LAST UPDATE | 2 Jun 2024
THE IRISH MEN’S and women’s Sevens teams have finished fifth and sixth respectively at the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid.
Both sides beat Great Britain in their fifth-place semi-finals, before the men defeated South Africa in their play-off and the women fell short to USA.
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe scored seven tries overall at the tournament.
Afterburners on fire 😮💨
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) June 2, 2024
Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe scores for @Ireland7s 👏#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSMAD pic.twitter.com/lm4Ka6ZJ6D
The Tipperary flier, Stacey Flood (two) and Eve Higgins all crashed over as the Irish women produced a powerful second half to beat Great Britain 20-0.
But they fell to a disappointing 27-14 defeat to USA thereafter. Ariana Ramsey starred with four tries for the winners, who finished with a flourish.
Murphy Crowe and Higgins were on target for Ireland, while Stacey Flood added the conversions. Two first-half yellow cards to Flood and Erin King proved costly.
Tries from Andrew Smith, Chay Mullins and Zac Ward — and conversions from Hugo Lennox — helped the Ireland men to a 19-14 comeback victory over Great Britain earlier.
Andrew Smith spots the gap and he's gone ⚡#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSMAD | @Ireland7s pic.twitter.com/SEabnVUBMW
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) June 2, 2024
Hugo Keenan was a second-half substitute. The 15s international started the South Africa game, with Ireland running out 12-7 winners.
Ward and Harry McNulty scored the tries in the first half, with Lennox converting one.
South Africa responded with a converted Impi Visser try in the 13th minute, but it was too little too late.
Later, Antoine Dupont helped France to a 19-5 victory over Argentina in the final.
Dupont, who captains the France 15-a-side team and starred as his club Toulouse won last week’s Champions Cup, played the second-half of the final and was instrumental as the French won their first-ever Series.
“It’s a good group, a good team. I’m very proud of them,” said France skipper Paulin Riva. “We have a good, big defence.
“Antoine is the best player in the world, we think! When he’s on the pitch we have a lot of confidence.”
France coach Jerome Daret said the result was “very important for us before the Olympics”.
“The next tournament in Paris will be another story!
“Our aim for Paris is to make a lot of things on the pitch… and give pleasure to the fans.”
Daret added: “It’s not finished, we have a big target.
“We know in Paris it’s a home advantage to be in front of our fans and families.”
France, who lost 26-12 to top-ranked Los Pumas in pool play, looked the better composed team throughout the 20-minute final at Atletico Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitano Stadium.
Dupont came on for the second period and made an immediate effect, Rodrigo Isgro yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on of the France scrum-half’s midifeld pass.
He won a turnover penalty: the ball was went wide, was recycled and who other than Dupont was on hand to draw two Argentinians and produce a perfectly-timed one-handed pass back inside to Riva, who touched down to make it 19-5.
Dupont was crowned men’s Rookie of the Year after the final, despite having played just three tournaments.
“I was honestly a bit worried before my first tournament so I worked very hard,” Dupont said. “There was a good team spirit so it was easy to join in.
The Olympics on home soil at the Stade de France, Dupont added, “will be a huge tournament”.
“But we’ll try to get that trophy in July.”
Australia, Olympic champions when Rugby Sevens made its Games debut in Rio in 2016, won the women’s competition, beating France 26-7 in the final.
Maddison Levi, who scored an impressive hat-trick of tries, said: “We started getting a roll-on when we had more possession.
“Our defence is what is winning us games.”
With reporting from – © AFP 2024
Well done to both teams. Onwards and upwards to the Olympics.
Does the men’s result mean Ireland finished second in the overall series ?