Olympic Rugby Sevens: Ireland's medal hopes end as Fiji fight back ...

The replay for Fiji’s match-winning try sure looks like there was a Fiji knock-on rather than Hugo Keenan’s hand from the kick-off. But there was no referee intervention despite the Irish players asking the question.

That’s it for tonight from the Olympics. Johnny Watterson’s report from the Stade de France will be here soon and we’ll be back with more Olympic coverage over the weekend with the Ireland women’s Sevens in action.

Good night!

This one will hurt Ireland too after playing so well to take the lead they gifted Fiji a return back into the game through mistakes. Hugo Keenan will not want to look back on the endgame as he was involved in two kick-offs that gifted a try and possession to Fiji at the worst possible time.

Ireland finally lose possession and Fiji kick the ball dead and that’s that.

FULL-TIME: Fiji 19 Ireland 15

Another Irish penalty and they go again.

Ireland opt for the scrum on the Fiji 40

Fiji offside and Ireland get another penalty.

Ireland get a penalty and again kick down the line.

Ireland will have the final possession as they win the lineout.

Hugo Keenan again at fault from the kick-off and Fiji have a scrum.

TRY FIJI

Waisea Nacuqu goes over after Hugo Keenan’s error from the kick-off

Fiji 19 Ireland 15

TRY FIJI - Joji Nasova

Conversion is missed so Ireland lead 15-12 with 2 and a half minutes left.

4th minute: Terry Kennedy tries to kick and chase up the line but the ball goes into touch to give Fiji possession

And Fiji are making all the errors at the Stade de France. Scrum Ireland

5 minutes to play and Ireland are 8 points up. Wow!

POSSIBLE TRY IRELAND

Given and Ireland lead Fiji 15-7 after Zac Ward gets over in the corner

Second half - 2nd minute: Ireland enjoying a spell of possession at the start of the second half.

The second half is underway at the Stade de France.

Ireland have done brilliantly since giving up that early score with Ward’s lung-bursting runs and Mullins’s top-drawer finishing giving them the lead at the break.

TRY IRELAND

Chay Mullins grabs his second and Roche again misses the conversion

Half-time: Ireland 10 Fiji 7

6 mins: Ireland attacking in the final minute of the half. Penalty to Ireland. Ireland opt for the scrum.

5th minute: TRY IRELAND

Chay Mullins gets over after a fine run and after a TMO it’s awarded. Mark Roche missed the conversion attempt.

Fiji 7 Ireland 5

3 minutes: Zac Ward shows his power with a fantastic leg drive and Ireland win a penalty and kick down the line.

1st minute: Iosefo Baleiwairiki gallops through a pretty poor Irish defence and Fiji take the lead

Fiji 7 Ireland 0

And we’re off and running in Paris

The teams are on the pitch and Ireland are in a huddle. New Zealand’s Nick Hogan is tonight’s referee

Just time to catch your breath before the Ireland v Fiji game gets underway in 5 minutes

Full-time: France 26 Argentina 14 - Antoine Dupont - who else - scores the sealing try for France and the hosts will face South Africa in the semi-finals.

Argentina have fought back here with two tries and it’s now France 21 Argentina 14 with just over 2 minutes to go

France start the second half 21-0 up on Argentina

The starting line-ups are posted for the Ireland v Fiji game and Hugo Keenan is named among the replacements, with Gavin Mullin coming into the side in the only change to the run-on team from the loss to New Zealand.

IRELAND

3 Harry McNulty (capt)

4 Mark Roche

5 Zac Ward

7 Jordan Conroy

10 Terry Kennedy

11 Gavin Mullin

12 Niall Comerford

Replacements

1 Jack Kelly

2 Andrew Smith

6 Chay Mullins

8 Hugo Keenan

9 Hugo Lennox

FIJI

2 Joseva Talacolo

5 Iosefo Baleiwairiki

9 Jerry Tuwai (capt)

10 Iowane Teba

11 Kaminieli Rasaku

12 Selesitino Ravutaumada

13 Raisuqe Josaia

Replacements

1 Joji Nasova

3 Jeremaia Matana

7 Terio Tamani Veilawa

8 Waisea Nacuqu

14 Filipe Sauturaga

Fiji’s starting side unchanged from the win over France earlier.

