As the French rugby sevens team returned for their second game of a frenzied start to the Olympic Games, there was, unexpectedly, some jeopardy involved. An obvious reason why these contests had started so early, two days before the opening ceremony, was the hope that this highly rated French team, topped by a sprinkling of Antoine Dupont’s greatness, would set the tone as France’s first athletes in competition for an incredible event to come.
But in their opening contest of the day, three and a half hours earlier, France had stumbled to a 12-12 draw against a solid USA team. Under no circumstances could that be repeated.
