Sports
Heartbreaking Loss for Australian Men’s Rugby Sevens Team against the United States
The Australian men’s rugby sevens team experienced a devastating defeat at the hands of the United States, losing a 14-0 lead and ultimately suffering a heartbreaking golden point loss. The match took place in Perth, where fans gathered at the sunny HBF Park to support their team.
In the opening pool game, the first half remained scoreless. However, the home crowd’s excitement grew as Maurice Longbottom and Dietrich Roache secured tries, giving Australia a promising lead. The hopes of victory were dashed when the 37-year-old US star, Perry Baker, known for his speed, scored two late tries, forcing the game into golden point.
The Americans proved to handle the pressure better and successfully constructed an excellent try by Malacchi Esdale, allowing them to secure a 19-14 win. The Australian players were left stunned as they slumped to the ground in disbelief.
The loss intensifies the pressure on Australia, as they now face Great Britain in their second pool game. The upcoming match against Great Britain will take place on Saturday at 12:13 AM AEST.
Maurice Longbottom commented on the match, stating, ‘It was a real dogfight out there. I was pretty proud of the boys’ efforts to stay in the fight. A bit disappointing in the end. We went away from the things that were working. We have to go back, have hard conversations in the huddle and then we’ll come back out tonight.’
Longbottom acknowledged the mistake of giving Perry Baker too much space, saying, ‘We know what Perry’s got, we know how he’s going to play. We know his speed, and we just gave him too much space, and he hurt us. You just have to park it, move onto the next and worry about GB.’
While the men’s team faced a disheartening loss, Australia’s women’s rugby sevens team enjoyed a smooth start to the tournament, defeating South Africa with a commanding 31-0 scoreline. Bienne Terita shined with a double try, and the team continued their winning streak from previous tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town.
Looking forward to the upcoming match against Great Britain, Terita emphasized the pressure they face. However, she shared her focus on maintaining a performance bubble and blocking out distractions to deliver their best performance.
