Fiji survive scare, Kerevi impresses in opening Olympics session
Fiji have survived a scare from Japan while ex-Wallabies midfielder Samu Kerevi has impressed in the opening sevens session at the Tokyo Olympics.
Fiji, Great Britain New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa and the USA all emerged victorious in the opening session of the first day of the men’s competition at Tokyo Stadium, but things weren’t as smooth sailing for some teams as might have expected.
Fiji were among those who scraped to victory in a tense 24-19 win over Japan in a match where the home side threatened to register an upset win over the Rio 2016 gold medallists.
Despite conceding in the opening passage of play after Jiuta Wainiqolo capitalised on a nervous start by Japan from the kick-off, the host nation hit back through skipper Chichito Matsui.
Wainiqolo looked set for a brace shortly afterwards, but a fumble of the ball as he tried to scoop it up allowed Matsui to counter and catch the Fijians out to get Japan on the board.
However, Japan were again let down by their inability to field the ball from the re-start, as Fiji regathered possession and strolled in to regain the lead via Iosefo Masi just moments after Matsui’s try.
A tense few minutes played out as the half-time siren approached, but some good patience and continuity by Japan enabled Lote Tuqiri, the cousin of his namesake and ex-Wallabies wing, to score in the final act of the first half.
Yoshikazu Fujita’s conversion handed the hosts a two-point lead at the break, which forced Fiji head coach Gareth Baber to thrust his star man Semi Radradra into the mix in the second half.
That didn’t stop Japan from scoring in the first act of the second stanza, though.
Fijian-born Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima gave his homeland a taste of their own medicine by plucking the ball from the air from the kick-off to then shrug off three defenders and canter home from 40 metres out.
Ahead 19-12 with five minutes to play, a first-up upset over the reigning Olympic champions looked a real possibility for Japan, but a spillage on halfway by Kazushi Hano handed the ball to Waisea Nacuqu, who waltzed on in under the posts.
Ill-discipline at the breakdown then cost Japan as Nacuqu doubled his try-scoring tally from a quick break by Fiji down the middle of the field.
In anticipation of rugby’s return to the Olympics, we have identified seven sevens stars to watch out for as rugby take centre stage at Tokyo Stadium next week. #Tokyo2020 https://t.co/BM5B6wgjMD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 24, 2021
Trailing by five points with a minute-and-a-half to play, Japan needed to come up with a big play to win the game, and they were aided in their efforts when Radradra was pinged for being offside from the re-start.
A deliberate knock on by Fiji after the ensuing scrum feed then saw Asaeli Tuivuaka sent to the sin bin, leaving his side undermanned for the remainder of the contest.
That counted for little, though, as Japan failed to strike from the ensuing penalty, with a knock on by Fiji’s Meli Derenalagi eventually bringing an end to the opening match of the Tokyo Olympics.
Similarly, the United States had to dig deep to secure a vital win over Kenya in the last match of the session, as a try to captain Madison Hughes in the final minute of the match ensured the Americans a 19-14 victory.
Prior to that, tries to Carlin Isles and Martin Iosefo of the USA, as well as scores to Kenyan players Collins Injera and Jeff Olouch, kept the scoreline tied deep into the second half.
Willie Ambaka appeared to have scored for Kenya to give them what may have been a match-winning try, but it was subsequently ruled out as a knock on thanks to some desperate covering defence.
As a result, the USA are now in a good position to qualify for the play-offs, provided they can defeat one of either South Africa or Ireland, who played each other in the other Group C match.
Given their lengthy absence from the World Sevens Series, the Irish weren’t expected to challenge the Blitzboks too much, but they provided a good fight in their 33-14 defeat.
South Africa’s Zain Davids stepped his way out of trouble to cross for the match’s opening try in the third minute, but Ireland were no slouches as they constantly put the South Africans on the back foot with some strong running and fleeting footwork.
However, the attacking class of the Blizboks was tough to handle for the men from the Emerald Isle, which was exemplified when Impi Visser fought his way over the tryline on the back of a delicately placed cross kick from Justin Geduld.
A former Maori All Blacks star is “excited” to represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics next week following an eligibility saga last year. #Tokyo2020https://t.co/djBIyqHeSa
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 24, 2021
The Irish persisted well, though, as Gavin Mullin crossed for a try deep into injury time in the first half to close the gap to seven points at the break.
