Canada break French hearts as women’s Olympic Sevens semi-finals confirmed
French hopes of a golden Olympic double were extinguished on Monday as they suffered an agonising 19-14 defeat to Canada in the women’s sevens quarter-finals.
The hosts led 14-7 early in the second half but Piper Logan’s second try of the match levelled the scores before Chloe Daniels earned Canada a hard-fought victory and their place in the Paris 2024 semi-finals.
Les Bleues Sevens had one last chance to revive their gold medal hopes from the restart but were unable to find a way through the Canadian defence.
Canada will play Rio 2016 champions Australia in the semi-finals after the SVNS Grand Final winners eased to a 40-7 victory against Ireland in the last match of day two.
Maddison Levi ran in a hat-trick against the Irish to set a new Olympic record for the number of tries scored at a single Games. She has now crossed the whitewash 11 times in only four matches.
Meanwhile, SVNS League Winners and defending Olympic champions New Zealand were in dominant form as they cruised past China in the opening quarter-final on Monday.
The Black Ferns Sevens had beaten the same opposition 43-5 in the pool stage, and they were even more ruthless in the last eight, running in nine tries to rack up the most points ever scored in a women’s match at the Games, winning 55-5.
Co-captain Sarah Hirini, Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Michaela Blyde and Mahina Paul each crossed the whitewash twice while Portia Woodman-Wickliffe’s score at the end of the first half took her Olympic record tally to 17.
New Zealand will play USA on Tuesday after the Women’s Eagles Sevens recovered from conceding an early try against Great Britain to secure their place in a first Olympic semi-final.
Ellie Boatman opened the scoring in the second minute at Stade de France, but USA hit back through Naya Tapper, Kristi Kirshe and Sammy Sullivan to inflict a first Olympic quarter-final defeat on Team GB.
Earlier, in the ninth-place semi-finals, Japan beat South Africa 15-12 before Brazil secured a 28-22 victory against Fiji with a stunning final-minute try.
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I would enjoy a bit more openness from Razor, has far more closed door and hedgy than I expected.
We haven't heard much from him on his choice of captain, have we? Normally a coach would come out and say something like "I think Scott is the right person to lead us forward and win 27', but he hasn't? He also hasn't said the opposite that he was simply the best choice to take this team through the next year or two of acclimatization has has he? I do wonder where we stand with Barrett, and I'm not confident that also isn't a feeling amongst the group/nz rugby.
DMacs tactical kicking lacks ryhme or reason to you. That's understandable as it is very different. And you maybe be right, if your only basis for that comment is that it's not tactically astute, that would be a very fair debate. It's arguable that Razor has let him see the space and use it when he thinks it's on, we all know he has some very aggressive natural instincts. But if you haven't watched Super Rugby we also know he has a very succinct tactical mind. It's only his 6 or 7th game at this level as the first five, and less under Razor, they both do need to be allowed more time together to find the best balance (if they haven't already). As far as results go I'd suggest that he has contributed for more proportionately, and respectively to his predecessor, to their running game, and encourage you to see that. Look at how he draws the line, finds the right runner, knows when and how to get it wide.
Leon is just not really got the right idea when it comes to coaching. That is pretty obvious now. His way might be great for some team, maybe in another country, and with the right people. But he certainly didn't chose the right people in the past. He has part of a long overdue change I would suggest, which only goes to strengthen Razors position, and make your view "myopic".
That's just a reply to your op that cuts to the teeth if you like that sort more.
Go to commentsdid bongi mbonambi make tom curry live in a bantustan?
apartheid wasn't - and isn't - just some people being mean to one another. Its a political and economic system.
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