Paris Olympics 2024: Australia go down in seven-point rugby 7s thriller

Australia’s rugby 7s Olympic medal hunt has come to an end, going down in a seven-point thriller to South Africa.

The Aussies were on the brink of losing, down 12 with three minutes to go and with a man down due to a red card.

But with nothing to lose, Australia took the game on, with Corey Toole and Henry Paterson both scoring late tries to even the scores.

The Aussies were made to defend hard early, with South Africa playing the aggressor.

South Africa tried to press, but Australia’s defence was up to the challenge.

Ben Dowling managed to find Nathan Lawson, who put on the afterburners to get his side the first try of the match.

But much like in the semifinal when Fiji was able to respond, South Africa was able to get on the scoreboard through Selvyn Davids.

However, they weren’t able to nail the conversion, meaning Australia took a two-point lead into the half.

It didn’t deter South Africa, who were able to get forward and score a try through Zain Davids.

To make matters worse, Nick Malouf was forced from the field after being red-carded for a high tackle.

Australia’s loss was South Africa’s gain, as they converted another try to make it a 12-point game.

The window opened late when Toole backed his speed, winning the footrace to convert for a try, leaving the margin at five points with a minute to go.

With the momentum on their side, Paterson was able to shrug off a tackle and level the scores with a try of his own.

However, Dietrich Roache was unable to convert, leaving the door open for South Africa to take the lead late.

It means Australia will have to wait another four years for a chance to win their first rugby 7s medal.