South Africa bounced back in the opening stages of the second half, as Selvyn Davids utilised the cross kick to put Geduld over in the corner to give the Blitzboks some breathing room.
A lovely wrap play from the Irish shut that gap up shortly after the re-start, with Terry Kennedy finding himself in acres of space to score a well-taken try with little more than three minutes to play.
South Africa had a response for each of Ireland’s tries, though, as veteran Chris Dry dotted down in the corner before Selvyn Davids converted to re-establish a 14-point buffer.
A late try to Stedman Gans closed things out for South Africa as their bid for another podium finish after their bronze medal effort at Rio 2016 got off to the best possible start.
In Group B, meanwhile, ex-Wallabies midfielder Samu Kerevi impressed in his first foray in the Olympics as he came off the bench to almost salvage a result for Australia against Argentina.
It wasn’t to be, though, as despite Kerevi’s try and try assist in the final couple of minutes to bring the game to within five points, the Argentines pulled away with a game-sealing try to Lautaro Bazan Velez after the full-time siren.
Much of the damage had already been done in the first half, with the Australians falling off tackles and struggling at the re-start to allow Argentina to run in four unanswered first half tries.
Australia’s trans-Tasman and group rivals New Zealand had a much more fruitful start to their Olympic campaign as the All Blacks Sevens registered a 50-5 win over the Republic of Korea.
The scoreline looks more deceiving than how things actually panned out, though, as the South Koreans frustrated the Kiwis in the first half and almost levelled the scores when Yeon Sik Jeong cancelled out Andrew Knewstubb’s opening try.
It’s fine for Tonga to put the Cook Islands to the sword but God forbid a tier-one team is forced to play a tier-two team outside of the World Cup ? https://t.co/EkcrJKf7AJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 25, 2021
Tim Mikkelson’s try just on half-time gave New Zealand some breathing room, but two yellow cards thwarted South Korea’s chances of a sensational upset as William Warbrick, Etene Nanai-Seturo and Ngarohi McGarvery-Black all ran in tries to blow the score out.
Great Britain, meanwhile, overcame a slow start in the first half to dispatch Canada 24-0 to begin their bid to go one place better than their silver medal finish five years ago.
The second session of day one begins at 4:30pm on Monday local time, as Great Britain will play Japan, Fiji will play Canada, New Zealand will play Argentina, Australia will play South Korea, the USA will play Ireland and South Africa will play Kenya.
Group A:
Fiji 24 (Tries to Jiuta Wainiqolo, Iosefo Masi, Waisea Naqucu (2); conversion to Napolioni Bolaca, conversion to Naqucu)
Japan 19 (Tries to Chichito Matsui, Lote Tuqiri, Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima; 2 conversions to Yoshikazu Fujita)
Great Britain 24 (Tries to Dan Norton (2), Ross McCann, Robbie Ferguson; 2 conversions to Dan Bibby)
Canada 0
Group B:
New Zealand 50 (Tries to Andrew Knewstubb, Tim Mikkelson (2), penalty try, William Warbrick (2), Etene Nanai-Seturo, Ngarohi McGarvery-Black; 2 conversions to Knewstubb, 2 conversions McGarvery-Black)
South Korea 5 (Try to Yeon Sik Jeong)
Argentina 29 (Tries to Lucio Cinti, Matias Osadczuk, Marcos Moneta, Ignacio Mendy, Lautaro Bazan Velez; 2 conversions to Santiago Mare)
Australia 19 (Tries to Josh Turner (2), Samu Kerevi; 2 conversions to Maurice Longbottom)
Group C:
South Africa 33 (Tries to Zain Davids, Impi Visser, Justin Geduld, Chris Dry, Stedman Gans; 4 conversions to Selvyn Davids)
Ireland 14 (Tries to Gavin Mullin, Terry Kennedy; 2 conversions to Billy Dardis)
USA 19 (Tries to Carlin Isles, Martin Iosefo, Madison Hughes; conversion to Steve Tomasin, conversion to Hughes)
Kenya 14 (Tries to Collins Injera, Jeff Olouch; 2 conversions to Eden Agero)
Comments on RugbyPass
Pot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
19 Go to comments