Commonwealth Games 2022: Australian women lose to Fiji, men in draw with Uganda
The Australian men’s team has narrowly managed to avoid the Kiwis in the sevens quarter-finals, while the women have suffered a shock loss which puts their medal hopes in danger.
Samu Kerevi’s Commonwealth Games campaign is in doubt after the Wallaby superstar went off with a knee injury in Australia’s tense win over Kenya on Saturday.
The 7-6 victory puts Australia atop Pool D, avoiding powerhouse New Zealand in the quarter-finals – where they will instead face rising stars Samoa.
But the bigger concern is the fitness of powerhouse back Kerevi, who needed on-field treatment on his right knee before sitting out the remainder of the second-half as Australia grimly held on for a two-point win.
Kerevi opted to keep a promise to his teammates in order to play at the Commonwealth Games, forgoing a spot in the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener against Argentina next Sunday.
Australia’s quarter-final spot was all-but confirmed before kick-off against Kenya, with Uganda’s 40-0 win over Jamaica failing to make up the huge points differential advantage to John Manenti’s team.
WOMEN IN SHOCK LOSS
World Champions Australia are on a nightmare semi-final collision course with fierce rivals New Zealand after suffering another shock loss to Fiji.
Similar to last year’s Tokyo Games quarter-final defeat, Fiji started stronger and have put a major dent in Australia’s gold medal plans.
The 19-12 loss ensures Australia will finish second in Pool B, and will face the top-placed finisher in Pool A – almost certain to be defending champions New Zealand, barring huge upsets in the final group games.
In a brutal, physical encounter, Australia conceded long-range tries to Fijian captain Rusila Nagasau and Sesenieli Donu to go into half-time down 12-0.
“It was a tough game. Fiji is an amazing team and they got the better of us. We didn’t prepare well enough. We need to pick the intensity up for our next game,” Madison Ashby told News Corp.
“That (New Zealand) game will be a grand final match for us – we’ve just got to prepare well, switch on and be ready.”
The spirits were broken when Raijeli Daveua extended the lead to 19-0 shortly after halftime – with Australia able to pull two tries back through Maddison Levi and Demi Hayes, before they ran out of time.
Australia’s semi-final match will be played at 7.42pm local time (4.42am AEST).
AUSTRALIAN MEN IN SHOCK UGANDA DRAW
A disappointing Australia will face some home truths after being held to a shock draw by Uganda – as trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand overcame a serious scare of their own.
The world champion Kiwis had to scrape back from 17-0 down to topple a mighty Samoan outfit to stay top of Pool A
New Zealand’s men have lost just once in Commonwealth Games history – to South Africa, in the 2014 gold medal match – but seemed destined for defeat before a second-half fightback sealed a 19-17 win.
Australia were not so fortunate. And in truth, they were lucky to get a draw – with Uganda missing a shot at goal from 40 metres out after the siren in a match the underdogs dominated for large portions.
Australia were sloppy with ball in hand, fell off tackles and generally looked a shadow of the same side that ran roughshod over Jamaica earlier in the day.
That game involved a three-try first-half masterclass from Samu Kerevi, dubbed a ‘one-of-a-kind’ athlete by teammate Dietrich Roache, but the blockbusting Wallaby centre was well contained by Uganda’s physical defence from the outset.
At one point an ill-disciplined Australia was reduced to just five men, with Maurice Longbottom and Dietrich Roache both shown yellow cards before Uganda levelled the scores with 90 seconds on the clock.
Captain Nick Malouf recognised that a similar performance against Kenya on Saturday will leave Australia’s medal hopes in tatters.
“We knew that was going to happen, unfortunately we weren’t at our best. Discipline really hurt us there with those two yellows,” Malouf told News Corp.
“It’s hard enough when you’ve got seven on the field let alone six or five. That was tough.
“And credit to Uganda, they came out and the crowd was getting right behind them and they just surged off that I guess.
“Uganda are a quality outfit. I don’t think you can disrespect them in that regard. From our point of view we weren’t clinical.
“It wasn’t coming as easy as it was in that first game and as a result of that we didn’t get the points we would’ve liked.”
The top two teams from each group go through to the semi-finals, and with a 62-0 win over Jamaica under their belts along with the draw, John Manenti’s side is unlikely to miss out on the final eight – but defeat to Kenya, who beat Uganda in their morning fixture, would put Australia in the firing line of the world’s heavyweights in the knock-out stage.