France have scored twice in two minutes and the Stade de France has erupted as the hosts lead 14-0 in the first half.

The second quarter-final sees hosts France take on Argentina, with Ireland and Fiji after that.

Well maybe Ireland can look to the first quarter-final as the Blitzboks have stunned the All Blacks in winning 14-7 to make the semi-finals.

Good evening and welcome back to our coverage of the men’s Rugby Sevens quarter-final between two-times champions Fiji and Ireland at the Stade de France.

The game kicks-off at 9.0pm Irish time and Ireland will have to put aside the fact that they left a gilt-edged opportunity behind them against New Zealand earlier in the day by letting slip a 12-0 lead at half-time to lose 14-12 to the All Blacks in their final Pool A game.

It puts the mighty Fiji in Ireland’s way to the medal matches and it’s a rather large roadblock.

Rugby Sevens is the national sport of the Pacific Island nation and their domination since the event was introduced back in Rio in 2016 is complete.

They’ve played 15 matches and won all 15 to date, on an average scoreline of 27.6 to 11, hammering Great Britain 43-7 in the final in Rio and the All Blacks by 27-12 in Tokyo three years ago.

Earlier this afternoon they beat hosts France 19-12 in their final pool game, meaning they have beaten the host nation in the last three Olympic Games.

Here’s a list of their 15 wins to date

2016

Fiji 40 Brazil 12

Fiji 21 Argentina 14

Fiji 24 USA 19

QF Fiji 12 NZ 7

SF Fiji 20 Japan 5

F Fiji 43 GB 7

2020 (took place in 2021)

Fiji 24 Japan 19

Fiji 28 Canada 14

Fiji 33 GB 7

QF Fiji 19 Australia 0

SF Fiji 26 Argentina 14

F Fiji 27 NZ 12

2024

Fiji 40 Uruguay 12

Fiji 38 USA 12

Fiji 19 France 12

Right then, so what do Ireland have to do to pull off the upset of all upsets in the quarter-final?

Well firstly they’ll need a performance over 14 minutes, rather than the excellent first half followed by poor second half we saw against New Zealand earlier.

And they’ll mist certainly have to get rid of the missed tackles as Fiji will ruthlessly exploit any opportunities that arise this evening.

Join me later on for Ireland’s quarter-final match at 9pm

Ireland have a final possession but New Zealand win the penalty and that is that.

So Ireland must face the mighty Fiji in tonight’s quarter-finals, with the game kicking off at 9.0pm Irish time, 10pm in Paris if you’re lucky to have a ticket for the Stade de France.

The missed Ireland tackles in the build-up to Ngarohi McGarvey-Black’s try were crucial in the end, with Andrew Knewstubb’s conversion a great drop-goal conversion under pressure.

New Zealand v South Africa, 8.0

Argentina v France, 8.30

Fiji v Ireland, 9.0

Australia v USA, 9.30

If Ireland can bring Fiji’s unbeaten Olympic record to an end they will face the winners of the Australia v USA quarter-final in Saturday’s semi-finals.

Replacements on both sides as we enter the last two minutes with Ireland still leading by 5 points.

New Zealand 7 Ireland 12

Ireland miss a couple of key tackles and here come the All Blacks

TRY NEW ZEALAND - Ngarohi McGarvey-Black

New Zealand 14 Ireland 12

New Zealand land the conversion so Ireland need to win possession from the kick-off

4th minute: Ireland with plenty of possession and the All Blacks are feeling the pace of this game

5th minute: Ireland have a penalty close to the line

Ireland don’t release on the ground and New Zealand have possession

Second half is underway

1st minute: New Zealand 7 Ireland 12 - Leroy Carter runs in right under the post after a couple of missed tackles from Ireland.

