In the first game of the Olympic Rugby Sevens tournament at Stade de France, it was a promising start for the Irish team with a 10-5 victory over South Africa’s Blitzboks during their second Olympic appearance. The Irish team, in their strong form, were able to secure two tries against one try from South Africa, maintaining the majority control of the ball throughout the game.
Not without challenges, the Irish team’s initial possession in the first half didn’t seem too promising, however, Jordan Conroy’s try, just before halftime, boosted team morale. The touchdown came following several attacks by the Irish, confirming Conroy’s proficiency on the try line. Entering second half, the South Africans started strong, however, the Irish players including Terry Kennedy and Harry McNulty, confidently stood their ground.
A high tackle on Gavin Mullin by Ryan Oosthuizen led to a yellow card and an advantage for the Irish. This advantage continued with an incredible play in the 13th minute by Terry Kennedy, securing their second try, providing the lead they strived for. With a late try from South African captain, Selvyn Davids, it was too late to thwart an Irish victory.
Upcoming matches for the Irish team include Japan on Wednesday evening and New Zealand on Thursday. With a structure of four teams in three pools, the top two from each and two of the best third place teams would qualify for the quarterfinal. The teams are then ranked from one to eight for the quarterfinal draw. This victory serves as an excellent start for Ireland in the tournament.
The Irish team comprised H McNulty, M Roche, Z Ward, J Conroy, H Keenan, T Kennedy, n Comerford along with replacements of J Kelly, A Smith, C Mullins, H Lennox, and G Mullin.
The South African team includes C Grobbelaar, R Oosthuizen, Z Davids, Q Nortje, T Leyds, S Davids, and S van Wyk with I Visser, T Pretorius, S Williams, R Specman, and S Soyizwapi coming in as the substitutes. The match will be officiated by the Italian referee, G Gnecchi.