Rugby Sevens: Dupont comes on, France beats two-time reigning Olympic champions Fiji and qualifies for final in Madrid

Les Bleus sont qualifiés pour la finale à Madrid, ce dimanche soir (20h30). MAXPPP – Alberto Gardin

The closer the Games approach, the more Antoine Dupont multiplies his decisive performances.

The French men's sevens rugby team qualified on Sunday for the final of the Madrid tournament, where the eight best nations of the regular season compete for the world title, in beating the two-time reigning Olympic champions Fiji (21-14).

The French septists will face in the final at 8:26 p.m. the winner of the other semi-final: Argentina, who dominated New Zealand. Paulin Riva's teammates suffered in the first period, conceding two tries to score only one, against the Fijians who were responsible for repeated hooks and school acceleration.

Dupont returns, the fate of the match changes

After the break, with the entry of Antoine Dupont, the captain of the Blues of the XV who came to challenge the VII in the hope of filling his trophy cabinet a little more during the Paris Olympic Games, the face of the French game changed, with the Toulouse player taking on the role of facilitator and scratcher.

Rayan Rebbadj immediately scored the second try of the match, in a mouse hole, to equalize (14-14), before Jefferson-Lee Joseph added his own ( 21-14). And it was Dupont, hitting the lineout, who liberated the French, sending them to the final, like the women's team, qualified just before.

The girls are also in the final

The women's sevens rugby team, reigning Olympic vice-champion, also qualified for the final of the Madrid tournament, where the eight best nations of the regular season compete for the world title, dominating Canada (19-17). In the final, at 7:49 p.m., David Courteix's players will meet Australia, who for their part created a surprise by dominating the New Zealanders a little earlier (21-19), the reigning Olympic champions.