France Beats Argentina in Rugby Sevens Quarter-Final

France showcased a dominant performance to defeat Argentina 26-14 in the Olympic men’s sevens quarter-finals, earning a spot in the semi-finals amid an ecstatic Parisian crowd at the Stade de France. London-born wing Aaron Grandidier scored two impressive tries leading France to victory and celebrating with 70,000 fans.

The match followed a tense build-up with French fans frustrated by Argentina’s recent football antics including their exuberant 2022 World Cup celebrations and a controversial song aimed at French players. This led to hostile reactions from the crowd whenever Argentina played at the Stade de France.

Despite finishing second in the pool stage behind Fiji, France delivered a powerful performance. Back-rower Andy Timo opened the scoring after just two minutes and Grandidier added two more tries. Rayan Rebbadj’s conversions put France 21-0 up at halftime even with star player Antoine Dupont on the bench.

Grandidier acknowledged the intensity of the match and the unique atmosphere, highlighting the historic nature of having 69,000 spectators for a sevens game. Argentina fought back with tries from Rodrigo Isgro and Marcos Moneta closing the gap to 21-14.

However, Dupont made a crucial impact by scoring a late try, sealing France’s victory and thwarting Argentina’s comeback. In other Olympic men’s rugby sevens news, South Africa advanced to the semi-finals after a 14-7 win over New Zealand.

Ireland’s campaign ended in disappointment as they lost 19-15 to Fiji, despite leading at one point. Fiji’s win set up a semi-final clash with Australia, who defeated the United States 18-0. France will face South Africa in the semi-finals on Saturday.