The Australian women’s rugby sevens side will play trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in the Rio 2016 Gold Medal match after seeing off the fearless challenge of Canada this afternoon at Deodoro Stadium.
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Britain captain Emily Scarratt scored a second-half double as her team upstaged Canada 22-0 to top Pool C, scoring four tries against a team that hadn’t conceded a point in its opening two games. After Moleschi’s try gave Canada a 14-0 lead, Bianca Farella made it 19-0 after she founds some space on the outside.
Jasmine Joyce can not quite believe she is in an Olympic semi-final, but with a medal on the line the GB Sevens ace has no intention of letting it get to her head anytime yet, writes Charlie Talbot-Smith.
New Zealand scored three tries to Great Britain’s one in the first half, including one on the stroke of half time after the British team had two players sent off for yellow card offences.
The women’s world series champions were seconds away from a shocking loss to the United States in the last group match of the tournament.
Ghislaine Landry had a pair of tries – including one 30 seconds into the match – as the Canadians beat Japan 45-0 at a sundrenched 15,000-seat Deodoro Stadium to open their quest for an Olympic medal. However, the conversion was not finished this time around, leaving Australia ahead 12-0 heading into the break.
Kelter had gone home to Alaska to snowboard and nurse her winter Olympic disappointment when she got a call in 2012 asking if she’d be interested in learning to play rugby.
US forward Kathryn Johnson said the feeling is “pretty insane”. “In rugby, a common theme that happens in the game is just getting tackled, getting knocked down again and again, and just having to get back up and get back into the game or get back into life”.
The crowd grew for Brazil’s games in both sessions, but not even the singing, samba-dancing fans could lift the host team. Karen Paquin (CAN) of Canada in action.
Earlier, Canada set out their stall with some big early hits but Australia were soon on the scoreboard when Cherry was put through a gap in the red defensive line by a neat inside pass from Emma Tonegato.
“Everything is working very well”.
“They didn’t play us this hard in Florida”. “We’ve had good atmosphere – (we’re) really happy with it”.
“The Olympic experience has been great”, Doyle said after the match.
Fiji, coached by Englishman Ben Ryan, could land the country’s first Olympic medal in any sport as men’s rugby returns to the Games after a 92-year absence.
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The Americans now move into the consolation round, facing Fiji on Monday and then Spain or France to determine final tournament placement.
