France ends all Aussie hopes at Sydney Sevens

The French males defeated Australia 17-14 in a tense quarter-final that required a penalty purpose after the full-time siren to advance to the semis, whereas Australia should compete for fifth spot in Sunday’s playoff video games.

In an exhilarating end, France had all of the ball within the remaining minutes with the scores locked 14-all.

Henry Paterson made a sort out, however then was pinged for holding on, giving France the penalty. Substitute Thomas Carol stepped as much as slot the sphere purpose over the crossbar, breaking the hearts of the house followers.

Theo Forner had skipped round Nathan Lawson to attain a runaway strive within the second minute, giving France an early 7-0 lead.

However the Aussies responded two minutes later when Tim Clements ran across the protecting defence to degree the scores.

Substitute skipper Maurice Longbottom arrange Josh Turner for Australia’s second strive simply earlier than the break for a 14-7 lead.

Three minutes into the second half, Forner scored his second strive after a sustained assault from the Frenchmen to equal scores,

However a knock-on from Lancaster gave France the chance to steal victory on the demise.

They had been composed and assertive, emulating the feat of the ladies’s French crew that had overwhelmed Australia within the quarter-final earlier within the night.

France will face New Zealand within the semi-final on Sunday, whereas crowd favourites Fiji will play South Africa within the different semi-final, each groups having gone by means of the match unbeaten to date.

A severe knee damage to skipper Henry Hutchison soured Australia’s marketing campaign, together with their 29-10 in opposition to Hamilton Sevens winners Argentina that sealed their quarter-final match in opposition to France.

Hutchison all of a sudden pulled up within the second half hopping in ache, with no participant near him, and fell to the turf earlier than he was taken off.

He wanted crutches and was pressured to look at the quarter-final conflict in opposition to France from the stands.

In opposition to Argentina, James Turner’s grubber-and-gather strive acquired the Aussies again, after which Dietrich Roache crossed within the nook simply earlier than the half-time hooter to provide them a 12-5 lead.

Josh Turner scored after Hutchison was helped from the sphere, with the assistance of one other kick forward by James Turner, as Australia went forward 17-5 with 5 minutes remaining.

Longbottom confirmed his scorching pace with a goosestep and dash down the sideline to increase the hole to 22-5.

Then it was 19-year-old Darby Lancaster’s flip, racing away down the opposite sideline for one more long-range five-pointer

Of their second pool match Australia’s males had defeated Canada 22-7, having trailed 7-5 on the break.

Hutchison was sin-binned within the first half for a ruck infringement and Canada took benefit of their overlap with a strive within the nook.

However James Turner crossed for Australia simply earlier than half-time, and he was over once more inside 45 seconds of the second half to place them forward for the primary time.

Lancaster then sliced by means of the defence after Canada had a person sin-binned to increase Australia’s result in 17-7.
Hutchison sealed the take care of a strive within the nook on the finish of the sport.

DEFENDING CHAMPS SHOCK LOSS IN QUARTERSAustralia’s desires of defending the ladies’s Sydney Sevens title is up in smoke after a shock quarter-final loss to France.

The hosts misplaced 10-5 in an absorbing, draining contest at Allianz Stadium that has booted Tim Walsh’s crew out of the medal matches scheduled for Sunday.

France dominated the opening half, spending the whole thing in Australia’s quarter, whereas the sin-binning of co-captain Charlotte Caslick elevated the stress.

Australia’s defence was large, as they repelled raid after raid till the very finish of the half.

A misthrown lineout from Madison Ashby allowed France to lastly cross with 10 seconds left within the half, as Chloe Pelle powered over, giving her aspect a 5-0 lead.

Australia struggled to mount any assault within the second half and when France’s Carla Neisen scored with simply over two minutes remaining, Australia wanted to conjure two tries in as many minutes to remain alive.

From the kick-off, Australia went a technique then the opposite to unleash Religion Nathan on an 85-metre run down the road to get on the scoreboard.

There have been nonetheless 90 seconds remaining, and Australia gained the kickoff, however a knock-on and ensuing penalty gave France the chance to kick the ball out after the siren to say victory.

