In the final session of pool play, the U.S. men secured their quarterfinal spot, and Fiji remained undefeated since rugby's return to the Olympics. Read on for details from each match played during the session.
Up next, the U.S. will play Australia in the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal matches will be played starting at 2 p.m. ET.
Samoa vs. Kenya
A place in the quarterfinals was on the line with both teams still looking for their first win of the tournament. Samoa defeated Kenya 26-0. With its first Olympic win, Samoa will wait to see if they finish as a top-two finisher overall after the two winners from each pool.
Motu Opetai continued to find the try zone with the lone score in the first half. Samoa capitalized on several Kenyan penalties in the second half to add tries by Paul Scanlan and Vaafauese Apelu Maliko. Stephen Onosai tacked on a last-minute try to help Samoa’s overall point differential for quarterfinals rankings.
Argentina vs. Australia
Both teams entered the day undefeated in pool play and already qualified for the quarterfinals. Australia proved victorious over Argentina 22-14.
Australia took advantage of a yellow card to Argentina near the end of the first. Henry Hutchinson and Dietrich Peter Roache scored tries for the Aussies for a 10-7 lead at the half.
Early in the second half Roache added his second try of the match. Matias Osadczuk scored to bring Argentina within a point of Australia, but that’s as close as it got. With the win, Australia ensured they will play one of the two lowest seeded teams in the quarterfinals.
United States vs. Uruguay
Needing a win to advance to the quarterfinals, the Americans beat Uruguay 33-17.
Perry Baker wasted no time for the Americans, scoring 20 seconds into the match. Uruguay didn’t wait long to answer, as Baltazar Amaya powered his way past the try line. A defensive lapse led to Bautista Basso’s go-ahead try for Uruguay, but the Americans answered right before the end of the half. Lucas Lacamp and Baker displayed their speed, with Baker ultimately touching down in the try zone for a two-point lead.
Early in the second, Lacamp turned on the wheels again to extend the lead to 19-12. Baker showed up when needed most, scoring two more tries in the second half.
With the 33-17 win, the Americans secured their ticket to the quarterfinals.
Fiji vs. France
Fiji looked to remain undefeated in Olympic play since its return in 2016, while France needed to win or lose by seven or fewer points to secure the second spot in Pool C. In the end, both teams got what they wanted, as Fiji defeated France 19-12.
France’s Theo Forner exited the match due to injury early, but that didn’t hamper the host nation's energy. After a few minutes of very physical, back-and-forth play, Varian Pasquet found an opening to offload to Aaron Nkanang Grandidier for the try.
Fiji found its footing, dumping three scores — including one by legend Jerry Tuwai — on Les Bleus. France added a second try in extra time to secure a seven-point loss and the second spot in Pool C.
South Africa vs. Japan
Needing to win the match by 21 points or more to advance to the quarterfinals, South Africa cruised to a 49-5 win over a Japanese team that had already been eliminated from knockout-round contention.
Captain Selvyn Davids scored the first try just two minutes into the match for the Springboks, and South Africa never looked back from there. The Springboks scored seven tries and secured the 21 points they needed to advance and knock Samoa out of the final quarterfinal spot.
New Zealand vs. Ireland
With a quarterfinal spot secured for both teams, New Zealand secured the 14-12 win over Ireland in a back-and-forth match.
It took over five minutes, but Ireland's Zac Ward broke through for the first try. The Irish were in control for most of the match, but the All Blacks pushed back with second-half tries from Leroy Carter and Ngarohi McGarvey to secure the top seed from Pool A.
Julia Yohe contributed to the recaps
Quarterfinal Matches
New Zealand vs. South Africa
France vs. Argentina
Fiji vs. Ireland
Australia vs. United States