Osea Kolinisau has been tasked with taking Fiji to rugby gold at the 2028 Olympics after his contract as coach of the men's sevens team was extended.

The 38-year-old's new deal will cover the next four years after he guided the Pacific islanders to the final of the Paris Olympics.

Fiji took silver after going down 28-7 to the hosts at a packed Stade de France. It was Fiji's only medal of the Olympics.

Reaching the final was a dramatic turnaround after Fiji struggled last season on the world sevens series circuit.

Kolinisau only took charge four months before the Games after Englishman Ben Gollings was sacked following a string of poor results.

"It's very impressive what he achieved in four months. Our men's team was at the bottom of the barrel, no one was betting on it to get anywhere near the finals," Peter Mazey, interim chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union, told reporters Monday in Suva.

Rugby sevens is hugely popular in Fiji and Mazey made it clear what is expected of Kolinisau in four years' time.

"We are committed to winning gold at Los Angeles in 2028," Mazey said.

Kolinisau retired from international sevens after he captained Fiji to gold when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games.

Fiji defended their title in 2021 at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics.

To be part of an event where 65 000 people vocally rooted for women's sevens rugby was a feeling that she cannot describe, but close to that was the way the South African team fought for one another and their first victory at their first Olympic Games.

That was the view of Nadine Roos, the South African Women's Sevens team’s most influential player at the 2024 Paris Olympics, after they beat Fiji by 21-15 to finish the tournament in 11th position.

“I cannot describe how it felt to play in front of a packed Stade de France, a stadium where rugby means a lot and one that was packed for all the sevens matches,” said Roos, who scored 35 of her team's 55 points in Paris.

“The feeling was very, very special and we are super proud and privileged to be part of this spectacle, the pinnacle of world sport.

“We let ourselves down, especially in our matches against Australia and Ireland on the first day, but the matches against Great Britain and Japan were much closer and to finish the tournament with a win over Fiji was a great feeling.

“Our bodies were sore and losing four on the trot made us doubt ourselves a bit, but the way we came out and fought for each other and as a team was a feeling that all of us will remember for a long time.”

For Bok Women’s Sevens co-captain Zintle Mpupha, the victory over Fiji was very important for the squad and the sevens system.

“We did not come to just participate, we wanted to leave with something and beating Fiji was massive for us,” said Mpupha.

“We needed to leave some mark and this win did that. The season was up and down and we did not always perform as we wanted or was expected. But we managed to build depth and players got good exposure to what the world series and the Olympics demand from you.

“We are getting there, no doubt, maybe not as fast as we wanted, but we are moving forward and that is a positive for the season.”

Mpupha said the win was for the players from the previous squads that were denied entry to the 2016 and 2021 Olympics as well: “We were the first ones who could play here and we did it for those who could not make it in their time as well.”

SA POINTS' SCORERS:

35 - Nadine Roos (5 tries, 5 conversions)

10 - Libbie Janse van Rensburg (2 tries)

5 - Zintle Mpupha, Ayanda Malinga (1 try each)

New Zealand's women defended their Olympic sevens title with a gritty, come-from-behind 19-12 victory over Canada on Tuesday as the United States bagged a surprise bronze.

The Kiwis outscored the Canadians by three tries to two in a tense, defence-led match in front of a near-capacity 69 000 crowd at the Stade de France.

New Zealand defend their Olympic crown to win their nations first gold medal of #Paris2024 🇳🇿🥇#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/kY4eqAVuRI

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 30, 2024

The US, having made their first-ever semifinals, had earlier upset pre-tournament favourites Australia 14-12 to claim third place.

The final saw Kiwi skipper Risi Pouri-Lane step Chloe Daniels and run in from 50 metres for the opening try, also hitting the conversion.

New Zealand pinned Canada back in their own 22m, but when the ball was worked left to Charity Williams, the winger was one-on-one with Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.

However, the New Zealander, a star of both the sevens and 15s game for more than a decade, saw yellow for the high, covering tackle.

Canada took advantage, Daniels played into space by Olivia Apps for a straight run-in to the line and successfully adding the extras.

Sarah Hirini tried one ambitious offload too many as the Kiwis regathered, Alysha Corrigan intercepting and showing a clean pair of soles for Canada's second try to leave it 12-7 at halftime.

New Zealand started the second period exactly as they needed to, the impressive Michaela Blyde stepping inside Corrigan for a fine try, converted by Tyla King to hand them back the lead.

Stacey Wakaa then got the decisive score following a fine Hirini break and some slick inter-passing between those two and King.

DRAMATIC BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

A dramatic bronze medal match saw Maddison Levi score two more tries to finish on a record 14 for the tournament.

The previous best in an Olympics was Woodman-Wickliffe's tally of 10 for New Zealand at the 2016 Rio Games.

But it was not enough as the US responded with tries from Alev Kelter, when Levi's sister Teagan was in the sin bin, and Alex Sedrick to make it 12 points apiece.

Sedrick herself kicked the vital conversion to seal a famous US bronze in perfect timing for the run-in to the next Olympic Games, on home soil in Los Angeles in 2028.

Stunning scenes at Stade de France as USA shock Australia to win the bronze medal 😲🥉

📺 Stream #Paris2024 live: https://t.co/0P0NNho4A4 #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/gR0vtL1Fo8

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 30, 2024

The women's tournament followed a similar three-day competition for the men, which could not have been better scripted as global superstar Antoine Dupont led France to victory over defending champions Fiji.

"We always said this is our chance of coming of age for rugby sevens in the Olympics, and it has been, it's been incredible," World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin told reporters on Tuesday.

"553 000 spectators in six days. It's been amazing. It's everything we hoped it could be. And hopefully, it's a great platform for the future."

Alex Sedrick ran the length of the pitch in the final play, then converted her own try, to give the United States a shock 14-12 victory over Australia in the bronze playoff and claim the country's first-ever medal in Olympic rugby sevens on Tuesday.

It was the second stunning setback in the day for Australia, the season's grand final champions and 2016 gold medallists, who were beaten by Canada 21-12 in the semifinals after leading 12-0.

Australia will wonder how they lost a match they dominated, but uncharacteristic errors cost them dear.

Stunning scenes at Stade de France as USA shock Australia to win the bronze medal 😲🥉

📺 Stream #Paris2024 live: https://t.co/0P0NNho4A4 #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/gR0vtL1Fo8

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 30, 2024

The incredible Maddison Levi scored with her first touch of the ball, ghosting past a defender as if she were made of stone, to extend her remarkable Olympic record to 13 tries at a single Games.

Her sister Teagan was sinbinned and the US found the consequent space for the powerful Alev Kelter to force herself over the line and level it up at 7-7 at halftime.

Almost the entire second half was played in the US half but Australia blew two great chances with a wild final pass.

