The French team is riding on an insolent confidence. Winners of their first tournament in 19 years on March 4 in Los Angeles, thanks in particular to a particularly efficient Antoine Dupont, the Blues brilliantly qualified this Friday for the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong tournament, the annual high mass of rugby in 7.
This time, the scrum half is not present, since he will play in the round of 16 of the Champions Cup between his Toulouse Stadium and Racing 92 this Sunday.
This absence did not prevent Jérôme Daret's men from shining. Placed in a group with Canada, Australia and Fiji, the Tricolores ensured from the start of the competition by crushing the Canadians (31-0). They then had more difficulty winning against the Australians but two tries from Jefferson Lee Joseph and Nelson Épée at the very end of the match helped reverse the trend (19-14).
What a finish 🤯
Still trailing, the Blues won at the last minute thanks to a saving try from Nelson Épée 🔥
Like the girls, the boys ended this first day with another victory!#HSBCSVNSHKG pic.twitter.com/DgGwKhxuay
— RugbyPass FR 🇫🇷 (@RugbyPass_FR) April 5, 2024
Two victories also for the Blue
This Saturday, the French will continue with a third and final group match against Fiji (7:43 a.m. French time). A victory would allow them to secure first place in the group but is not essential since qualification has already been achieved. The quarterfinals are scheduled for later today.
Les Bleues will also play these quarter-finals. Séraphine Okemba's teammates also performed flawlessly this Friday, winning first against Brazil (28-17), then against Great Britain (34-7). The last match of the group stage, against New Zealand, is scheduled for this Saturday at around 6:57 a.m. The quarter-finals are scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Third in the general ranking of Sevens Rugby after five stages, the French are still looking for a first trophy in their history. In South Africa and Canada, they each lost in the final, first against Australia (26-29), then against New Zealand (19-35). A title could offer them a much-needed dose of confidence heading into the Paris Olympics.