LAST UPDATE | 4 Mar
FRANCE BEAT GREAT Britain 21-0 in Sunday’s championship match to capture the World Rugby SVNS Series title at Los Angeles, completing a stellar debut for Antoine Dupont.
They narrowly defeated Ireland in the semi-finals. Dupont was among the try-scorers for France in a 26-24 victory after a stunning run from distance to get the score.
Ireland went on to beat Spain 24-7 in the third-place play-off, avenging a pool defeat to take their place on another podium and win bronze.
Zac Ward (two), Ed Kelly and Chay Mullins all scored tries as James Topping’s side bagged their second bronze in three SVNS Series legs — and stayed second in the overall standings after a raft of top-five finishes.
It's bronze in LA for Ireland Men! 🥉#Ireland7s pic.twitter.com/sXrS0XXmou
— Ireland 7s (@Ireland7s) March 4, 2024
Meanwhile, the Ireland women’s team finished eighth overall in LA after a closing 28-14 defeat to Brazil. A tournament-ending injury to captain Lucy Rock (neé Mulhall) was a major setback.
They also fell to the eventual champions, New Zealand, in the cup after a 36-12 quarter-final defeat.
Beibhinn Parsons scored two tries for Ireland while Eve Higgins also kicked a conversion in the seventh minute after Parsons’s first try. But they were no match for the Black Ferns with as Michaela Blyde, Jorja Miller and Kelsey Teneti all picked up two tries each.
In the men’s final, Antoine Zeghdar’s try and a conversion by Stephen Parez-Edo Martin in the seventh minute lifted France ahead 7-0 at half-time.
Martin converted his own try in the ninth minute for a 14-0 French lead and Theo Fornier added a try in the 13th minute and converted to seal France’s championship.
The crown marked a triumphant debut in the format for former World Rugby Player of the Year Dupont, France’s 15-a-side captain and scrum-half.
Dupont switched to Sevens in a bid to compete for Paris Olympic gold later this year. He debuted last weekend when France finished third at Vancouver and helped deliver the squad’s first title of the season.
Guess who?
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) March 3, 2024
Antoine Dupont levels for France in their semi-final clash against Ireland 🔥#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX pic.twitter.com/cbv2zjzbm4
While France held off Ireland for the second week running in the semi-final, Great Britain edged Spain 10-7.
France advanced when Ireland’s Billy Dardis missed a conversion kick after Terry Kennedy scored his second try in the 15th minute.
Rayan Rebbadj delivered a try and three conversions for France, which also had tries from Zeghdar, Dupont and Paulin Riva.
The French had seized a 26-12 lead before Zac Ward and Kennedy struck in the final minutes to lift the Irish within reach.
In the other semi-final, Robbie Fergusson’s try in the fifth minute gave Great Britain a 5-0 half-time lead and Alex Davis added another in the ninth minute that made the difference.
Tobias Sainz-Trapaga scored a try for the Spaniards in the 12th minute and Juan Ramos added a conversion but it was too little and too late.
In the women’s final, Michaela Blyde scored three tries to power second-place New Zealand over series leader Australia 29-14. In the semi-finals, the Aussies ousted the United States 26-19 and the Kiwis eliminated Canada 31-12.
Additional reporting by Sinéad Farrell and Emma Duffy
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