Eire’s hopes of a primary Olympic medal in rugby sevens are over following a 19-15 defeat to Fiji within the quarter-finals on the Stade de France.
James Topping’s aspect had led the back-to-back gold medallists by 15-7 within the second half however would let slip their second two-score benefit of the day after an earlier pool-stage defeat to New Zealand.
In what was Eire’s first quarter-final at this degree, Fiji had the sport’s first rating throughout the first minute of the competition.
Iosefo Baleiwairiki fended off the sort out of Niall Comerford to make the important thing break and completed off the attempt regardless of a spirited chase from Chay Mullins.
It was Mullins who would drag Eire again into the sport, scoring a double earlier than half-time to place his aspect forward on the break regardless of each tries going unconverted.
His second felt particularly well timed, coming simply earlier than the interval and from an assault the place Eire had drifting in direction of the touchline earlier than Mullins took on Gavin Mullin’s cross and burst by means of the sort out to attain.
Within the second half, Zac Ward, who has been in wonderful kind in Paris, put Eire eight factors forward with an opportunistic end down the blindside of a ruck after his personal sturdy carry had superior his aspect to inside a metre of the whitewash.
