For the second game in a row, Canada has faced a higher-ranked opponent at the women’s Olympic sevens rugby tournament. And for the second game in a row, it’s the underdog Canadians who are moving on, this time to play for gold.
One day after shocking the host French in the quarterfinals, Canada knocked off second-ranked Australia 21-12 on Tuesday, sending the red jerseys to the gold-medal final against New Zealand. This will be the first time Canada has played for gold in rugby sevens at the Olympics. The final is at 1:45 p.m. ET / 10:45 a.m. PT on Tuesday.
Just as against the French, the Canadians had to mount a comeback to defeat the Australians at Stade de France in Saint-Dénis, north of Paris. And for the second game in a row, it was Calgary’s Piper Logan who sealed the victory, the 23-year-old scoring a try in the final two minutes that captain Olivia Apps of Lindsay, Ont., converted to put the game out of reach.
Australia, the second-ranked team in the world on the sevens tour, was knocked out at the quarterfinal stage of the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Aussies’ motivation to make amends for that exit was clear from the outset when Maddison Levi went around Toronto’s Charity Williams on the wing to score under the posts in the opening minute. Less than two minutes later, the Australians were on the board again, with Sariah Paki shaking off a tackle and going up the middle for a 12-0 lead.
But the Canadians refused to go down easily.
Williams got the ball rolling, getting Canada on the board just after the horn had sounded in the first half with a quick tap-and-go after an Australian penalty that caught the gold jerseys off guard. Williams showed her speed, racing the length of the field for a try that was easily converted by Apps.
The Canadians maintained that momentum after the break and were rewarded with a fantastic score off a lineout when Toronto’s Asia Hogan-Rochester touched down with four minutes to go, giving them the lead, 14-12. Penalties and frustrations continued to pile up for Australia and Logan made them pay after sustained pressure in the offensive end, scoring her try in the final two minutes. There was a brief moment of doubt as the play was reviewed to see if Logan had not been held up by the Aussie tackler, but video quickly confirmed the try and — after Apps converted — it was just a matter of hanging on.
“We need to ride this wave and ride this confidence,” said Apps on CBC Olympics. “We’re making history right now as Canadian athletes. We’re not satisfied just with a sliver medal.”
Next up, New Zealand, which will be no small task, with the Kiwis having beaten the Americans 24-12 in the early semi to advance to the gold-medal match for the third straight Olympics. Canada and New Zealand have already faced each other once at these Games, with the Black Ferns coming out on top 33-7 in their group stage encounter.
The Canadians, ranked fifth, did not advance past the group stage at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics but won bronze in 2016 in Rio. They secured second place in Group A in Paris with a 2-1 record and stunned the host French 19-14 on Monday in the quarterfinals.
Australia will play the U.S. later Tuesday in the bronze-medal match.