Ireland 40-5 Japan
Ireland men’s rugby sevens team kicked off their Olympic Games with two wins out of two at Stade de France on Wednesday, sealing their place in the quarter-finals.
James Topping’s side were the first of Team Ireland in action at these Games and certainly delivered the goods, producing two strong performances in Saint Denis.
Having beaten South Africa, they swatted aside an outclassed Japan to ensure their clash with New Zealand on Thursday will merely decide who progresses to the last eight as pool winners.
“It’s very special,” captain Harry McNulty told RTÉ Sport. “We talked about it before, we had a chance to do something an Irish team has never done, win two pool games at an Olympics.
“You don’t want to get too ahead of yourself by any means, but you’re always going towards those goals (making the quarters).
“I played in full stadiums before with the sevens, but unfortunately they’re not always full. This (playing at Stade de France) is always a pleasure and hopefully this could be the start of something really great with the sevens and we can start filling stadiums up again and having this atmosphere, because I think people absolutely love it.”
Terry Kennedy got the opening try inside the first minute against Japan with a powerful break from deep. Another strong Kennedy run just before half-time allowed Chay Mullins to dot down and give Ireland a 14-0 interval advantage.
They 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed it off on the turnaround as McNulty, Niall Comerford, Mullins again and then Zac Ward completed the rout. Shotaro Tsuoka nabbed a consolation for the Japanese.
Earlier, Ireland dug out an important 10-5 victory over South Africa.
Jordan Conroy and Kennedy went over for tries in either half.
Ireland dominated first-half possession to take a 5-0 lead into the interval, as Conroy’s score on the buzzer was just reward for a strong showing.
Kennedy extended Ireland’s lead in the second period, the St Mary’s man continuing his prolific scoring form this season with his first try of the Paris 2024 campaign.
South Africa responded late in the second half through Selvyn Davids but Ireland remained resolute in defence to see out an important win.
They next face New Zealand in a match that will decide who tops the pool and go into the kinder side of the quarter-final draw.
