In the Men’s Sevens 5th-8th placement semi-final, Ireland clinched a hard-fought victory against the USA, with a score of 17-14. The match, held at the Stade de France, came alive when Terry Kennedy scored a pivotal try during extra time, marking a significant turnaround for Ireland. The win earned Ireland a spot in the 5th-place final versus New Zealand scheduled for 5.30pm, as per Irish local time.
Ireland’s performance was highlighted by late tries, with Zac Ward’s final minute effort reflecting his impressive form during the Olympic Games. Despite Mark Roche failing to make a converting kick, Ireland remained within striking distance at 12-14 behind.
Kennedy, known for his game-breaking skills, lived up to his reputation by overpowering USA’s Marcus Tupuola across the line, steering the latter team to a 7th-place final against Argentina. Argentina had previously lost to the All Blacks, 17-12.
The Irish team made a strong initial impression thanks to Hugo Lennox scoring their first try within 33 seconds, later converting the drop-kick himself to give Ireland a 7-0 advantage.
American player Aaron Cummings replied with a try at the brink of the first half’s end. A successful conversion by Steve Tomasin evened out the scoreboard at half-time. Perry Baker, another US star, furthered their lead halfway into the second half, with Tomasin increasing the score to 14-7 with a second conversion.
Facing the prospect of a third consecutive defeat following losses to New Zealand and Fiji, it was Ward and Kennedy that turned the tide for Ireland, in supercharged final moments, setting up a potential rematch with the All Blacks.
In the gold medal semi-finals, France, the hosting nation, demonstrated dominance over South Africa – one of Ireland’s pool competitors, scoring a 19-5 victory in the presence of an energetic home crowd.
The formidable Fiji team are set to battle it out in the final against their newest opponents, expecting to start at 6.45pm Ireland standard time. This comes after the dual Olympic victors displayed an unmatched strength in the latter half of their semi-final match, securing a commanding victory of 31-7 against Australia. Fiji’s track record in the tournament includes an impressive triumph over France, ending in a close scoreline of 19-12 during the Pool C match. The Fijian team is yet to be defeated in Olympic history, boasting a winning streak of 17 consecutive matches spanning over three Olympic Games, and previously clinching gold in both Rio and Tokyo events.