Levi did eventually cross for her 14th but, just when the win seemed secure, the US struck from nowhere.

Sedrick broke a tackle in front of her own posts and raced clear to score under the posts to level it at 12-12. She then slotted the conversion for a famous victory.

Tokyo runners-up France, surprisingly beaten by Canada in the quarterfinals, overpowered China 21-7 in the 5th/6th playoff, while Britain were too strong for Ireland at 28-12 in the 7th/8th match.

New Zealand's women will defend their Olympic sevens title against Canada after beating the United States in the semifinal at the Stade de France on Tuesday.

Michaela Blyde showed two moments of individual brilliance to help the Kiwis run out 24-12 winners over the Americans, who were making their debut in the last four.

There was a shock in the second semifinal as Canada stunned Rio 2016 gold medallists Australia and ran away with a 21-12 victory.

Canada shock Australia to set up a #Paris2024 Women's Rugby Sevens final against New Zealand 🇨🇦👏#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/JPPe7UgksW

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 30, 2024

A tight start to the first semi was broken when Alev Kelter scythed through the Kiwi defence to open the scoring for the Americans.

In stultifying heat, New Zealand responded through Stacey Waaka, who ran in from halfway. A Risi Pouri-Lane conversion handed New Zealand a 7-5 lead.

The Kiwis extended that advantage in the simplest of fashion, Waaka getting her second after the Americans infringed trying to clear the ball deep within their own 22m area.

Blyde then showcased all her finishing skills for her eighth and ninth tries of the tournament.

First she skinned opposite number Ariana Ramsey with a smart step down the right wing, and then handed off the American for a straightforward run-in.

Kristi Kirshe grabbed a late consolation try to make it 24-12.

New Zealand book their spot in the #Paris2024 Women's Rugby Sevens final 🇳🇿👏#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/bEOFqFfnFG

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 30, 2024

In the other semifinal, Maddison Levi opened the scoring for Australia.

Levi has been in imperious form in Paris and that was her 12th try, having already broken Portia Woodman-Wickliffe's record of 10 tries for a single Olympics on Monday.

Sariah Paki twisted and turned to extend Australia's lead with a second try.

But Canada were not out of it, Charity Williams taking a quick tap penalty on the stroke of halftime to outpace Levi and run in a try from 60 metres.

An Olivia Apps conversion made it 12-5 at halftime.

Australian captain Charlotte Caslick produced a fine try-saving tackle on Asia Hogan-Rochester.

But the Canadian crossed just moments later after a well-worked attacking line-out move. Apps converted to hand Canada the lead.

A Teagan Levi knock-on handed Canada territorial advantage once more and the lively Piper Logan darted over from a scrum, as she had done twice in the quarterfinal victory over France.

Apps was successful with the extras to leave the Canadian women exultant.

Australia face the US for bronze.

🗣️ "The biggest shock in the history of Women's Rugby Sevens!"

Incredible scenes at #Paris2024 as Canada shock the world to beat Australia in the semi-final 🇨🇦

The emotion all over the field tells you just how much the result means to both nations 🥺 pic.twitter.com/qbzc9Z4D6i

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 30, 2024

A key player in Britain's Olympic rugby sevens team withdrew from competition on Tuesday amid a racism row, after an image emerged of her with a blacked-out face.

The British Olympic Association said it had launched an investigation into Amy Wilson-Hardy after the picture came to light on social media late on Monday.

The image, sent in a WhatsApp message widely published in British media, showed the 32-year-old with a blacked-out face and her tongue sticking out.

The British Olympic Association are investigating a racist message allegedly sent by Team GB rugby sevens player Amy Wilson-Hardy #Paris2024 https://t.co/RfEOUiYkoW

— Metro (@MetroUK) July 30, 2024

A message underneath read: "Thought I'd have a better chance with the blacks." It was not immediately clear what she meant by this.

Wilson-Hardy was absent from Britain's match against China at the Stade de France, which resulted in a memorable 19-15 win for the Chinese.

A Team GB statement said she had "been withdrawn on medical grounds", replaced by Abi Burton.

Captain Emma Uren said the players were broadly unaware about the allegations and were doing their best to focus on the sport.

"We didn't get told much about it because we know we need to focus on the game and the tournament," she said, adding that a phone ban was in place at the squad.

"It's quite a surprise when something like that springs up in the middle of an Olympic campaign," she admitted.

Coach Ciaran Beattie declined to be drawn on the row.

"We're just playing rugby right now. We're concentrating on that," he said.

The row adds to the woes of the GB rugby sevens set-up after the men failed at the last hurdle to qualify for the Olympics, losing to South Africa.

The women came in with genuine medal hopes, but crashed out in the quarterfinals, losing 17-7 to the United States.

The loss to China will come as an added blow, meaning they have to play off for seventh place against Ireland.

That match was notable for an incomprehensible blunder by Isla Norman-Bell, who deliberately threw the ball into touch, hoping for the referee to blow time.

Instead, it gifted a penalty to the Chinese team and Hu Yu struck deep into injury time to break the British hearts.

France’s gold medal in the sport of Sevens at the Paris Olympics over the weekend got a few people riled up a bit.

None more so than World Rugby’s Alan Gilpin, the CEO who even suggested changing the global calendar so that it would ostensibly be easier for fifteens stars to switch to the shortened code.

Part of this giddy enthusiasm was because the northern hemisphere’s darling, Antoine Dupont - the player who could do no wrong - was part of France’s awe-inspiring win over a Fiji side that had dominated Olympic sport.

In a cauldron in front of 60 000 odd fans, baying for blood, it was set up perfectly for France to claim the gold, and unfortunately in what has become a bit of a trend with the world governing body of late, led to a bit of an overreaction as they slapped each other on the back and congratulated each other on the success of the Olympic Sevens tournament.

Now, let’s for a moment forget the fact that Bill Beaumont and his colleagues at World Rugby let an ideal moment go by in the pandemic to reshape the rugby calendar, and still fail to do anything about the ridiculous demands on modern rugby players. Lets forget the fact that this oversight has left South African professional players playing 12 months of rugby. World Rugby haven’t seemed to be so eager to get the calendar sorted out over the past four years and a bit.

For now, let’s look at the after effects of France’s gold medal at the Sevens and the social media frenzy which led several northern hemisphere scribes, commentators and respected analysts to all shout together in unison that Dupont had now achieved GOAT status.

For those living under a rock, the GOAT term - over-used and ineffective in a team sport - stands for Greatest of All Time. And while it may fuel social media and reddit debates from time to time, there will never be a uniform agreement of who is the greatest in the sport.

