As cries of allez les bleus pour out of every nook and cranny in the streets of Paris this evening, it is time to reflect on a remarkable Olympic rugby sevens series.
Few could argue that the two best teams at this year’s Olympics reached the final as a previously undefeated Fijian side clashed with a red-hot France in the final.
Nine months on from what was a dour evening for French Rugby fans at the Stade de France as they crashed out of their home World Cup, Antoine Dupont ensured that history would not repeat itself as he completed the most impressive half of rugby sevens from any player this season.
Romping away to a 28 – 7 victory with Dupont scoring two tries and setting up another, one could easily forget just how special the other side in the final were. Entering the final on the back of fifteen consecutive victories, Fiji put behind them a mixed season on the HSBC SVNS Series as they hit peak Olympic form.
Topping their group before downing Ireland with a monstrous comeback albeit with a rather fortuitous bounce of the ball before blitzing Australia, the Flying Fijians proved that they shine when the lights are at their brightest.
Thus, without further ado, here is RugbyDump’s 2024 Olympic sevens rugby team of the tournament.
Starting 7:
1. Ryan Oosthuizen – South Africa
South Africa’s ‘hard man’ asked for no inch and gave no inch all tournament as he got through a mountain of work for the Blitzbokke. The 29-year-old is eerily similar to Kwagga Smith in how he plays the game, as he does the hard yards to allow his explosive backs to do their thing.
2. Josevo Talacolo – Fiji
Fiji’s aerial maestro tortured opponents at kick-off time as he used his outlandish explosive power to outjump players who were being lifted. In open play, his physicality and eye for a gap were crucial components to the Fijian forward’s ability to get over the gain line.
3. Zac Ward – Ireland
Ireland’s workhorse left this tournament with his reputation at an all-time high, and it would be shocking if the Ballynahinch native doesn’t work his way into the XV-a-side game soon. Operating in an ultra-organised Irish set-up, Ward was the player Ireland looked to when they needed to gain line-breaking power to launch a set play.
4. Jerry Tuwai (Captain) – Fiji
What can we write that hasn’t already been written about the Fijian magician. Still doing business at 35 years young, Tuwai was an out halfback at this year’s Olympics as he was at the past two. Whilst it will sting him that Dupont got around him for France’s crucial second try in the final, he had a magnificent tournament.
5. Jefferson-Lee Joseph – France
Scoring France’s first try in the final to reel the Fijians back in, Joseph showed his class on the biggest stage. The Agen winger and former France U20 standout was sublime throughout the tournament and had all the makings of a top-class back three-player in the XV-a-side game as a pacey playmaker in the wide channels.
6. Leroy Carter – New Zealand
Parking his role as a halfback in the XV-a-side game, Carter was New Zealand’s go-to guy as a hard-running centre once again this tournament. His ability to pump his legs in contact and find an offload set up the All Black’s lethal pacemen for some super tries.
7. Aaron Grandidier – France
Running the perfect support line following Dupont’s eighty meter burst in the final was an example of what Grandidier does so well. Not only is he a strong carrier, but he is also a cerebral player who sees the unfolding phases ahead of time to ensure he is always in the right place at the right time.
Replacements:
8. Joji Nasova – Fiji
Employing an unrelenting work ethic to go with his deep box of tricks, Nasova is the perfect example of a rugby sevens player that you would design on a video game. Blessed with top-end speed, it is Nasova’a’s ability to perform when those around him fatigue that ensures he is always available to pull off a key moment.
9. Rayan Rebbadj – France
France’s marksman goal kicker ensured that when his side scored, they got the maximum return possible. His standout performance in the semi-final in South Africa was the difference between the two sides as he crossed for two tries and slotted two conversions to ensure that the Blitzbokke were held at arm’s length.
10. Scott Curry – New Zealand
An ageless wonder, New Zealand’s veterans like Tuwai remain the key performers for the men in black. Now thirteen years into his sevens career, the powerhouse forward remains one of the most fearsome carriers in the game, as did the hard yards for his side.
11. Antoine Dupont – France
Edging South African skipper Selvyn Davids for the spot on our bench, Dupont had his crowning moment at the Stade de France when it mattered most. His performance in the final was arguably the best individual half of any player this year as he willed his team to victory.
12. Terry Kennedy – Ireland
Far and away Ireland’s best individual threat, save for a fully fit Jordan Conroy, Kennedy secured a place in the fifth place play-off for Ireland with a moment of magic against the USA. From start to finish he was superb for the men in green and is still at the level that won him the 2022 World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year award.
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