Great Britain will have to pick themselves up and ‘go again’ on Tuesday as they bid for fifth in the women’s rugby sevens at the Olympics in Paris after a 17-7 quarter-final loss to USA on Monday evening ended their medal hopes.
Scotland’s Lisa Thomson and Isla Norman-Bell, who has Scottish links, started the game and Great Britain got off to a great start.
They took an early lead when Norman-Bell set up Ellie Boatman for the score which was converted very well from out wide by Thomson.
Heading towards half-time, USA got themselves going and Naya Tapper scored an unconverted try to make it 7-5. Just before the interval it looked like Ilona Maher, the social media star, was going to score, but Jasmine Joyce made a remarkable cover take and Great Britain had a slender lead heading into the second seven minutes.
USA started after the break like a train, Kristi Kirshe scoring a try with Kayla Canett converting to make it 12-7.
They had their tails up and Sammy Sullivan’s try out wide made it 17-7.
Earlier on in the day, Great Britain got through a scare versus South Africa to finish second in Pool B behind Australia after a 26-17 win.
Norman-Bell started this one with Thomson on the bench, but it was the South Africans who scored first.
In fact they scored two tries, through Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Nadine Roos with the latter converting one.
Great Britain needed something to get them going and it came just before half-time when Grace Crompton went over with Norman-Bell converting for 12-7.
Thomson came on at the interval, and a breakaway try by Norman-Bell, converted by the same player, made it 14-12 to them before she blotted her copybook somewhat by being yellow carded for a hair pull.
The extra player allowed space for Ayanda Malinga to score a five-pointer to put South Africa 17-14 up.
Great Britain had to step things up once again when back to seven players and they did thanks to two tries from Welsh flyer Joyce. Thomson missed a conversion, but Norman-Bell kicked ne and they won it 26-17 to make sure of their last eight spot.
USA lost 31-14 to France in the early session before finishing second in Pool C.
In the other quarter-finals, New Zealand thumped China 55-5, Canada quietened the home crowd in a packed Stade de France with a 19-14 win and Australia got past Ireland 40-7.
On Tuesday, Great Britain will play China at 1.30pm UK time in the fifth-eighth place semi-final.
Great Britain women’s sevens Olympic squad
Amy Wilson Hardy
Ellie Boatman
Ellie Kildunne
Emma Uren (C)
Grace Crompton
Heather Cowell
Isla Norman-Bell
Jade Shekells
Jasmine Joyce
Lauren Torley
Lisa Thomson
Meg Jones
Reserves:
Abi Burton
Kayleigh Powell
Great Britain women’s sevens Olympic Pool B fixtures
Ireland, July 28 at 3.30pm local time (2.30pm UK) W 21-12
Australia, July 28 at 7.30pm local time (6.30pm UK) L 36-5
South Africa, July 29 at 2pm local time (1pm UK) W 26-17
Great Britain women’s sevens Olympic knock-out phase
QF USA, July 29 at 9.30pm local time (8.30pm UK) L 17-7
5th-8th place semi-final China, July 30 at 2.30pm local time (1.30pm UK)
Last fixture on July 30 depends on China result
The Great Britain squad, thanks to Team GB for the image
GH Media will be covering the Scots involved in sevens at the Olympics between July 27 and July 31