Australia overcomes nervous day in rugby sevens to book semi berth

AUSTRALIA have booked their place in the Olympic women’s rugby sevens semi-finals​ after dispatching Spain in the quarter-finals in Rio but their coach says they aren’t good enough for gold... yet.

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GOOD, but not good enough for gold.

That was the verdict of Australian women’s sevens coach Tim Walsh after his side overcame a tough day and booked an Olympic semi-final clash with Canada tomorrow.

After red-hot form on the opening day, the Aussie girls had to work much harder on the second to progress into the medal zone.

Ellia Green of Australia dives in to score a try against Patricia Garcia of Spain during the quarter final.

They came from behind to draw 12-all with the USA in their last pool match before dispatching Spain in a physical 24-0 win in the quarter-finals. Charlotte Caslick was again brilliant and led the way with sizzling tries in both halves, cementing her status as the best player in the world this year.

The playoff secured Australia a chance to play for an historic first ever rugby sevens medal against Canada, who are a team stocked with strong ball runners and tacklers, and enhanced by the skills work of new Wallabies assistant coach Mick Byrne.

Walsh said the Aussie girls would need to pick up their form if they were to fulfil their golden dream tomorrow.

“Happy with the win, not happy with the way we played,” Walsh said post-match.

Australia's Emma Tonegato scores a try as she is tackled by USA's Alev Kelter in their last pool match.

“We can play a hell of a lot better than that. We made some pretty basic errors and gave them a sniff before closing them out again. There were good points and bad points but it is not where we need to be to be in contest for that gold medal.”

Caslick said her team had started slow before improving in the second game by adding more physicality to their work.

“We definitely learned from the first game and you have to have those games in a tournament to get better for the business end,” she said.

​”​Every team that is playing tomorrow is going to step to the next level, so we have to do that as well.​”

Such is the pursuit of excellence in the Australian women’s team that the players worn faces of thunder walking up the tunnel after their quarter-final win. They were a step closer to gold but didn’t show it.

“They’re very accountable, and they know they haven’t performed.

You can see it in their faces,” Walsh said.

“They’re exposed to a whole new environment, they’re a little bit nervous. But the positive thing is they are still wining and coming away well when we are not playing to our potential.

Ellia Green carries the ball against Spain during the quarter-final.

Yesterday we were polished. Today we grinded out wins, which is what good teams need to do. Tomorrow we will be ready to lift it up again and take it to the next level.”

Quarter-finals are regarded in sevens as the most nerve-wracking of all: win and play for a medal, lose and you’ve played for nothing.

“It’s almost a monkey off the back, now we are playing for a medal. We are not happy with a bronze or a silver, we want a gold. But most of all we just want to play to our best. We want to walk off the field without any regret,” Walsh said

“We have created an opportunity for it. It is now up to us to take it.”

Caslick will be crucial to Australia’s hopes of winning a gold. Her capacity to run at the line with the ball in two hands and surge through is world-class.

But Walsh said it was her strengths in all other areas as well that put her at the top of the tree in world sevens.

“She has been absolutely extraordinary in every game,” he said.

“Yesterday she was world class and today she was the difference. The way she can make tackles, her fitness, her speed, it was the difference.

“She is a pretty special player, she can create something out of nothing.”