Perhaps we should first ask why we're all obsessed with calling someone a GOAT? The word legend has been overused in every sport over the last 20 years and every time a top star does something noteworthy, the debate comes up. It doesn't matter what sport, it is opium for the masses, the ultimate form of clickbait for sporting fans

This isn’t, after all, tennis or golf, where an individual’s performance is easily measured in titles. Dupont has been crowned the GOAT because he won an Olympic medal to go with a Six Nations title, a few Champions’ Cups and Top 14 titles.

But if titles are to be the measurement, there are a number of players who can lay claim to this - not the least Bakkies Botha - who won continental championships on both sides of the hemisphere and a World Cup as well. Or what about the likes of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter? Surely they had a claim to the title.

And if we want to underline the absurdity of it all, what about Damian Willemse. After all at the age of 26 he has two World Cup winners medals, a URC winners medal, a Currie Cup winners medal and is regarded as an incredible talent.

But no, you’d never find the Southern Hemisphere making these claims. The winners of nine of the last 10 World Cups may see it as an interesting bar or fireside chat, but nobody seriously believes there is a GOAT at the moment.

GOOD PLAYER BUT HE PLAYS IN A TEAM

For the record, Dupont is a seriously good player. A superstar in his own right and a player that stands head and shoulders above his teammates. It may well be that he does surpass every other player’s achievements in world rugby by the time he has finished his career. He is a superstar that draws fans to the game, and that shouldn’t be underestimated.

But it is impossible in a team sport to make that claim. Frans Malherbe or Ox Nche regularly destroy their opposition in their specialist positions, Thomas Lavanini is a nightmare to play against for any opposition team, Handre Pollard’s clutch kicking won a World Cup. Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe are incredible steppers.

And then there are too many others to even mention. If we read the British press, some writers have made half their team GOATS after a few performances. But in reality - other than Jonah Lomu - no player has changed the face of the game in the last 40 years. There have been several greats - Christian Cullen, Brian O’Driscoll, Tana Umaga, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and many more.

Of course, that isn’t even mentioning the 100 years of greats that played the game before social media, before television or before we all saw how brilliant they were. The debate is great over a few beers, but the problem is crowning a player that has played 26 minutes of rugby outside Europe as the best ever. Players need to excel in all sorts of conditions. This isn’t saying Dupont can’t - it is more saying the debate is premature.

In a team sport the argument has less merit because what if said player played for a lesser team? Would he dominate behind the Griffons pack? Or Cardiff’s? Sergio Parese is widely regarded as an exceptional No 8, but he played for Italy. Daisuke Ohata is the world’s leading try scorer at international level of all time, and I’ve seen him carve up a Sevens field against top class opposition. But I bet nobody reading this column would ever have heard of him.

Dupont is an amazing talent that has been blessed to come through one of the best funded club systems in world rugby, who have built a fortress at home and one of the best funded national systems as well. He has been given license to play the way he wants by a coach who understands him and has had a relatively smooth ride through his career in terms of this.

On Saturday Jerry Tuwai, Fiji’s mecurial captain, was aiming for his third Olympic Gold medal, to add to a World Cup winners medal, one World Sevens Series title and the title of Sevens Player of the decade. It wasn’t to be his crowning glory and the achievements of his stellar career were overshadowed by the schoolgirl whoops and cheers from the Dupoint cheerleader squad. It wasn’t fair, but then again, life often isn’t. Tuwai will always be a Sevens legend, even though few watching on Saturday would have even noticed.

SUBJECTIVE 

The point is that any debate of this nature is subjective, and massively so. The discourse at one point got very heated on social media as some personalities tried to enforce their point of view. And both sides of the argument have valid points. But it is, at the end of the day, an argument that will never be won.

So rather than trying to convince the world your favourite player is the greatest ever, rather take time to savour their moments of glory. Enjoy the scrum beasts who make us smile with every massive shove up front, the physical specimens that every country has in their team that make them formidable.

The halfbacks who do the clutch things we can only dream of and the outside backs who take our breath away with feats of speed and magic. This is what makes rugby special. Remembering those moments that make you love this game.

And if you do that, you’ll never worry about who the GOAT is. You’ll appreciate a game for all shapes and sizes for what it is, and the players that have graced the field over the years.

And you’ll have memories of moments that matter to you, and remember fondly players from all nations as the superstars they are.

Defending champions New Zealand will play the United States in the semifinal of the Olympic sevens, but French hopes of double rugby gold were dashed after defeat by Canada at the Stade de France on Monday.

Another partisan, near-sell-out crowd of 66 000 packed into the Stade de France primarily to watch the France team in their mission to emulate Antoine Dupont and the men's team in claiming gold.

But there was disappointment as the Canadians ran out 19-14 winners to set up a semifinal against Australia.

The Australians outclassed Ireland 40-7 in their quarterfinal, Maddison Levi scoring a hat-trick to set a new women's record of 11 tries scored at an Olympics, beating Portia Woodman-Wickliffe's previous best of 10 at the 2016 Rio Games.

Piper Logan opened the scoring for Canada against France, haring away from a scrum for a fine individual try, Chloe Daniels converting.

But the home side, roared on by a raucous crowd, drew level at the whistle for halftime, Ian Jason sprinting away for a try.

Yolaine Yengo converted that and her own try to take the lead after a brilliant Lili Dezou offload out of a double tackle.

But Logan scooted away for her second, identikit, try, captain Olivia Apps converting to make it 14 points apiece with three minutes to play.

Daniels dashed French hopes when she shot down an unguarded blindside for Canada's third try.

NUMERICAL ADVANTAGE

New Zealand, gold medallists at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, ran out comprehensive 55-5 winners over China and will play the US, 17-7 victors over Britain.

They were on the scoreboard within 30 seconds, veteran Sarah Hirini finishing off a break by Theresa Setefano.

But China roared back, Yang Feifei hauled down the line beckoning. When Hirini was yellow carded for a head-high tackle, the Chinese made the numerical advantage pay as Hu Yu outstripped the stretched defence for a try.

There was no panic from New Zealand, who went on to score eight tries without reply.

Five-pointers for Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Michaela Blyde and global rugby legend Woodman-Wickliffe, in her third and final Olympics, made it 24-5 at halftime.

Blyde crossed for her seventh try of the tournament early in the second period, swiftly followed by four more from Felix-Hotham, Mahina Paul (2) and Hirini in what turned out to be a procession.

New Zealand's trans-Tasman rivals Australia, winners at the 2016 Rio Games, made a strong start against Ireland.

Levi bagged a first-half hat-trick in what was a re-run of both sides' final pool match earlier Monday won 19-14 by the Australians.

Faith Nathan crossed to make it 26-0 at halftime before Isabella Nasser and Bienne Terita added two more either side of an Irish consolation try from Stacey Flood.

Britain took the lead in their quarter through Ellie Boatman, the US responding through Naya Tapper after a strong break from TikTok star Ilona Maher.

Maher looked like she might have been in for the US' second on the stroke of halftime, but an outstanding Jasmine Joyce tackle wiped her out.

