HONG KONG: Australia’s men’s rugby team has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Sevens, joining their female counterparts, following a decisive 28-12 victory over Uruguay on Saturday.
Aden Ekanayake, Matthew Gonzalez, Henry Hutchison, and Maurice Longbottom were the try scorers for the Australian men, who finished pool play with a record of 2-1 after suffering a loss to New Zealand and securing a win against South Africa on Friday.
“We pulled ourselves together; we’ve got a young squad, and we’re trying to maintain faith in the team,” Longbottom shared with Wide World of Sports at Kai Tak Stadium. He also noted that the team tends to perform better after an initial setback.
Matthew Gonzalez from Australia in action. Getty
“We could have made things easier by securing a win in the first match yesterday, but when circumstances are less than favourable, you just have to dig deep and keep showing up, which is exactly what we’ve done.”
Longbottom is among five players who were part of the Australian squad that clinched the title at the previous Hong Kong Sevens held at the old stadium.
“This is truly the home of sevens, isn’t it? Everyone aspires to win at the Hong Kong Sevens, and having one of those wins on your resume is a remarkable achievement. I consider myself fortunate to have one of those.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Australian women’s team faced a tough challenge but managed to edge out Japan with a 14-10 victory, concluding their pool play campaign with a perfect 3-0 record.
Tim Walsh’s side is set to face the United States in the quarter-finals at 10:01 PM AEDT on Saturday.
MORE TO COME…
Sam Worthington is reporting live from the Hong Kong Sevens thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Cathay Pacific and The Langham
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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