Ireland started brightly in their debut at the Olympic Sevens tournament taking place at Stade de France. The match was a victory for Ireland in their second ever showing at the Olympic Games and the team reported by Johnny Watterson. The Irish side had a significant advantage throughout the game against the South African Blitzboks courtesy of a two-try strike. The opposition managed only a late try in response. The outcome of the clashes was declared as Ireland 10, South Africa 5, with Terry Kennedy demonstrating skill with a sidestep that saw him effortlessly beat Williams and touch down on the wing. However, the team had not time to rest, with their next match against Japan commencing at 8pm. Ireland is expected to dominate the match, given that Japan was defeated by New Zealand by a staggering 40-12 in the previous match. The Irish squad includes players such as Jack Kelly, Andrew Smith, Harry McNulty (captain), Chay Mullins, Hugo Lennox, Terry Kennedy, and Gavin Mullin, with others like Mark Roche, Zac Ward, Jordan Conroy, Hugo Keenan, and Niall Comerford as substitutes. The game concluded with a penalty for Ireland and thereby closing the game. A check by the TMO revealed a high tackle by Oosthuizen who proceeded to receive a yellow card, sidelining him for two minutes.
Following are the key moments from a rugby match between Ireland and South Africa, detailed in chronological order.
The game began with the Irish team, led by Harry McNulty, winning an early penalty. Players like Mark Roche, Zac Ward, Jordan Conroy, Hugo Keenan, Terry Kennedy, and Niall Comerford, who were in the starting lineup, maintained possession but were unable to secure an initial breakthrough. Replacements included Jack Kelly, Andrew Smith, Chay Mullins, Hugo Lennox, and Gavin Mullin.
It was only four minutes into the game that Ireland managed to move up the pitch, with Kennedy making a smart grubber kick that he then chased, but sadly couldn’t reach in time before it went out of the endline.
Six minutes in, an Irish try had to be disallowed. Roche showcased his power as Ireland forced a scrum from a knock-on. The South African side had hardly had any of the ball, and despite Ward’s strong break followed by good passing which led Conroy through, there were no Irish scores.
Not long after, Ireland successfully scored their first try. Following a clearout by South Africa and a persistent offensive effort by the Irish, a superb offload from Ward to Conroy resulted in a comfortable score.
The first half of the match concluded with Ireland leading South Africa 5-0. Ireland had a commanding 90% possession.
The second half started nine minutes into the game, with South Africa obtaining a line-out within the 22. However, Ireland won a penalty at the breakdown, and Hugo Lennox turned over the ball.
Not much later, South Africa had a chance for a try. In a surprise twist, Ireland lost the lineout, leading to swift ball possession by South Africa. But an ensuing smart kick saw South Africa’s Nortje knock on just before the line, serving as a caution to Ireland.
Having reached the halfway mark, for those seeking more insights and need to know guidance on the match, John O’Sullivan is a considered a knowledgeable authority on rugby.
The South Africa team information was not provided.
Greetings and thank you for joining us for the live broadcast of the inaugural match of the Olympics involving the Ireland Rugby Sevens squad, where they’ll face off against South Africa in Paris, scheduled to begin at 4:30 in the afternoon. The Irish squad will later engage Japan at 8 o’clock in the evening. With each match lasting just under a quarter of an hour, it’s a fast-paced version of rugby. Hugo Keenan, a well-recognised player, is part of the squad. To secure a spot in the quarter-finals, Ireland have to place as one of the top two teams, or be among the two third-spot teams with the most points from the three pools.
The primary distinctions from the 15-player squad are that scores are made from dropped goals, instead of tee kicks, scrums are challenged by a trio of forwards, and yellow cards result in a two-minute penalty. Ireland, in a challenging group, will be competing against New Zealand tomorrow.
The tournament is structured with three pools, each comprising four teams. All teams will compete against the others in their respective pool over the first pair of days. Both the top two teams from each pool, as well as the top two third-place squads, will advance to the quarter finals. The teams will be ranked one through eight for the quarter-final draw. The four squads knocked out in the group stage will partake in a consolation tournament along with the quarter-final losers.