Reigning World Series champions Australia are out of the Sydney Sevens after being beaten 5-10 by France in the first women’s quarterfinal at Allianz Stadium.
It might go down in history as the biggest upset of this year’s tournament.
Nobody would’ve seen this coming, except for maybe the French players and their supporters; they clearly believed that they could silence the Sydney crowd with an incredible upset.
And they did.
After a tense start to the sudden death thriller, World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Charlotte Caslick was shown a yellow card for a high tackle.
France made the most of their one player advantage, as Chloe Pelle broke the deadlock shortly after in the seventh minute.
While they were only up 5-nil at the time, Australian rugby fans may have begun to fear the worst once Carla Neisen crossed for Les Bleus.
The women in gold were able to hit back with a late try to Faith Nathan, which breathed new life in the vibrant Sydney crowd – but the comeback wasn’t meant to be.
France had won the day, had stolen the show, and they had stunned the world.
Head Coach Tim Walsh said it feels “horrible” to lose at home, as he reflected on France’s defensive effort and how that brought an end to the home sides Sydney Sevens ambitions.
“It’s horrible. Losing is not the greatest feeling in the world and particularly at home, Walsh told reporters.
“They defended really well, I thought they deserved to win the game,” he added later.
“They certainly shut us down and we couldn’t get going.
“I can’t fault the way that the girls had a crack. A couple of things, the bounce of the ball sometimes and it can be a different game.
“In that last place, she put the kick on the dime, we got it back, so we gave ourselves every chance to at least walk away (with a result).”
The quarterfinal shock could also have major ramifications on Australia’s World Series ambitions, as New Zealand move on to the semi-finals after beating Japan.