France struggles in Day 1 of the Olympic rugby sevens tournament

PARIS (AP) — France’s powerhouse rugby sevens team had a shaky start on Day 1 of the Paris Olympics.

The French opened at State de France on Wednesday with a disappointing 12-12 draw against the U.S. but rebounded with a 19-12 victory over Uruguay. The reigning rugby sevens series champions, led by star Antonie Dupont, are among the favorites at the men's Olympic tournament, which concludes Saturday.

The tournament started with 12 teams playing two games each on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony.

New Zealand 40, Japan 12

New Zealand played a physical match and scored six tries to defeat Japan in its first match of the day.

New Zealand 17, South Africa 5

Thanks to two tries from Moses Leo, the All Blacks moved past South Africa and secured a spot in the quarterfinals.

Ireland 10, South Africa 5

Two tries, scored by Jordan Conroy and Terry Kennedy, were enough for Ireland to defeat South Africa.

Ireland 40, Japan 5

Ireland routed Japan with six tries and qualified for the quarterfinals.

Fiji 40, Uruguay 12

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics champion, Fiji, started its tournament with an impressive victory over Uruguay, scoring five tries.

Fiji 38, USA 12

Fiji overpowered the U.S. with six tries scored and secured a spot in the quarterfinals.

Australia 21, Samoa 14

Samoa opened the scoring, but the Australians equalized just before the break before taking the lead in the second half thanks to Henry Hutchinson.

Australia 21, Kenya 7

In its second match of the day, Australia scored three tries and advanced to the next round.

Argentina 31, Kenya 12

Despite conceeding an early try, Argentina, a medal contender, managed to defeat Kenya in its opening match of the tournament by scoring three tries. The fans in the Stade de France booed loudly as players from Argentina made their entry in the field in response to the recent controversy over a racist chant sung by the Argentinian football national team during the Copa America.

Argentina 28, Samoa 12

In its second match of the day, Argentina dominated Samoa, with Matias Osadczuk scoring two tries. Argentina qualified for the quarterfinals.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games