HALF-TIME: New Zealand 0 Ireland 12: Jordan Conroy gets over but it’s gone to the TMO. It’s been given and Ireland lead 12-0 at the break after Roche converts.

Jordan Conroy took a knock in scoring that try and not sure yet if he’ll be able to continue. Looks like a thigh muscle injury.

New Zealand 0 Ireland 5 - TRY ZAC WARD

Proud day for the Ward family, dad Andy with a foot in both camps having been born in New Zealand before moving to Ballynahinch, Ulster and Ireland.

New Zealand 0 Ireland 0

4th minute: The All Blacks also sloppy with ball in hand as both sides showing nerves in Paris. ABs done for not releasing in the tackle and another kick for possession from Mark Roche.

3rd minute: Hugo Keenan knocks on with the line at his mercy and that is a butchered opportunity

We are underway in Paris

1st minute: Ireland win a penalty and Mark Roche kicks for possession and Ireland’s lineout clicks and we have a first look at Terry Kennedy in action. Good start and a second penalty for Ireland.

The teams head out on the pitch with a huge Stade de France crowd giving Ireland a great ovation. Plenty of green in the crowd. Australia’s Jordan Way is this afternoon’s referee.

IRELAND

3 Harry McNulty (capt)

4 Mark Roche

5 Zac Ward

7 Jordan Conroy

8 Hugo Keenan

10 Terry Kennedy

12 Niall Comerford

Replacements

1 Jack Kelly

2 Andrew Smith

6 Chay Mullins

9 Hugo Lennox

11 Gavin Mullin

ALL BLACKS

1 Scott Curry

4 Akuila Rokolisoa

5 Dylan Collier (capt)

7 Fehi Fineanganofo

11 Leo Moses

12 Leroy Carter

13 Joe Webber

Replacements

2 Brady Rush

3 Tone Ng Shiu

6 Ngarohi McGarvey-Black

8 Andrew Lnewstubb

10 Tepaea Cook-Savage

Referee: Jordan Way (Aus)

Assistant referees: Ben Breakspear (GB), Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)

Full-time: South Africa 49 Japan 5 - So that’s confirmed, the winners of the Ireland v All Blacks game will face South Africa at 8.0pm tonight Irish time in the first of the quarter-finals, while the losers will take on Fiji at 9pm.

10 minutes until kick-off at the Stade de France and we’ll have the line-ups next.

The Blitzboks have lived up to their name in the first half of the other Pool A encounter, running in five tries to lead 35-0 as they look to book one of the two third-placed finisher spots and qualify for the quarter-finals. And that could see them play the winners of Pool A in a rematch of their pool encounter in the last eight.

Good afternoon and welcome to coverage of Ireland’s third and final Pool A game against New Zealand at the Stade de France (kick-off 3.30pm). Both sides have already qualified for the quarter-finals but there’s a whole load on the line in this encounter if you look at potential quarter-final match-ups.

The winners of Pool A will meet the eighth-placed qualifier, the lower ranked of the two best third-placed pool finishers, while the runners-up will face Sevens powerhouse Fiji, who have never lost a Sevens match on their way to back-to-back men’s Olympic titles. Fiji saw off France 19-12 in their final Pool C game in the last half-hour and have looked the best side by far in the tournament.

We’ll know all the quarter-final pairing following the Ireland v New Zealand clash as it’s the last of the pool games, with the quarter-finals taking place from 8pm Irish time tonight. If Ireland top Pool A they will be in action at 8pm. Lose and it’s Fiji at 9pm.

The All Blacks currently sit in top spot on the basis of points scored, with both sides equal on points difference (+40) and try difference (+6). Ireland beat the Springboks 10-5 in their opening game at the Stade de France on Thursday before a much more comfortable 40-5 win over Japan last night where they ran in six tries. New Zealand beat Japan 40-12 in their opener before beating the Blitzboks 17-5.