ColomiersColomiers (France) (AFP)
More than a walk: the men's French rugby sevens team qualified for the final of the Olympic qualifying tournament after their victory against Ireland (19-12) Sunday in the semifinals at Colomiers (Haute- Garonne).
The Blues will face at 18h11 England, who dominated Portugal (29-12), to try to get their ticket for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. In the meantime, they are at least guaranteed to participate in the repechage tournament next year.
"It's our best game of the competition, we did not let anything go and in front of our audience we were not allowed to do it, we have to win the final now, we have to conclude in style." the French pillar Sacha Valleau.
To win their place in the final, they had to overcome several hard shots. First the opening of the Irish score, after a ball lost in the 4th minute, erased in the wake of a personal exploit of Captain Jean-Pascal Barraque and, at the end of the first period, by Teddy Bouhraoua (12-7).
Then the Irish equalizer just after half-time, after an action where the referee seems to have forgotten to whistle an offside and then a forward pass Irish.
Bouhraoua replaced the Blues in front of an endless sequence (11th minute), before touching at the end of the time displayed on the clock.
But the siren had not sounded, a time lag that offered a last ammunition to the Irish, in vain.
"It's excellent, we showed + team spirit + (team spirit, Ed.) They have not cracked on the last sequence.I am very proud of them," said coach Jerome Daret .
"Now we have to conclude, it's the toughest step, we have good energy, we're good in our game." "It's been a year and a half we whip but we're going to get it" -he adds.
© 2019 AFP