The USA Men’s Sevens Team faced Great Britain in the Medal Quarterfinals. The USA took a 21-7 lead at the break before a Great Britain comeback 26-21 win.
Great Britain will play New Zealand in the Medal Semi-final, while the USA will face Canada in the 5th Place semi-final at 9 pm ET.
Quarterfinal Match Recap & USA Pool Recap
The USA scored first following a lineout which was gathered by Joe Schroeder. Danny Barrett found a gap in the defense and scored under the posts making an easy conversion for Madison Hughes, 0-7.
The restart was tapped back by Schroeder to Tomasin and went wide left to Martin Iosefo and right to Barrett and back left to Perry Baker for a try with Hughes adding the extras, 0-14.
The ensuing restart was tapped again by Schroeder with a Hughes break and offloading to Iosefo, who flicked back to Baker for a try. Hughes converted again, 0-21.
Great Britain cut the lead with an Ollie Lindsay-Hague try and a Dan Bibby conversion before the break, 7-21.
The momentum swung in the second half after Tomasin was sent to the bin. Great Britain quickly capitalized with the USA down a man with a Ben Harris try and a Bibby conversion, 14-21. Alex Davis added another with Bibby adding the extras to level the match at 21 all.
Great Britain took their first lead after a Dan Norton try, 26-21, and kicked to touch for the win after a USA counter-ruck attempt was penalized.
The USA will be disappointed in their second-half performance and will not have a podium finish.
Next for the USA is a 5th place semi-final match against Canada, while Great Britain faces New Zealand in the Medal semi-finals.
USA Rugby Comments
Head Coach Mike Friday
“We started really well, we took control of the game. We had an opportunity, we just gifted back possession, seven points and that gave them hope. And they held onto that and they clawed themselves back into the game. You’ve got to give credit to them in terms of the durability.”
“As I said to the boys, results don’t define you as a man. They don’t define you as the individual. That’s just part of life. And I think as a group of men, with the way that they carried themselves and the way that they’ve represented this country themselves, hopefully, will inspire young boys and young girls to take up the sport and aspire to be the next group that plays in the Olympics.
“We’re hugely gutted. Sevens is brutal, right. Little moments, the little referee calls either go your way or don’t go your way and that’s the difference between being in the medal rounds tomorrow. Unfortunately, we’ve just fallen on the wrong side this evening. And we’re going to have to deal with that quickly because we have to come out tomorrow and represent the country once again and try and ensure that we finish as high as we can.”
“In America, that sporting landscape is about medals and winning. We understand that challenge, but it’s about inspiring as well. There’s a bigger picture here. It’s about encouraging the sport to be positioned in the high schools to compliment the super sports. So there’s another alternative to being that NFL player, that NBA player. It’s being an Olympian; taking up a game with great values and excelling.”
Squads
USA: Perry Baker, Danny Barrett, Maceo Brown, Madison Hughes (capt.), Martin Iosefo, Carlin Isles, Matai Leuta, Cody Melphy, Folau Niua, Joe Schroeder, Brett Thompson, Stephen Tomasin, Kevon Williams
Great Britain: Dan Bibby, Tom Bowen, Alec Coombes, Alex Davis, Robbie Fergusson, Harry Glover, Ben Harris, Ollie Lindsay-Hague, Ross McCann, Max McFarland, Tom Mitchell (capt.), Dan Norton, Ethan Waddleton
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