Australia is now relegated to a fifth place playoff on Sunday.

It was a disappointing finish to the marketing campaign after an unbeaten streak within the pool video games.

Caslick strengthened why she is so necessary to the Australian girls’s crew on day two.

The co-captain, having simply signed a contract extension till the top of 2027 this week, was inspirational in main her aspect to a different quarter-final look.

Australia sealed a quarter-final berth in opposition to France, after smashing Eire 43-7 of their remaining pool match.

Australia led 19-7 on the break, and ran rampant of their greatest seven minutes of the match within the second stanza.

Caslick scored the opening strive within the third minute of the match after Bienne Terita had initially made a burst.

One minute later, Nathan ran 60 metres for an excellent strive after a pointy in-and-away step to provide Australia a 14-0 lead.

Sturdy defence by the Aussies pressured a turnover late within the half, permitting 22-year-old Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea to ran away for the crew’s third strive.

Practically three minutes into added time of the primary half, Eire lastly cracked the Australian defence as Eve Higgings crashed over after a wave of attacking raids on the line.

Maddison Levi didn’t take lengthy within the second half so as to add to her try-scoring tally, ending a sweeping transfer from a turnover of their quarter to take Australia 24-7 up.

Caslick, who was closely concerned in playmaking and defence, had her second strive moments later after Levi had dragged an Irish rival over the sideline to win the ball again.

Teagan Levi broke away for Australia’s sixth strive with one minute remaining, following extra sturdy defence from the hosts.

Sariah Paki put an emphasis on the victory by racing away following the kick-off win, planting the ball beneath the posts.

AUSSIES DOMINATE AS KIWI SON OF A GUN SHOWS OUT AT SYDNEY 7S

There’s a new Spencer on the block, and if his debut is something to go by he might be haunting Australian rugby for years to return.

Payton Spencer, the 18-year-old son of All Blacks nice Carlos Spencer, introduced himself as a future star on the Sydney Sevens with a memorable first match at Allianz Stadium.

Picked within the Kiwi squad straight out of highschool, Spencer scored two tries in his debut match throughout New Zealand’s 45-7 win over Uruguay on Friday afternoon.

His efficiency evoked reminiscences of well-known dad “King Carlos”, who carved up defences within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s because the All Blacks and Blues five-eighth.

Spencer didn’t reveal the trademark flick passes or chip kicks of his father, however did reveal the deft hole-running and pace that his lineage has blessed him with.

“I haven’t performed that a lot sevens, I’ve primarily solely performed 15s so to get this chance to play sevens and be in that skilled atmosphere right away is fairly unimaginable,” Spencer mentioned.

With New Zealand main the World Sequence standings and hungry to win their first match in Sydney – they’ve two silvers and one bronze from the 4 earlier occasions – Spencer’s introduction is a significant increase to their championship aspirations.

Whereas the Kiwis had a straightforward first-up win, Australia was made to work exhausting of their opening match in opposition to Nice Britain, scraping dwelling 12-7.

Aussie ace Dietrich Roache break up the defence to attain the opening strive three minutes in, and it appeared the house crew would cruise to victory.

However Robbie Ferguson crossed on the half-time siren after sustained stress, giving the Brits a 7-5 lead on the break.

Henry Paterson reinstated Australia’s lead two minutes into the second half, however then they needed to defend resiliently to carry Britain out as they mounted raid after raid.

A Maurice Longbottom turnover in Australia’s 22 proved essential, and the squad shall be relieved to outlive, with pool matches in opposition to Canada and Eire to return on Saturday.

Maddison Levi starred for Australia’s girls, scoring 4 tries within the 46-0 drubbing of Spain of their second match.

Levi ensured she stays the highest try-scorer within the girls’s collection forward of New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde, with an excellent efficiency.

“It’s simple to assault when I’ve a crew like that serving to me and setting me up,” Levi mentioned.

Australia lead their group, however the hardest match is but to return in opposition to Eire on Saturday (1.56pm) which can resolve the winner of Pool C.

