the Kiwis responding by nearly breaking out from deep only to spill the ball forward themselves.
It was the impressive Zac Ward who stamped his quality all over the game as half time approached, skinning Fehi Fineanganofo on the outside for a sensational score down the right wing.
Ward then went up to reclaim Mark Roche’s restart and after another controlled passage of Irish possession, playmaker Terry Kennedy produced a deft offload to send speedster Jordan Conroy over close to the posts.
Roche’s conversion had Ireland 12-0 ahead at half time but the Kiwis hit back straight after the break as the brilliant Leroy Carter broke through the middle for a try converted by Akuila Rokolisoa.
Ireland steadied themselves and regained control of the game with their possession-heavy approach and came close to another score only to be turned over by Andrew Knewstubb metres from the Kiwi tryline.
That meant a big defensive effort was needed as the game entered its final 90 seconds but the New Zealanders had the quality to break the Irish resistance as Ngarohi McGarvey-Black finished from close range after a sweeping passage of attack.
From wide on the right, Knewstubb landed a brilliant conversion to nudge New Zealand in front.
Ireland had one final possession to rescue a win but another breakdown turnover confirmed that Topping’s men will have to take on the Fijians tonight.
New Zealand scorers:
Tries: Leroy Carter, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black
Conversions: Akuila Rokolisoa [1 from 1], Andrew Knewstubb [1 from 1]
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Zac Ward, Jordan Conroy
Conversions: Mark Roche [1 from 2]
NEW ZEALAND: Akuila Rokolisoa, Moses Leo, Regan Ware, Leroy Carter, Fehi Fineanganofo, Dylan Collier (captain), Scott Curry.
Replacements: Tepaea Cook-Savage, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Andrew Knewstubb, Tone Ng Shiu, Brady Rush.
IRELAND: Jordan Conroy, Hugo Keenan, Terry Kennedy, Mark Roche, Harry McNulty (captain), Zac Ward, Niall Comerford.
Replacements: Andrew Smith, Gavin Mullin, Hugo Lennox, Chay Mullins, Jack Kelly.
Referee: Jordan Way [Australia].
Written by Murray Kinsella and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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Having an issue whatsoever with FFG will be outlawed eventually. When they are finished with the high fives and congratulating one another on being incredible, what are they doing to help the 4000 homeless children in the country? Probably just ban non government media on reporting on it.
The opposition voices are serial objectors to housing developments; champagne socialists. If they are upset then this indicates the bill aims to make it much easier to bypass the cranks in order to get housing built. I support the guillotine consequently.
@Lewis Armstrong: As far as I can see, those opposition you refer to object to developments that would hand our housing over to vampire funds.
I presume therefore you are in favour of such government policy.
@Lewis Armstrong: what protections will be included to stop the government purposely delaying all debates and discussions to begin with so they can just guillotine anything they want.
“There is a housing emergency and crisis,” said Harris. ” – the cheek of a FFG to utter that sentence!
Is it the same bill that has had over 1,100 amendments made to it and half of those are by the Housing Minister himself.
Is it the same bill that says an Bord Pleanala have to pay fines if they don’t complete a planning application in a set number of weeks.
Harris says it had a 120 hours of debate and therefore meets the threshold and can be guillotined but it sounds like the 1,100 changes would have taken much of that time, maybe that was the plan all along when they obviously published shoddy policy.
@Lewis Armstrong: True. SFs double speak in particular crying out for more housing while blocking developments all over the place was part of what turned me off voting for them. They points score at every opportunity rather than focussing on the task at hand. It’s irritating.
@Lewis Armstrong: No serious objectors, we have laws in place for a reason to keep governments in check.
Neo liberal agendas favour the rich. Opposition is there to object to bad planning. I drive a lot and see plenty of new build, mostly apartments, lying empty for months.build to rent. Is that what we want in Ireland, faceless builders, reaping profits, money going out of the country to global entities.
Or homes, people can be proud of, not ending up ghost estates, where crime is rampant.
Thought we had moved on from those days.
As a person who was involved in building thousands of homes , with in a few weeks after Nonnan and fg created the legislation to allow individuals to buy all houses and pay no social tax ,everything changing, and yet more then half the people that just voted, think that’s OK,
have your say