New Zealand only snuck into the quarter-finals thanks to the rugby sevens series champions when Fiji beat U.S. in pool play, handing the All Blacks sevens the final quarter-final spot.
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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Japan’s stunning upset win over New Zealand and Sonny Bill Williams’ subsequent withdrawal made for a rocky opening session for the return of men’s rugby to the Olympics after 92 years.
But a New Zealand squad containing Sonny Bill Williams – a two-time World Cup victor in the 15-a-side game and the highest-profile star competing in rugby’s return to the Olympics after 92 years – won as many titles (3) as Fiji on the 10-stop world sevens circuit.
United States’s Perry Baker, left, passes the ball as Fiji’s Samisoni Viriviri, challenges during the men’s rugby sevens match at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016.
As big an upset as their 15-man side’s victory over the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup previous year, Japan’s win was their first in 16 attempts against the 12-times world sevens series champions.
“It means any team can win on any day in sevens”, Lemeki said.
Japan’s outstanding Lomano Lemeki scored two tries, the first off a sublime sidestep, to lead the tournament with a total tally of four.
Argentina edged the United States 17-14 in the other Pool A game. That loss for New Zealand, their second at the tournament, left the pre-tournament medal favourites relying on Fiji to beat the Americans.
Seeing Williams, a two-time World Cup victor with the All Blacks, being helped off with his injury in the second-half was a “boost”, Soejima said. He was helped from the field and taken away on a motorized cart for treatment.
All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams has been ruled out of the Olympics after partially rupturing his Achilles tendon.
However, like the women’s gold medal defeat to Australia, a number of close decisions went in favour of Fiji who will face the tournament’s surprise package Japan in the semifinals. “It’s still pretty unbelievable and I am just shocked to be honest”.
The All Black Sevens let themselves down with poor handling while the underdog Japanese skilfully controlled the majority of the game by slowing it down to their pace and not allowing the second seeds get into rhythm.
“New Zealand started to struggle a bit there so we thought if we keep moving the ball around the big guys would tire somewhere and they did”.
The second round of pool matches will be played later Tuesday, with the third round and quarterfinals set for Wednesday.
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“We’ve seen just how good that Japanese team are – they are outstanding – and they deserved their win, like we deserved ours today”.
