All Blacks Sevens player Fehi Fineanganofo in action at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Iain McGregor / www.photosport.nz
The All Blacks Sevens' hopes of a Paris Olympics gold medal are gone, after they were beaten by South Africa 14-7 in the quarter-finals.
It's a shock result, with the New Zealanders having beaten the South Africans 17-5 in pool play on Thursday. The South Africans, who only finished seventh in this year's Sevens world series, also lost to Ireland in pool play.
The All Blacks Sevens were considered one of New Zealand's strong medal hopes, but the best they can hope for now is fifth place.
But South African took full advantage of a few mistakes in the first half, scoring two converted tries before Moses Leo scored a dazzling try late in the half, the conversion narrowing the gap to seven points.
The New Zealanders attacked strongly in the second half, but under desperate defence from the South Africans they made some crucial knock-ons and could not breach the tryline.
Earlier they had come from 12-0 down to beat Ireland 14-12 in their last pool game at the Paris Olympics.
The New Zealanders were kept scoreless in the first half by Ireland, who scored two tries, but it was the reverse in the second half with Leroy Carter scoring an early try, converted by Akuila Rokolisoa, and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black levelling the scores, with Andrew Knewstubb's conversion from wide out giving them the win.
Knewstubb commented on their lack of ball in the first half.
"That's the way it goes sometimes, you can't seem to get your hands on the ball and it's bloody tough defending for that long."
It was a different story in the second half as New Zealand dominated play.
"We tried to stay calm and finally we managed to get some ball and it went all right, so that's good."
This morning's quarter-finals see Argentina play France, Fiji play Ireland and Australia play the United States.