Kristi Kirche did get that American second, however, early in the second half, followed by Sammy Sullivan to end British medal hopes and hand the US a place in the last four for the first time.

In the playoffs for lesser placings, there was a memorable 28-22 victory for Brazil over Fiji, who had won bronze at the Tokyo Games.

Raquel Kochhann scored four tries, including an injury-time winner, with a jink and sprint from her own line, the conversion setting up a playoff against Japan for ninth place.

Seraphine Okemba scored four spectacular tries as France beat the United States 31-14 on Monday to complete a sweep of pool victories and earn a quarterfinal against Canada as the home fans again turned the Stade de France into a cauldron of noise.

Defending champions New Zealand also won their third game, thrashing Fiji, and will play China in the quarterfinals later on Monday. Australia will face Ireland after beating them in Monday's tight pool game, while the US face Britain.

France won their first two pool C games without conceding a point but it was a different level of opposition on Monday as Ilona Maher put the US ahead.

Kayla Canett converted but was then sin-binned for a head-on-head tackle and France hit back with a great finish in the corner by Okemba, cleverly flicking her feet into air to avoid touch as she slid in.

A minute later she scored an almost identical try in the same spot, showing speed and power to get round the corner and earn a 10-7 halftime lead.

Okemba then completed a hat-trick as she ran past four defenders in an arcing 40-metre burst. Chloe Jacquet got the fourth, but Okemba had the final word with a 60-metre turnover try to send the 66 000 crowd into raptures once again.

The US will face Pool B runners-up Britain, who survived a scare as they trailed 12-0 to South Africa but came through with a strong second half to win 26-17.

Ireland also went through as the best third-placed team after a fantastic effort against Australia as they fought strongly in a 19-14 defeat to give them hope for the last-eight rematch. Eve Higgins scored all of Ireland’s points with two tries and two conversions, while Maddison Levi scored for Australia to take her tally to eight tries in three pool games.

NZ OUTCLASS FIJI

Stacey Waaka scored two tries as New Zealand barely needed to get out of third gear but still utterly outclassed Fiji 38-7 as the Tokyo bronze medallists finished a wretched campaign with a third defeat.

Charity Williams scored two tries as Canada beat China 26-17 to secure second place in pool A but China, the final team to qualify for the Games by winning last month's repechage, also progressed as one of the best third-placed teams.

Japan beat Brazil 39-12 in pool C but, on the back of their two heavy defeats to France and the United States on Sunday, that was well short of the margin they needed to secure a best-third place slot.

The quarterfinals take place on Monday evening with the semis and medal matches on Tuesday.

New Zealand, Australia, France and the US - the main contenders for gold in women's rugby sevens - all secured their places in the quarterfinals with a game to spare on Sunday, chalking up two wins apiece on the first day of qualifying.

All four are likely to finish first or second in their pools but even if they suffered surprise defeats in their final games they are already guaranteed to be at least among the two best third-placed finishers.

After the extraordinary scenes of Saturday night, when France's men shocked Fiji 28-7 to win the country's first gold of the Games, there was another impressive near-capacity crowd on a sunny Sunday and they were in full voice when the hosts got under way with a 26-0 victory over 250-1 tournament outsiders Brazil.

Tries by Joanna Grisez, Chloe Pelle, Seraphine Okemba and Ian Jason were greeted by deafening cheers, but at a higher pitch than on Saturday thanks to the huge numbers of female fans and youngsters in the crowd.

The Tokyo silver medallists were then in total control from start to finish against Japan, with a hat-trick for Jason and six out of six conversions by Caroline Drouin the stand-outs in a 49-0 demolition job.

"It was just crazy. It's crazy being here with all these crowds. We didn't expect such a crowd for the first day. It’s unbelievable," said Okemba.

"The men's win was just so inspiring to see. Being here in the same stadium pushes us to be better."

Tournament favourites New Zealand were able to cruise through their first game as Michaela Blyde scored four tries in a 43-5 win over China.

They were given a stiffer test by Canada in the final match of the day, but came through smoothly enough 33-7.

Super-finisher Maddison Levi also got four as Australia opened with a 34-5 victory over South Africa.

Maddison Levi scores FOUR tries as Australia beat South Africa in their #Paris2024 opener 🇦🇺🇿🇦#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/TBm8RIuOnW

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 28, 2024

The Aussies then clicked superbly into gear in the second half against Britain as Levi completed another hat-trick.

Bienne Terita also got two as they came home 36-5.

Levi, whose sister Teagan also scored a try in each match, was another to be blown away by the atmosphere.

 "It's really special," she said. "It's kind of surreal walking out into a stadium in front of so many people. They seem to know the sport and are really respectful when needed. It’s awesome to see that, not only men’s, but women’s rugby sevens gets crowds like this."

The sisters were presented with their match shirts by their parents in front of the Eiffel Tower on Saturday night.

"There wasn’t a dry eye among the squad when it happened," she said.

Despite the defeat, Britain, having beaten Ireland in the first match of the day on Sunday, remain favourites to finish second in the pool.

Britain have the unfortunate record of finishing fourth in both previous Olympic tournaments but will need to tighten their defence if they are to make a third successive semi-final.

Ireland also put themselves in a strong position to potentially claim at least one of the best third-placed slots by pouring on 31 second-half points in a 38-0 victory over South Africa.

The United States, seeking to make the semis for the first time, secured their place in the last eight by beating Japan 36-7 then Brazil 24-5.

Pool action continues on Monday afternoon, ahead of the quarterfinals in the evening and the semis and medal matches on Tuesday.

A second podium finish in three Olympic Games have confirmed the Springbok Sevens team’s credentials as one of Team South Africa's most valuable assets, when the Blitzboks showed tremendous courage and skill to claim bronze in Paris on Saturday.

A semifinal loss against eventual gold medallists France did not break the South African spirit and the team, coached by Philip Snyman and captained by Selvyn Davids, bounced back to beat Australia for the bronze medal at the Stade de France.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞: the Blitzboks on the podium at #Paris2024 👏#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/mjqDcG7fDs

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 27, 2024

Snyman, a member of the 2016 squad that won a medal in the inaugural Rugby Sevens event, achieving a second – this time as coach – said it was more important that the credit should go to the players who made it possible, rather than his own achievement.

“We have a great management, and this win was also for those back in South Africa, but the moment belongs to the players – I am so proud of them and what they achieved here today,” said Snyman.

"We had our ups and downs, especially on the first day, but the way the team came back on the next two competition days made me so proud.

“We had our lapses and could have been in the final, but all that matters will be the bronze medals they earned today. It is so deserved to a group of guys who never stopped working and playing for their country.

“We were gutted after the France defeat, but the players showed huge courage to come out and fight for that bronze medal against Australia. I am so proud of them, as I am sure South Africa will be for their first medal at the Paris Games.”

