ANALYSIS: For those wondering where this Australian performance came from only have to look back to December as the Men’s Sevens prepare for a shot at history.
Australia will enter the Olympic semi-finals already making history after a shutout 18-0 win over the USA booked their place in the final four for the first time in program history.
The 2021-22 World Series have flown under the radar in Paris amid a resurgent Fiji, France’s rollercoaster and an Argentinian side public enemy number one at the Stade de France.
The 22-14 win over Argentina to start day two ensured that wouldn’t be the case as they took their chances to strike whilst pressing Los Pumas into mistakes.
It was the Australians at their best, however, often a performance that hasn’t been backed up in past events.
Australia went through their pool undefeated in Los Angeles in March, the only other time they’ve managed so in 2023-24 outside of the Olympics, before being unable to back it up as they went down to Great Britain. It was a golden opportunity gone begging considering Spain awaited in the semis after upsetting Fiji.
Manenti and the Aussies refused to let that happen again.
In chats throughout the year, the importance of the quarter-final was reinforced to rugby.com.au by Manenti.
It didn’t matter what had transpired win, loss or draw, only what happened in that second game of day two.
“The challenge remains for us is how many games can we be consistent for and aim up for,” he explained to Rugby.com.au. "We’re not going to be perfect but can we win imperfectly and how strong can we be around that ability when things don’t go our way to respond, hang in the fight and counterpunch?
“We’ve learnt some good lessons about ourselves throughout the season. There’s been times where we’ve been on the podium when we haven’t played as well as it would suggest and times we’ve played really well and finished outside the top four but had a bad game in the quarter final.
“We’ve learnt lots of lessons. The next four or five weeks is going to be nailing all those things where we did certain things well and growth in our certain areas where earlier in the year we were losing games and getting in trouble.”
The lessons referred to were shaped by their SVNS world series that whilst didn’t deliver immediate success, created the pathway to a maiden Olympics semi-finals.
Back in Cape Town in December, the Australians developed the perfect quarter-final template after scrapping into the quarter-finals.
Amid a hostile crowd, they smothered the Blitzboks with relentless pressure at the breakdown and defence to leave them trapped in the 22 for a 28-0 win.
They produced this same gameplan against the USA, a team that had dominated them in the past before a gutsy extra-time win in LA.
Australia had only beaten the Americans twice in nine attempts but a late equaliser and winner five minutes into extra-time has sparked their belief.
They haven’t lost to them since and you sensed that belief as America tried to unleash Perry Baker and Lucas Lacamp with little effectiveness.
Australians leaders Nick Malouf, Maurice Longbottom and Henry Hutchison lamented the lack of a ‘shot’ thrown at previous Olympics in the build-up and they delivered on the big stage.
Malouf set up the opening try to James Turner whilst Hutchison’s break was fortuitous but delivered a crucial try to Corey Toole.
Longbottom then sealed the win with a penalty and try to mark their place in history as the first Australian men’s side to compete for a medal.
What medal remains yet to be seen as they are forced to wait an extra day after the opening ceremony.
To get to the gold medal match, they’ll need to make history against a Fiji side who have never lost at an Olympic Games.
Like Australia, Fiji did not manage a title win in 2023-24 but has been back at their best in Paris.
Fiji are another side that had a significant success rate against Australia until the Aussies toppled them in Perth in January.
In their last two matches, Fiji have managed just seven points, with a similar game plan implemented that worked against the USA.
Don’t discount what this win does for the wider Olympic program as well as Sevens in Australia.
Olympic campaigns are built on momentum and the idea of an Australian team winning game after game will boost spirits as the other 448 athletes await their chance to compete.
The men’s side have a chance to make a real name for themselves, like the women did in 2016.
It has the capable to inspire a new generation of talent from several codes and backgrounds to get a taste of Olympic and Sevens action.
The stakes are high but the Australians will relish the chance to go into the clash underrated and underdogs.