“Kenya are a super physical side, they’ve got some big boys so we’re going to have to put our hardhats on and get to work,” Malouf said.
“There’s some real athletes in their side and you’ve seen in the World Series over the years what they’re capable of.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge but we’ll have a good night’s rest tonight and bounce back.”
KEREVI DESTROYS JAMAICA
One-man wrecking ball Samu Kerevi has Australia’s Sevens squad dreaming of gold, after the Wallabies star buried Jamaica 62-0 with a phenomenal display to ignite their Commonwealth Games.
Kerevi produced an unstoppable seven minutes in the first half, notching a hat-trick of tries while setting up a fourth as Australia took a 33-0 lead at the break.
The blockbusting centre opened the scoring after just 10 seconds, tiptoeing down the sideline before producing an acrobatic finish, and within two minutes had set up the first of Nathan Lawson’s two tries with a typically barnstorming midfield run.
Two more tries to Kerevi in a matter of moments sealed the hat-trick and put the result to bed before the halftime break.
“He’s something special – he’s a one-of-a-kind athlete,” said teammate Dietrich Roache, who scored off a blistering 50m run to start the second-half scoring.
“It’s been a long year for some of us boys, so it’s good for him to come and bring that energy and obviously that star power he has.
“He has a lot of skill, he has everything you could ask for in a rugby player.
“We’re very grateful to have him in our team.”
Lawson produced a sparkling run deep in the second half to grab his second of the day as the tries kept coming, with Corey Toole, Roache, Nick Malouf and Mark Nawaqanitawase all crossing during the win.
Kerevi faced a tricky decision prior to the Commonwealth Games, sacrificing his spot in the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener against Argentina to commit to his Sevens teammates.
But there’s little question coach John Manenti and his team are thrilled with his decision – with Roache saying there are no limits to what this squad can achieve.
“I don’t think we’ve got limits, to be honest,” Roache said.
“A lot of these tournaments you can come here and overplay your hand. But the boys are having fun and letting loose.
Promise that left Kerevi with an agonising choice
Wallabies star Samu Kerevi has revealed why he made the agonising decision to make the Commonwealth Games his priority instead of the Rugby Championship – saying his determination to win gold for Australia, and a secret pact with his teammates, could not be denied.
The 28-year-old shapes as the x-factor in John Manenti’s Sevens squad, with his bulldozing runs key to their maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal ambitions. Kerevi’s availability, however, was up in the air due to a clash with the start of the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship campaign.
But instead of joining Dave Rennie’s squad ahead of the Wallabies’ opening fixture against Argentina next month, Kerevi has delivered on a promise made to his teammates in the wake of last year’s Tokyo Olympics heartache.
“It was a tough decision in the end but I gave my word to these boys, if I was available to be back I’d be back here,” Kerevi told News Corp in the lead-up to the Games.
“I’m blessed enough to be in this position and get selected for these Games. I’m pretty ecstatic about that.
“It’s pretty special to be part of this group and to represent Australia. It’s something I’ll always, always remember.
“But more than just participating, we want to be here and do well and win a medal – win a gold medal. That’s our goal and the boys are working hard towards that.”
In a disappointing Olympics campaign last year Australia only managed to win one match, defeating South Korea in the preliminary stages. They were then bounced out 19-0 by Fiji in the quarter-finals.
Despite this, Kerevi was far and away Australia’s best – surpassing even the boldest expectations of what the game-breaking centre could be capable of in the seven-a-side format.
He looms as a key figure once again, but this time joins a squad that has found its rhythm under Manenti and arrived in Birmingham as genuine medal hopes, having won the London Sevens event in May.
Still burning from the Wallabies’ brutal series defeat to England on home soil this month, Kerevi was grateful to have the opportunity to take out his frustrations
“The boys have two weeks to dwell on that loss and it’s been really tough, putting in all that hard work and then falling short in the end,” he added.
“It’s still grinding me here now. To be able to put that to the side a bit and be able to focus on these Games coming up real quick. It’s a good place to be for myself.”
Kerevi can feel the optimism and confidence among the group, who kick off their campaign with pool games against Jamaica and Uganda on Friday.
“I sense it in each of the boys in the way we are preparing and I think that’s a credit to how hard these guys have worked,” he said.
“Unfortunately I haven’t been in the squad for a long time, but I know these boys from last year competing with them and they built that belief. It doesn’t come overnight. It doesn’t come with no work.
“The confidence comes from our preparation. If we prepare well, our confidence level goes up.”
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