France secured their spot in the Olympic rugby sevens knockout phase on Wednesday but struggled to meet their pre-tournament favorites tag. Meanwhile, Kenya lost two consecutive matches, and Fiji demonstrated their dominance.
Les Bleus entered the competition with high expectations, bolstered by the presence of Antoine Dupont, considered one of the best players in the 15-a-side game.
However, they were held to a surprising 12-12 draw by the United States in their first Pool C match, followed by a narrow 19-12 win over Uruguay. Dupont received the loudest cheer of the night for his impressive try, sprinting half the length of the pitch.
In a back-and-forth match, France initially led, but Uruguay equalized. A burst of speed from Jefferson-Lee Joseph finally secured the win for France, much to the relief of the 69,000-strong crowd.
“If we don’t raise our level, we won’t go very far. We know that and we’re capable of doing much better,” Dupont said after the match. “We struggled to impose our game plan and keep the ball.”
Fiji, the reigning Olympic champions, have recently faced a dip in form but showed a resurgence under new coach Osea Kolinisau. They delivered a stunning 40-12 victory over Uruguay and followed it up with a 38-12 win against the United States, showcasing their trademark offloads and speed.
Fiji will face France next in a highly anticipated match to decide the pool winner.
French player Jean-Pascal Barraque was candid about their performance: “We didn’t really enjoy ourselves on the pitch, and neither did the crowd. At least we made all our mistakes today, so tomorrow can only be better.”
Reported By AFP.
