PREDICT> Australia’s men will play Fiji after making it to their first-ever Olympic semifinal.
PREDICT> Australia’s men will play Fiji after making it to their first-ever Olympic semifinal.
After defeating the USA 18 nil in a lopsided quarterfinal match, Australia advanced to the men’s rugby sevens semifinals for the first time at an Olympic Games.
At the last two Olympics, the Australians were eliminated from medal contention in the quarterfinals. In Rio, they lost to South Africa 22–5, while in Tokyo, they were defeated by eventual gold medallists Fiji 19–0.
However, the Australians have earned the right to make history at the renowned Saint-Denis stadium. So far in this remarkable journey to the last four, Corey Toole, James Turner, Dietrich Roache, and Henry Hutchison have all stood tall.
The Australians got ready for their chance at history after defeating the winners of the SVNS Series League, Argentina, to end pool play with a flawless three-from-three start. An eager American group was waiting in the quarters to offer apologies.
The USA needed a significant victory over Uruguay to advance as one of the top two third-place teams after losing to Fiji 38-12 in their second match, which ended in a tie of 12 all. By doing thus, they gave themselves an opportunity to win a medal.
However, it was quickly evident that this would not be their night once they took the field at Stade de France for their quarterfinal. With goals from James Turner and Corey Toole, Australia fought their way to a 10-nil advantage at halftime.
Although Australia had the upper hand on the scoreboard, their defensive play was the foundation for those important tries. It’s a well-known sporting cliche that “defense wins championships,” but it remains to be seen if defense also brings home gold.
After an impressive Super Rugby Pacific season with the ACT Brumbies, Toole is regarded as a Wallaby-in-waiting. However, he was denied a second try before Maurice Longbottom sealed the convincing victory by scoring after snagging a loose ball.
“I’ve had a pleasant few days. The most important thing is that we won, even if we didn’t play to our best ability, Corey Toole stated in a statement.
“Our defense is the main source of pressure. Our ability to work together as a defensive line has won us games.
It’s amazing to represent not just my family and myself but also everyone who is supporting us back home in Australia.