Coach Philip Snyman shares his thoughts after our epic bronze medal win! 🥉🇿🇦 This victory is for all of South Africa! 🙌🌟#TeamSA ForMyCountry #Olympics pic.twitter.com/q78nZvmSVk

— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) July 27, 2024

For Blitzbok captain Selvyn Davids, the completion of the journey to a medal was a proud moment: “We had to come such a long way, and needed to qualify through the repechage tournament just to get to Paris, and we were the last team in.

“We were almost down and out earlier in the year, but what a comeback and what a fight by this group. It is so satisfying to see us playing to our potential and be proud Olympic medallists.

“We are proud of this medal and achievement and to know that we have done our system justice and hopefully gave South Africa something to smile about is really a great feeling,” added Davids.

🇿🇦🥉 First Medal for #TeamSA! 🥉🇿🇦#TeamSA#ForMyCountry pic.twitter.com/QsGvhUmW4c

— Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) July 27, 2024

Rosko Specman, who became the first rugby player to earn two medals at the Olympics, the second meant as much as the first achieved in Rio in 2016.

“What a journey it has been for me, to earn two medals eight years apart – that is speicial,” said Specman.

“But even more special is the journey we had to get to this point. From the dark moments in Harare, where we missed out on qualification, to Monaco, where we used our final chance.

“We may have been the last team in, but we are bronze medallists. Well done to the coaches and management who got this group to believe it is possible. And on a personal note, I would like to thank God who gave me this chance to earn a second medal in the Olympics.”

France won the men's rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, beating Fiji 28-7 in the final. South Africa beat Australia 26-19 to claim bronze.

Here are the five stand-out players aside from French superstar Antoine Dupont from the three-day tournament, which attracted 69 000-capacity crowds at each session at the Stade de France.

JERRY TUWAI (FIJI)

Jerry Tuwai was restored to a stuttering Fiji team by former captain Osea Kolinisau, who won Olympic gold as a player in Rio alongside the playmaker.

Kolinisau took over from Ben Gollings in March and the twinkle-toed Tuwai was No 1 on his shopping list.

Tuwai was instrumental in Fiji's march to the final, blending consummate handling skills with his defensive abilities as a sweeper.

The 35-year-old, who was also part of the Fijian squad that won gold at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games, brought a much-needed calm head to the team.

"Fiji is blessed to have Jerry Tuwai, you can see the leadership he brings," said Kolinisau.

"He is commanding on the field, it is like having a coach playing with the players."

AARON GRANDIDIER NKANANG (FRA)

While it was France and Toulouse 15s skipper Antoine Dupont who grabbed the headlines, a raft of other players on the French side stood out, not least Aaron Grandidier Nkanang and his impressive finishing qualities.

Born in London to a Nigerian father and French mother, he took up rugby as an 11-year-old at school in London.

In 2019 he was a member of England's development programme for rugby sevens and playing in the English third division with Old Elthamians, but he attracted interest from several French clubs, eventually joining Brive.

"To play sevens in front of 69 000 people is something I could not imagine doing in my whole life," said the 24-year-old, who scored a try in the final. "I feel so honoured to be here."

SELVYN DAVIDS (RSA)

South Africa captain Selvyn Davids has been in irrepressible form in the French capital.

The 30-year-old sevens veteran had been instrumental in dragging the Blitzbokke into the bronze medal match.

South Africa had to qualify for Paris through a repechage tournament in Monaco where they beat Britain to claim the 12th and final spot in Paris.

Davids, whose long dreadlocks make him an easy player to spot, scored a memorable try in the bronze medal match, gathering his own chip one-handed to touch down.

With the scores locked at 19 points apiece, he then made the decisive break, passing to Shaun Williams to actually dot down.

TERRY KENNEDY (IRL)

Ireland 15s full-back Hugo Keenan might have been the name most onlookers would recognise in the Irish team.

But it was Kennedy, World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2022 and nicknamed the 'silent assassin', who stood out.

The Leinster academy product, whose father also named Terry played internationally for Ireland, has been with the Irish sevens set-up since 2015.

And his experience shone through in Paris, notably when the 28-year-old playmaker scored an outstanding solo, match-winning try against the United States.

Kennedy's Ireland team were eventually beaten 17-7 by New Zealand to finish sixth in the competition.

PERRY BAKER (USA)

He may be 38, but Baker – known as 'Speedstick' and clocked at 4.34sec over 40 metres – proved that age is nothing but a number.

Baker finished the tournament as the top try scorer and has now scored a record 10 in his three Olympic Games.

"It has not really hit me. I would trade it all to be on the podium at the end of the day," said Baker, twice World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year (2017, 2018).

The flyer said he was "forever grateful... of just fighting for the last 10 years, trying to put USA rugby on a map, to try to be a top contender."

A stalwart of the American team on the sevens circuit since 2014, Baker grew up playing as a wide receiver in American football and hoped to take up that sport professionally.

After signing for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League in 2011, he was released when they discovered a knee injury that he had initially sustained during his time playing for Fairmont State University.

Inspired by global superstar Antoine Dupont, France inflicted a historic 28-7 defeat on two-time Olympic champions Fiji in a pulsating rugby sevens final Saturday, giving the hosts their first gold of the Paris Games.

France are the Men's Rugby Sevens gold medallists 🥇

They defeat Fiji to claim the first gold at #Paris2024 for the host nation 👏#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/Odl7ikHoUP

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 27, 2024

Dupont, seen by many as the world's best 15-a-side player, came off the bench to mastermind an extraordinary second-half performance that saw him score twice and create another try for Fiji's first ever Olympic loss.

Fiji got off to a flying start, breaking several French tackles and offloading sweetly to release Joseva Talacolo for a try under the posts with just over one minute on the clock.

But to the delight of a raucous Stade de France crowd, Les Bleus were quickly back on terms, Andy Timo delivering a perfectly timed pass out of contact to enable Jefferson-Lee Joseph to dot down.

French coach Jerome Daret started star man Dupont on the bench, as he has for most of the tournament, but unleashed his main playmaker at half-time with the sides level.

The impact was immediate.

Dupont broke down the wing from the restart, outpacing Fijian legend Jerry Tuwai to run half the length of the pitch and pop a try-scoring pass inside to Aaron Grandidier Nkanang.

And who else but Dupont was on hand to win it for France, a quick tap penalty catching the Fijian defence napping and darting himself under the posts.

Not content with that, Dupont dotted down after the buzzer to send the Stade de France crowd berserk with President Emmanuel Macron watching from the VIP stands.

Tu l'as quitté en pleurant, tu y reviens en champion Olympique 👏 @Dupont9A #Paris2024 @StadeFrance pic.twitter.com/KhknpMkKuX

— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) July 27, 2024

Dupont had raised eyebrows when he opted out of this season's Six Nations to concentrate on winning Olympic sevens gold but the gamble paid off gloriously.

