Ireland’s men’s sevens team gave New Zealand a fierce fight but ultimately lost a devastating 17-10 semi-final match in South Africa’s Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Three tries from Ngarohi McGarvey Black kept the champions’ three-in-a-row bid alive as they brought their record against Ireland to 10-0 at the Cape Town Stadium.
Ireland had a chance to capitalise on their historic quarterfinal victory over the hosts last night with tries from Jack Kelly and Andrew Smith either side of halftime, but the All Blacks showed their skill in eking out the victory.
The performances will give the team a lot of hope since the Paris Olympics are just two years away and will be a great learning opportunity for a team that is currently competing at the highest level in rugby sevens.
Ireland now faces Australia in the bronze final at 6.25 pm [live on RTÉ Player]. Fiji advanced to the decider.