The All Black Sevens went on to suffer a surprise 14-12 defeat, and the news only got worse with confirmation Williams had suffered a partial Achilles rupture.
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Giant-killers Japan have delivered a Rugby World Cup- scale shock to New Zealand in the Rio Olympic Sevens.
The sevens world series-winning Australian women extended their streak to five straight wins against 2013 World Cup victor New Zealand, quite a change in fortune in the broader rugby context.
In a third blow, Joe Webber was taken off the pitch on a stretcher with a dislocated left shoulder soon after Williams but, having already used the one replacement they are allowed, New Zealand have kept him in the squad.
The depth of the 12-team men’s competition is considerably greater than the women’s tournament, which ended Monday with No. 1-ranked Australia and No. 2-ranked New Zealand in the final.
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.
They beat Kenya 31-7 in their first match, with Dan Bibby scoring two tries, A few hours later, they narrowly avoided becoming Japan’s second victims of the day by squeezing out a 21-19 victory.
The women’s sevens world series only started four years ago, ahead of the Rio Games, while the men’s series started in 1999.
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.
“I feel for the players but it wasn’t to be”.
New Zealand, with Williams no longer part of their plans due to a partially-ruptured Achilles tendon that could possibly mean several months’ sidelined, recovered to beat Kenya and avoid another upset, while Australia and the United States were in the same boat for their second games on day one following earlier losses against France and Argentina, respectively.
Great Britain’s rugby 7s side have reached the knockout stages of the Olympics after beating New Zealand 21-19 in the final group stage.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We have enjoyed a simply incredible day of Olympic Games rugby sevens”.
Ioane crossed for New Zealand’s second but Kameli Soejima scrambled over to draw the scores level, Katsuyuki Sakai’s conversion pulling the Japanese two points clear for a famous win.
“I’ve had a good run without injuries, this is just a speed bump”.
“It’s great for the fans, but tough for us players and coaches”. “We’re competing with rugby powerhouses, and to stay competitive with them we have to design a sevens-specific pathway that’s going to feed this program for years”.
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Japan back Lomano Lemeki said.