Earlier Saturday, South Africa fought off a determined comeback effort from Australia to claim the bronze medal 26-19.

World Rugby executives have hailed the Paris Olympics as a "coming of age" moment for rugby sevens, which was introduced at the 2016 Rio Games.

They estimate that up to 550,000 fans will pack the Stade de France over the eight sessions of both the men's and women's tournaments.

"I think it's everything we could have hoped for," World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin told AFP on Saturday, with the dream final between the hosts and the undisputed kings of sevens.

The women's event kicks off on Sunday, with Australia and New Zealand seen as clear favourites.

The Springbok Sevens survived a late comeback by six-man Australia to claim South Africa’s first Olympic medal at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, winning the bronze 26-19 in a thriller.

🗣 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭!

The Blitzboks secure the Bronze medal in the Men’s Rugby Sevens 🇿🇦👏

It’s South Africa’s first medal at #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/7GEw9aqJ3l

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 27, 2024

The Blitzboks survived two late Australian tries after they had been reduced to six men by a red card for Nic Malouf, the Australian captain after a head-high shot on Tiaan Pretorius.

After Malouf left the field the Aussies scored twice to level the scores at 19-all going into the final minute of the game.

But some exceptional skill, and hard running by Shaun Williams on the outside drew just enough of the defence to let Selvyn Davids go through and cross the tryline - although he passed the ball back to Williams to dot down and get the celebrations going.

With the bench - and coach Philip Snyman in tears - the South Africans started to celebrate in the knowledge that they will get on the medal board after their earlier disappointment at losing in the semifinal to hosts France.

What a moment for the Blitzboks 🇿🇦

Look at what it meant to them 🥺

Shout to Selvyn Davids for letting Shaun Williams apply the winning touch 👏#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/35ZhcQ2oEL

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 27, 2024

In a tournament where they looked dead and buried after day one, losing their opening two matches to Ireland and New Zealand, and after a season of disappointment where they finished seventh in the World Series, changed coaches halfway through the season and had to qualify for the Olympics via the back door in the Repechage tournament in Monaco, this was a dream ending.

The Blitzboks almost didn’t even make it into the quarters, needing 21 points difference against Japan to get there, but won 45-7 and then proceeded to stun New Zealand 24 hours after they were defeated by the All Blacks 14-7.

Against France, the tense contest saw them lead 5-0 after a scoreless first half and then France scored twice to take control of the game, adding a late try to balloon the score to 17-5.

Against a partisan crowd that booed them and cheered every home team pass, it wasn’t surprising, as much as it was disappointing that a moment or two of weakness on defence cost them.

BLITZBOKS REDEEMED

But then came Australia, who were soundly beaten by Fiji in the other semifinal, and scored first through Nathan Lawson.

Having had the rub of the green against the Blitzboks this season, they were confident of victory.

Selvyn Davids got the Blitzboks on the board with a trademark individual bit of brilliance, but then Malouf’s tackle happened.

Pretorius was floored and the ball moved wide for Tristan Leyds to motor down the sideline before passing inside to Zane Davids for the try.

The try stood and Malouf saw red. And a minute later Australia bumbled the ball and Davids picked up to surge across the line for a 19-7 lead against a team without a captain and one man down.

But Australia fought back, first through Corey Tooley who kicked through and beat the chase to dot down and then Henry Paterson, who drew them level but Dietrich Roach missed the conversion.

Seconds were counting down and the Blitzboks took the initiative, and the celebrations started.

From a season that looked like an abject failure before Paris to the second Olympic rugby medal in three games.

The Blitzboks had more than made up for their season, they had redeemed themselves.

And given South Africa their first Olympic medal.

The Springbok Sevens tried hard, but in the end couldn’t repeat their incredible quarterfinal defensive performance, going down 19-5 to France in the Olympic Sevens semifinals on Saturday.

Faced with a capacity partisan crowd that booed their every move, and cheered everything on for France, the Blitzboks were defensively secure until halfway through the second half, when a defensive lapse saw Impi Visser watch Sepho Jordan blitz past him without even a tackle attempt and put Rayan Rebbadj over for the crucial try that shifted the momentum.

Thereafter the introduction of France’s favourite son, Antoine Dupont, saw them score a crucial try as 50-50 decisions went against the Boks. Called offside and still protesting the call, Dupont tapped quickly and put Jordan over to make it almost impossible for the Blitzboks to fight back.

Heartbreak for the Blitzboks as they end on the losing side against France in the Men’s Rugby Sevens semi-final.

📺 Watch them go head-to-head against Australia or Fiji at 19:00 (CAT) in the Bronze Medal match.#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/bOSHqMbODK

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 27, 2024

A third, and final try came as the Blitzboks were trying to break out of their 22 metre area, as Jordan picked up a dropped ball and simply dived over to baloon the scoreline.

The Blitzboks will now face Australia in the bronze final at 19h00 on Saturday night, giving them a chance for a medal.

It would be easy to feel sorry for the Blitzboks, but in reality their campaign was built on luck and guts more than skill. A poor season, qualifying through the back door for the Olympics and sneaking into the quarterfinals was never going to be the recipe for success.

And as commentator Rob Vickerman described their style of play as “pragmatic and robotic” and while defence would always be brave, the team never seemed to have much more than that after Quewin Nortje was ruled out with an injury.

Selvyn Davids was well-marked, Ryan Oosthuizen and Zane Davids gave their all with carries and on defence, but in the end it was the attack that was lacking, even though a defensive lapse gave France the keys to victory.

The Blitzboks only try came from Tristan Leyds, who went over in the corner after Dupont was penalised for what would have been a sensational steal and Davids tapped quickly and sent the ball wide.

 

The South African sevens team have a clear picture in their heads on what will be needed in the Stade de France at 15h30 on Saturday afternoon when they face France in the semifinals of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

That picture, according to interim head coach Philip Snyman, was partly imprinted by the Springboks 10 months ago when they outplayed France at the same venue in their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal thriller, where three former Blitzbok Olympians, made a significant contribution to the Boks’ one-point victory.

Cheslin Kolbe, Kwagga Smith and Kurt-Lee Arendse all made telling interventions that night and that will inspire the Blitzboks to follow suit, Snyman said.

“We all saw that game and how guts and determination brought the win,” said Snyman. “We are going to need that as well, apart from being clinical, especially on defence.

“France will be boosted by the massive crowd, but like the Springboks, we plan to use that as our motivation as well. They are a team that play well when they gather momentum and play with a lot of flair, but brutal defence is one way to stop that. That will be our aim tomorrow.”

There were no regular day three action at the sevens event as the opening ceremony brought a half to all sporting activities and Snyman feels that will help his team.