Australia’s girls started with a 28-12 win over Brazil, with Bienne Terita scored the opening strive in each halves.

After the primary, Thalia da Silva Costa replied for Brazil with a sensible particular person strive, beating Terita on the within with a step and racing over to degree the scores.

However Madison Ashby quickly had Australia again within the lead with a runaway strive, making certain the hosts held a 14-7 half-time lead.

Terita’s second strive at the beginning of the second half gave Australia respiration room, and Teagan Levi ensured victory with a breakout strive.

Girls’s collection leaders New Zealand regarded in ominous kind with a primary up 48-0 win over Papua New Guinea.

WILL SIBLING SEVENS STARS CROSS CODES BACK TO AFL?

It is going to be abundantly clear the place the supporters of the Levi sisters shall be this weekend – 80 of them shall be sporting T-shirts emblazoned with the pictures of Maddison and Teagan at Allianz Stadium.

The sibling stars of the Australian girls’s sevens crew are attracting a complete new group of followers to the game since switching from the AFLW, the place they had been contracted to the Gold Coast Suns.

Maddison claimed the World Sequence rookie of the yr award in her debut season final yr, and is already the main tryscorer within the 2022-23 collection after three occasions.

Now, the sisters will lastly get to play in entrance of a house viewers on the Sydney Sevens, to be performed from Friday to Sunday – with supporters coming from Melbourne, and a busload from their junior AFL membership in Queensland.

“Mum purchased 80 shirts with our faces on it. She had messages from everybody coming saying, ‘Can I get one?’” Maddison Levi mentioned.

“She talks on a regular basis about how we’ve got household and mates who’ve by no means watched Rugby Sevens earlier than, however due to that mutual reference to Teags and I within the crew, they’ll’t get sufficient. They sit and watch it on a regular basis.

“They’re so eager to see it, so to have the ability to have them come and watch it in actual life, the house nation and supporters, that’s how plenty of us gamers acquired influenced to play, watching rugby.

“To placed on a present and do the identical factor is fairly thrilling.

“My family and friends have been with us by means of the highs and lows, watched us kick the footy round on the again of a swamp, not a lot happening. So for them to look at us on the Sydney Sevens goes to be actually cool.”

Levi, 20, and 19-year-old Teagan grew up with a really completely different dream; to change into world-famous dancers.

“I used to bop, so all my previous dance mates are coming to look at,” she mentioned.

“I did all kinds, acro (a mixture of classical dance and acrobatics), jazz, hip-hop. I initially dreamed of travelling the world dancing, now I’m travelling the world doing one thing fully completely different.

“If it wasn’t for me doing dancing, contact footy, as a child – my mum and pa by no means pressured us into something – it’s paid off with the agility and being mild in your toes, and the ball abilities and aerial abilities from AFL, I wouldn’t be the athlete I’m if I didn’t have a dabble in all these sports activities.

“It’s in all probability the largest piece of recommendation I can provide to children now, don’t put your self in a single sport and anticipate to excel. Play a little bit of every little thing, and you then’ll fall in love with one sport.”

Levi performed with the Suns within the 2021 AFLW season, whereas Teagan was their No. 1 draft decide earlier than each switched codes.

Whereas Levi has left the door open on a return to Aussie guidelines, it gained’t be earlier than subsequent yr’s Olympic Video games.

“It’s undoubtedly nonetheless an choice down the observe, they’re in all probability my largest supporters,” Levi mentioned.

“They had been those who undoubtedly helped make this determination. Teags and I undoubtedly sat down, days of crying and stressing, I don’t prefer to let folks down.

“Now I look again at it, why was a crying? AFL is at all times an choice on the playing cards.

“I’m grateful to have performed that one season. However the alternative to signify your nation, journey the world with my greatest mates and my sister is fairly thrilling.

“All the pieces occurs for a purpose, proper now that is the place I’m meant to be. And the 2024 Olympics on the playing cards is fairly thrilling.

“Hopefully I’ll get to step on that flight to Paris with my sister, that shall be an expertise in itself.”

Initially revealed as Sydney Sevens 2023: Observe the newest information and outcomes