Hugo Keenan: 'We're still where want to be, competing for a medal'

As slips go, this may be very costly.

Ireland and New Zealand had both won their opening games against the Boks and Japan, and stood on the same points difference, but the Kiwis sat top of Group A on the basis that they had scored more points.

A draw would have done them here but second-half tries from Leroy Carter and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black wiped out a big Irish advantage with the second try converted by Andrew Knewstubb with just 15 seconds to go.

That edged them the two points in front and they now face the easier of the knockout ties, with the Blitzboks their next assignment having beaten them 17-5 in the pool stages on Wednesday.

“Yeah, we're disappointed,” said Hugo Keenan. “Definitely. We obviously came out strongly putting in that first-half performance that we were looking for. We just didn't back it up. A few mistakes and not taking a few crucial chances that we could have to put it to bed.

“But at the same time we're exactly where we want to be, in a quarter-final, competing for a medal. It's a huge opportunity and we're really excited. That performance was definitely a step up from the last two that we've put in, it's just getting that 14, 15, 16-minute performance.” 

Ireland, as they had done in their pool opener against South Africa, dominated possession. They squeezed the Kiwis back for almost the entirety of the first-half and got their due rewards with a 12-0 interval lead.

Keenan coughed up one potential score by spilling the ball five metres out from the line but Zac Ward, who has been such a star in this opening two days, got the first when leaving Fehi Fineanganofo for dead down the wing.

The Ulsterman had little or no space but what there was he found it.

Mark Roche couldn’t oblige with the extra two points but he had a simple conversion soon after when Jordan Conroy burst through the centre for Ireland’s second score. The only down side was that the Offaly man appeared to pick up an injury in the process and came off.

New Zealand weren’t going to stay down forever and they started the second-half with a quick try and, while Ireland again found themselves on the Kiwi line late on, they couldn’t kill the game and paid the price.

The quarter-finals will be played later on Thursday evening. Fiji won gold in 2016 and 2020 and have never lost a game of Olympic sevens. Ireland will have to create history now but they have had the better of the Pacific Islanders twice in the HSBC series this season.

The Fijians have been sensational here in Paris so far though, putting 78 points on Uruguay and the USA and overcoming France 19-12 in front of a packed 69,000-crowd, most of them cheering raucously for the hosts.

Ireland will need to be pitch perfect in their next tie.

“Yeah, that's the ruthless nature of playing against these top teams,” said Keenan. “You just can't be making silly mistakes and there's probably one or two too many of them. I put my hand up for certainly one or two of them as well. So it's good learnings from us.”

Ireland (squad): H McNulty, M Roche, Z Ward, J Conroy, H Keenan, T Kennedy, N Comerford, J Kelly, A Smith, C Mullins, H Lennox, G Mullin.

New Zealand (squad): S Curry, A Rokolisoa, D Collier, F Fineanganofo, M Leo, L Carter, J Webber, B Rush, T Ng Shiu, N McGarvey-Black, A Knewstubb, T Cook-Savage.

Referee: J Way (Aus).