“Yesterday was tough and there are sore bodies, so we enjoyed the off day,” he said.

“We had two tough games against New Zealand and faced Ireland as well, so some respite today was welcome. The guys could also relax a bit, but when we have a meeting in the late afternoon, it will be all in again. The focus will be on us and our game and how we achieve the right results for the team.”

Snyman thanked his compatriots from back home and those who also form part of team South Africa for their well-wishes and support.

“I suppose we came in through the back door, but that did not stop people sending us heaps of well wishes and good luck messages. We will do our utmost not to disappoint them,” Snyman said.

The South Africa/France semifinal will be followed the second playoff, between Australia and Fiji, who won the gold medal at the last two Olympic Games.

Having scored the biggest upset at the Olympic Games, the Springbok Sevens side now faces their toughest task yet - a semifinal showdown with France that will be billed as revenge for last year’s Rugby World Cup.

The inclusion of French captain Antoine Dupont in the Sevens team is not by chance. After the Springboks’ narrow victory in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, there was always going to be some talk of revenge after their exit on rugby’s main stage.

After all, given that France’s underhanded tactics won them the right to host the 2023 World Cup, it was a sweet victory for the Springboks. But it also initiated protests, not the least from Dupont himself who had a full go at the referee after the game, and even inspired death threats to Springbok players such as Cobus Reinach.

Dupont’s comments post match will underline how personal this contest will be for him on Saturday, and for the French fans in general.

“I don’t want to be a bad loser and moan about the refereeing but I don’t think the refereeing was up to the level of what was at stake.

"It’s not just one person, there are TMOs, assistant referees, and they have time to review images as the game is going on.

“This doesn’t take anything away from South Africa’s performance, they played a great game."

Sevens is of course a very different game, and a very different approach. But the Stade de France crowd - the same stadium the Springboks achieved their historic quarterfinal win at - made their feelings clear when the Blitzboks shocked New Zealand on Thursday night.

The chorus of boos had been coming for a long time. Far from the Olympic spirit of brotherhood and Rugby’s core values, there was seething hatred in the boos that stemmed from last year’s World Cup loss.

It would be hard enough facing France in their national stadium in front of a cacophony of partisan rabid fans in any sport, but one that is hell bent on revenge will take that to a new level on Saturday afternoon as they look to give their side every advantage in the 14 minute contest.

And Dupont is a massive part of that. By far the biggest star at these Olympics, you would forgive him if revenge is in his heart. After the World Cup loss he announced he would turn to sevens to achieve an Olympic medal, and while he has won just about everything else, that night in Paris still hurts him - and his nation - more than we would know.

The addition of the lottery that is refereeing in the shortened game adds a lot of spice to the contest. In the pool rounds, Ryan Oosthuizen was yellow carded for a head clash that replays showed never saw him clash heads with his Irish opponent. On Thursday night the same Irish team went out to Fiji where the winning try looked to be a clear knock on that was ignored by the refereeing team.

The pace of the game makes referees and the TMOs make a split-second decision - far from the laborious process followed in fifteens. And while that might be praised for its brevity, it also tends to highlight the mistakes that could have been avoided with more circumspect analysis of an incident.

Either way, refereeing mistakes or not, Dupont will have one thing on his mind - winning - while the French fans will have revenge on theirs for the semifinal. France have done pretty well without him for most of their games thus far, but it is clear that come the semis, he is likely to take centre stage.

So where does that leave the Blitzboks, and their lazarus campaign that seemed dead and buried after day one. Sevens is a funny old game, one that sees two unbeaten sides on day one out and a side that lost two of their three games in the semifinal. Some may say they don’t deserve to be there, but the Blitzboks turned up when it mattered.

And given the history of big knockout games, they did what South African teams tend to do in these situations. They defended like demons, and considering the fatigue factor in sevens is far greater than fifteens, and the space even more, their defensive effort against New Zealand must rank among the best the team has ever produced on the international stage.

It had heart, belief and determination. It had passion and a never-say-die attitude. There was no way through and in the end they did what they had to do to get to the semis and keep their Olympic dream alive.

But they know Saturday’s challenge will be far greater, far tougher than what they have experienced thus far. And they know if they can keep their nerves and put the pressure on France, the fear of failure will be just as big a factor for the hosts as anything they can produce.

As coach Philip Snyman admitted after the quarterfinal win, belief was the key for this side, as it will be on Saturday in the semifinal.

“When the guys made it through to the quarterfinals, I said to them. ’gents, you must start believing’. Yesterday things didn’t go our way but you must truly believe.’ Our defence had been good but we couldn’t get the ball back.

“Tonight our defence system worked well and when we had the ball in hand we capitalised. We even left one or two tries out there. It was still not a perfect performance, but the guys fought for the system, they fought for the jersey and they fought for the country. I’m really proud of them and they deserve to be in the semifinals.”

Belief was what won the fifteens Boks the nerve to claim back-to-back World Cups and belief will be what fuels the Blitzboks on Saturday night.

And they know they will need all the belief they can get to overcome the French desire for revenge.

And Dupont’s thirst for the glory that has evaded him.

Antoine Dupont helped France to a semifinal showdown against South Africa on Saturday while Fiji survived an Irish scare to set up a last-four match-up against Australia in the Olympic rugby sevens tournament.

SuperSport looks at five takeaways from Thursday's high-octane quarterfinals going into the semis, with no play on Friday because of the opening ceremony of the Paris Games.

The semi-finals at #Paris2024 are going to be good 🤩🔥#CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/jmdHasA1Yb

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 25, 2024

FIJI: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

At the end of a hard-hitting quarterfinal, Fiji won 19-15 over Ireland, the players from both teams were left scattered around the pitch in sheer exhaustion.

Fiji, who have never lost an Olympic rugby sevens match, are the two-time defending champions but were made to put in an enormous round of defensive sets against an Irish side for whom playmaker Terry Kennedy shone once again.

A Waisea Nacuqu try two minutes from time sealed the win for the misfiring South Sea Islanders.

New coach Osea Kolinisau, who captained Fiji to gold when sevens made its Olympic debut in Rio, will no doubt have some ideas about how his side can improve for their semifinal against Australia.

DUPONT EFFECT

France superstar Antoine Dupont was on the bench for Thursday's final pool match and the quarterfinal against Argentina which the Olympic hosts won 26-14.

The France 15s captain had started both pool matches on Wednesday, scoring a decisive try to help secure Les Bleus' place in the quarters.

But coach Jerome Daret fell back on familiar faces for the start of the crunch match against Los Pumas, the impressive Stephen Parez-Edo Martin, a sevens specialist, slipping seamlessly into the playmaker role.

When Dupont did come on, with five minutes to go, the partisan, 69 000-capacity crowd at the Stade de France erupted in a deafening atmosphere rarely, if ever, matched in the stadium.

