New Zealand start strongly in Paris

New Zealand defeated Japan 40-12 and South Africa 17-5 to sit atop Pool A on an action-packed opening day at the Stade de France.

Pool A

New Zealand concluded the opening day of the Olympics Sevens with a commanding 17-5 victory over South Africa.

Though scores were tied 5-5 after five minutes, New Zealand didn’t appear in any danger of losing the game. South Africa was forced into gritty defense as the Kiwis were miserly holding possession.

A highlight for New Zealand was the speed and precision of their offloads. Freed by Leroy Carter, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black delivered an outrageous behind-the-back pass to a startled Andrew Knewstubb who juggled the ball and carried it within five metres of the South African line. Quick possession followed and Moses Leo finished.

At 10-5, Leo would sprint 40 metres after a skip pass travelled half the field by Carter. New Zealand’s best try was their second to regain the lead. Five passes were delivered with, Knewstubb not looking in the presence of two defenders to release McGarvey-Black.

New Zealand started their campaign with a routine 40-12 victory over Japan. Japan tried to outfox New Zealand from the kick-off with a shallow restart but McGarvey-Black was alert, catching on the full and busting to the Japanese 22.

New Zealand hit the left flank and eventually found a gap for Akuila Rokolisoa to exploit. Rokolisoa spent much of the season injured with a fractured hip.

With their first usage of possession, Japan again employed a crafty kick. Josua Kerevi (brother of Wallaby Samu Kerevi) booted to space and Shotaro Tsuoka outpaced all chasers.

Fehi Fineanganofo, a product of Auckland Grammar School, restored New Zealand’s advantage at the restart ascendency fending off an opposing defender and striding clear.

Fineanganofo had a second a short while later following a McGarvey-Black offload in traffic.

McGarvey-Black completed the first half scoring after a tigerish charge by captain Scott Curry. The 37-year-old is in his third Olympics.

McGarvey-Black was New Zealand’s most impressive performer. Along with Rokolisoa he added a second try and pulled off a try-saving tackle on Yoshiyuki Koga.

Ireland edged South Africa 10-5 in a vital Pool A clash. It took almost the entire first spell for the deadlock to be broken. Jordan Conroy (123 tries in 171 SVNS matches) cruised over after an offload from the bustling Zack Ward. Conroy had fumbled over the line two minutes earlier.

South Africa was starved of possession and things went from bad to worse when Ryan Oosthuizen was yellow-carded. Terry Kennedy, the top try scorer in the 2023-24 SVNS season, spotted the extra space hurdling over a ruck, and sending the sprawling Blitzboks tacklers to the floor with his sparkling feet.

When restored to a full complement, South Africa rallied. Quewin Nortjue couldn’t reign in a kick over the try line, but Irish anxiety peaked with 15 seconds to spare as Rosko Specman set up Selvyn Davis. There was time for the restart, but South Africa couldn’t mount a last-ditch attack.   

Ireland easily accounted for Japan 40-5 in their second match of the day.

Regan Ware took a heavy knock towards the end of the South African game. Though he remained on the field, Ware looked ginger in his third Olympics, 

Pool B

SVNS league champions Argentina tops the group foiling Keyna 31-12 and Samoa 28-12. Keyna held the Pumas to 12-12 after nine minutes but Argentina pulled clear with three tries, including a strike by gun Marcos Moneta returning from injury. 

The burly and experienced Matías Osadczuk was a standout with two tries in the win over Samoa. Samoa has disappointed in 2023-2024 winning just eight of 39 matches in the SVNS series.

Australia were SVNS Series champions in 2022, but only won half of their 44 matches last season. However, the Aussies made a good start with wins over Samoa 21-14 and Keyna 21-7.

Veteran flyer Henry Hutchinson scored two tries against Samoa who at least had the honour of scoring the first try of the Olympics to Motu Opetai. Hutchison is Australia’s all-time SVNS series leading try-scorer with 118.

Notable additions for Australia include former Wallabies winger Mark Nawaqanitawase and 2022 SVNS Series Rookie of the Year Corey Toole. Toole scored a long range runaway against Keyna.

Toole was Australia’s top try-scorer when they won the SVNS series with 43. Australia won 27 of their 31 matches that season when he scored at least one try. Toole has scored 17 tries in 27 Super Rugby Pacific matches for the Brumbies.

Pool C

World Cup and Olympic champions Fiji haven’t won an SVNS Cup tournament in 22 events but caught fire in extending their Olympics winning streak to 14 in a row – outpacing Uruguay 40-12 and USA  38-12.

Fiji scored 13 tries across both matches with seven individuals dotting down. Jioji Nasova, the only player in the squad to debut in the SVNS this year, scored twice against Uruguay. Iowane Teba, who’s overcome a bundle of injuries, scored a double against the USA. Fiji conceded the first try against the America’s but scored five before halftime in a blistering display.

Fiji’s is coach Osea Kolinisau captained their gold medal winning team at Rio 2016, and features on Fiji’s commemorative seven dollar bank note that was issued following their first Olympic medal in any sport. He is still their fourth all-time leading try-scorer (122) and second all-time leading point-scorer (1272) in SVNS history, and only took over the head coach role in Hong Kong this season.

Hosts France looked decidedly shaky in drawing 12-12 with the USA and overcoming Uruguay 19-12. Twice France surrendered the lead against the USA, who meekly kicked the ball out from a scrum 40 meters short of the French try line when they had the last chance to attack.

A desperate tackle by Orrin Bizer forcing Frenchman Rayan Rebbadj to lose the ball over the try line might be one of the most important moments of the Olympics. The top team from each of the three groups qualifies for the quarter-finals, joined by the two best-ranked third-placed sides.

Jordon Sepho stands 6 ft 5,108 kg and bursts 37km an hour at full pace. He was impressive in both matches and scored a key try against the USA.

Superstar Antoine Dupont fended off three players and sprinted 50 metres to score a try against Uruguay, but it was Jordan Joseph who delivered the crucial blow at 12-12.

The USA were 22-18 on the SVNS series this season. They have named five survivors from Tokyo 2020 in their 12-man squad, with Perry Baker, Madison Hughes, Steve Tomasin, Matai Leuta and captain Kevon Williams all returning. Baker has scored 293 tries in the SVNS. Only England’s Dan Norton with 358 has more.

Uruguay won 14 of 18 matches in the World Rugby Sevens Challenger series. Diego Ardao, Bautista Basso and Juan González are their most threatening players.

Key Numbers

2 – The number of draws in Olympics Sevens and ironically both are the same scoreline. In the 2016 Rio Olympics eventual champions Australia drew 12-12 with the USA. Emma Tonegato, later a Daly M Medal winner as the best player in the Women’s NRL, scored two tries for Australia. Jessica Javelet, a USA field hockey representative, scored twice for the USA.

6 - Tries scored by Argentina speedster Marcos Moneta, the most in the men’s competition at Tokyo 2020, matching the record of USA’s Carlin Isles set in Rio.

8 - The players with two Olympic medals. Seven of New Zealand’s gold medallists in captain Sarah Hirini, Kelly Brazier, Gayle Broughton, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Ruby Tui and Portia Woodman, and Fiji captain Jerry Tuwai. The latter is the only one with two golds.

12 – Half of Samoa’s Olympic athletes are Sevens players.

18 - The number of matches at Tokyo 2020 to be decided by seven points or less, 10 in the men’s competition and eight in the women’s event 18 – The number of nations in total to have played on the Olympic stage across.

195 -Tries scored across the 34 matches in the men’s competition at Tokyo 2020, an increase of 20 on Rio 2016.