IRELAND’S MEN CARRIED their excellent form into the Cape Town Rugby 7s as they got their tournament off to a winning start against Japan on Friday.
Fresh from their runner-up finish in Dubai last weekend, a Harry McNulty try, and two from Chay Mullins, gave Ireland a 19-5 win over Japan in their opening Pool B clash.
Next up tomorrow is a meeting with Uruguay (7.51am) before a potential pool decider against Samoa (1.32pm).
Should Ireland progress as expected as one of Pool B’s top two teams, they will play their quarter-final on Saturday evening.
In the women’s tournament, Ireland followed up their sixth-place finish in Dubai with a perfect start to their Cape Town pool campaign, clinching their place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare.
Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe’s hat-trick, and a double from Beibhinn Parsons, steered Aiden McNulty’s side to a comfortable 33-12 win over Spain.
She's electric ⚡️⚡️⚡️@ameeleigh95 bags a hat-trick in her 50th appearance for @IrishRugby #HSBC7s | #CapeTown7s pic.twitter.com/RNKiwzRj1h
— World Rugby 7s (@WorldRugby7s) December 9, 2022
And the same two players combined again to torment South Africa, with Megan Burns joining Murphy-Crowe (2) and Parsons on the scoresheet in a 24-0 win.
Amee-
— World Rugby 7s (@WorldRugby7s) December 9, 2022
Leigh
Murphy
GO!@ameeleigh95 is impossible to stop once she gets going ⚡️#CapeTown7s | #HSBC7s | @IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/0L3p8AMshc
Friday’s wins are enough to see Ireland through to the quarter-finals, but first they must face Australia on Saturday (11.47am) in a winner-take-all Pool A decider.