In a fairytale ending to the last-eight match, who else could it have been but Dupont to jink away and produce an acrobatic dive for an injury-time try to ensure France a place in the semifinals against South Africa.

CLASSY DAVIDS INSPIRES BLITZBOKS

South Africa captain Selvyn Davids was irrepressible in his team's rip-roaring 14-7 victory over New Zealand.

Crazy that the @Blitzboks are the only semi-finalists from Pool A and they finished behind NZL and IRE 😲👇#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/a7m0hrre1O

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 25, 2024

The veteran barged through for the opening try and then conjured up the second.

Chasing down his own fly-hack, he cleverly slid and smothered the ball, turning and popping it up into the hands of Tristan Leyds.

The 30-year-old Davids then produced two try-saving tackles in a tight second period in a consummate display of leading from the front.

"People back home did not think we had a chance but where there is a will, there is a way. And the guys put it together and got the 'W' against New Zealand," said Leyds in reference to the fact the Boks only qualified for the Olympics through a repechage tournament.

AUSTRALIAN DARK HORSES

Australia topped their pool B with wins over Samoa, Kenya and Argentina.

They ran out 18-0 victors over the United States in their quarter, never looking like conceding any points to the toothless Americans.

The Wallabies' tight pressing game and strong defence will prove a real test for Fiji.

UNPOPULAR ARGENTINA

Los Pumas were roundly booed and whistled at each of their games at the Stade de France.

The country's football team were also given a hostile reception in their opening match against Morocco on Wednesday after a recent racism scandal following their senior side's Copa America triumph.

Fifa has announced an investigation into the chants sung by Argentina players after they won the Copa America with a 1-0 final victory over Colombia.

The Argentinian rugby players have been left bemused by their reception, insisting they play a different sport.

"If the crowd is with us, it is very motivating, but when they are against us, as we could see they are here, it is also something to enjoy," said Gaston Revol.

Global rugby superstar Antoine Dupont inspired France to a thrilling 26-14 Olympic sevens quarterfinal win over Argentina on Friday on a pulsating night at the Stade de France that also saw the mighty New Zealand suffer a shock exit.

Meanwhile, double gold medallists Fiji survived a huge scare from an outstanding Ireland, narrowly retaining their unvanquished Olympic record with a dramatic come-from-behind 19-15 win.

Fiji's remarkable run at the Olympics continues 🔥🔥

They are into another semi-final 🇫🇯💪#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/nkVhPqg6vJ

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 25, 2024

France had flattered to deceive in the pool phase but finally justified their pre-tournament favourite tag, blitzing bitter rivals Argentina with three first-half tries.

Aaron Grandidier Nkanang wowed the crowd with two of these, the second an acrobatic dive into the corner that was arguably the best finish of the tournament so far.

Argentina, who had already been jeered at every match and received an extra loud hostile reception, pulled a try back early in the second half through Rodrigo Isgro.

This prompted French coach Jerome Daret to unleash the talismanic Dupont, seen by many as the world's greatest 15-a-side player, with five minutes remaining.

A yellow card for Jordan Sepho came at the worst possible time for France and Los Pumas capitalised on the man advantage to pull back another try, setting up a nervy climax.

But France hung on valiantly and Dupont put the icing on the cake with a fairytale solo effort after the buzzer to set up a semifinal against South Africa.

"Playing in a stadium like that gave me emotions I've never felt before in my life," said Grandidier Nkanang.

"I never imagined I would one day play in front of 69 000 people. Perhaps we finally realised we were playing at the Olympics – at home!"

'GRUELLING ENCOUNTER'

Fiji had looked irresistible in the pool phases, turning around a poor season by their own high standards to rediscover their trademark flair.

And the undisputed kings of sevens were on the board within a minute of their quarterfinal against Ireland, Iosefo Baleiwairiki racing clear to touch down under the posts.

However, the expected procession failed to materialise and Ireland bounced back through Chay Mullins and then took an unlikely halftime lead, as Mark Roche bundled over the line.

Ireland extended their advantage early in the second half, Zac Ward squeezing into the corner, leaving Fiji with a mountain to climb in the last five minutes.

More heartbreak for Ireland in quarter-finals 🇮🇪💔#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/v8aJihLiqU

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 25, 2024

But the Fijians have never lost an Olympic rugby match and were not about to give up their crown easily, a Joji Nasova effort and a Waisea Nacuqu try from the restart handing them back the lead.

Ireland pressed desperately in the closing seconds but Fiji clung on, as both sets of players sunk to their knees after a gruelling encounter.

SCORELESS SECOND HALF

Ireland had been hoping to emulate South Africa, who dumped out rugby superpower and Tokyo silver medallists New Zealand in the night's first quarterfinal.

The All Blacks had beaten South Africa in their earlier pool A clash but it was the Blitzboks that took the lead this time, as veteran captain Selvyn Davids burst through two defenders to score under the posts.

Minutes later, Davids starred again, kicking from his own 22, outpacing Dylan Collier to the ball, securing possession and flipping up to Tristan Leyds for an easy dot down.

All Black Moses Leo hit back with a try to halve the New Zealand deficit on the stroke of halftime.

South Africa somehow survived wave after wave of All Black pressure to keep the second half scoreless to run out 14-7 winners – a huge achievement for a side who came through the repechage.

The final quarterfinal of the night saw Australia see off the United States in a relatively comfortable 18-0 win, setting up a last-four clash with Fiji.

Thursday's atmosphere and drama was exactly what World Rugby had hoped for at the Paris Olympics, with chief executive Alan Gilpin saying the Games represented a "coming of age" moment for rugby sevens.

Springbok Sevens interim head coach Philip Snyman praised his team after their stunning victory over New Zealand in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a win that will see them contest for a medal when they face France at 15h30 on Saturday in the semifinals of the tournament.

South Africa beat Japan 49-5 to sneak into the playoffs – they had to win by 21 points or more – and then showed sheer determination to eliminate New Zealand by 14-7.

“They deserve to be in the semifinals, as they have executed and delivered everything, I have asked from them today,” Snyman said after the match.

“We did not play poorly on day one, we just could not get our hands on the ball, but today was a different performance, a really inspiring one.

“We needed to win big against Japan and scored seven well-worked tries, but against New Zealand, our defence was going to be crucial, and I am so proud of how the guys responded.”

Snyman said he had a good feeling about the ability of the players selected to travel to the world showpiece.

“Once we made it into the quarters, I told them to start believing that it is possible,” said Snyman.

“I had a good feeling about the ability of the side, so once we were into the last eight, it was time to remind them of that.

“This was such a great win, built on defence and work-rate, while we struck when we needed to. In fact, we left another try or two out there. These guys deserve to contest for a medal, they showed that tonight.”