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‘We let it slip’: Chay Mullins ‘gutted’ after Ireland's Olympic heartbreak
By Finn Morton
As Australia and the USA battled it out in their own Olympic men’s quarter-final on Thursday evening, Ireland’s Chay Mullins tried to find the words to summarise what had just happened.
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On the back of a promising SVNS Series campaign which saw the men in green finish second at the end of the regular season, Ireland came into the Paris Games genuinely believing that they could challenge for a medal, and hopefully a gold one.
The Irish dropped one match in pool play to New Zealand 14-12, but after beating South Africa and Japan earlier in that stage of the competition, they qualified for the all-important quarter-finals. Waiting for them was a fairly tough challenge against the Fijians.
Fiji have won the only two men’s rugby sevens gold medals in Olympic Games history and they appeared desperate to make that a hat-trick at Stade de France. Ireland led 15-7 with just over three minutes to play but in a flash, the match got away from them.
Joji Nasova and Waisea Nacuqu scored a try each as Fiji took a four-point lead with a couple of minutes left to play. It was a nervy end to the fixture with Ireland offering one last attack with time up on the clock, but a wayward pass from Terry Kennedy decided it.
Fiji kicked the ball out and Ireland’s Paris Olympics dream was over.
“I’m kind of just speechless really. Gutted is the main emotion, to be honest,” Mullins said on the Olympics broadcast.
“We’re getting out here with a goal of just obviously, yesterday it was winning those two games and today it was getting past the quarter-final – we didn’t do that.
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“Just looking forward to Saturday… we’ve got two more games, a chance to right our wrongs a little bit. It’s not every day you get an Olympics.
“We’re just looking to finish on a high really as a group.”
As Mullins spoke, you could see how disappointed, gutted and even a bit frustrated he was. This Irish side hadn’t played badly but just like their performances on the SVNS Series, they weren’t able to hold on in knockout rugby.
Ireland finished second in the SVNS Series League this year despite only playing in one Cup Final, and that was a loss to New Zealand in SVNS Singapore. They had made a number of semi-finals but tended to lack some consistency in these must-win matches.
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When they go away and reflect on the two losses at the Olympics to New Zealand and Fiji, the Ireland playing group will likely agree that they should’ve won those matches. Especially, the quarter-final loss, it was there for the taking.
But as Mullins explained: “I think it was more or less just decision making and just slight switch off really.
“We controlled the game really well against Fiji there in the first half and there were parts in the second half where we did really well again.
“I just think it was just moments where we let it slip really.”
Ireland’s will still have some matches to play at the Paris Olympics but it will be fifth-place at best. They’ll take on Perry Baker’s USA on Saturday and then either the winner or loser of New Zealand versus Argentina.
There is a rest day for the opening ceremony before rugby sevens action resumes at Stade de France on ‘day one’ of the Games this weekend. That means Ireland will have more time to think about the loss, but that could be a good thing as they look to end their Games on a high.
“All we can really do it look to the last two games,” Mullins added.
“We can see how we let it slip, what we did wrong, also what we did well because I think there was huge moments in that game where we looked, well, we know we’re a top-class team. There’s just moments that showed that.
“We can only just take that into the next two games.”
Too easy. Took the bait. Embarrassed yourself with a few epic rants. Sitting here with mates laughing our asses off. Never change Turlough. You’re a national treasure. Have a good evening.
🖐️
My work here is done.
Laughing at xenophobia, knew you were a hypocr1te…aparhe1d Bob…
Did I upset you petal? Ego can’t let it go?
We are double 6N champions. Why would they? Our 17 wins in a row included beating the all the other top 5 seeds twice. Why would they?
Don’t pretend getting b1tch slapped in Durban didn’t hurt. We know it did. We know there are serious doubts about whether the win in France was luck. The Kiwis are saying it was luck. France are. England know they threw their match away. Durban proved it for the world. SA won a tourenament made into a coin toss due to a dodgy draw. England should have been in the final FFS.
And the first half dominance in Durban. The Boks knew in their heart of heart they could never reach those levels. You know it. As I said, nobody has ever seen that much blood come out of pussies. Now take your xenophobic/racist self and run along, you scutter.
🤣
Relax ginger pub3s - your team is not the best and that is perfectly okay. I mean it is like being a ginger, no one finds you attractive, but we all tolerate you. So settle down with the silly little insults and enjoy the rest of the Olympics without the Irish in it.
Adorable that you think people in NH don’t see Ireland as chokers as well.
You need to get out more.
Man, it really grinds your gears that Ireland sits at the World Cup kiddie table, doesn’t it? So funny. So easy to trigger. So pathetic that you celebrate a 1-1 series draw so hard.
It’s been fun mate. You do crack me up.
Again you are trying to pass an insult in a passive agressive way this time via ‘advice’. As a result, I am calling you a d1ck..because you are a d1ck.
If you ask our rivals in Europe they certainly would not use that word. What do I care what ill informed SA/NZ man-boys say or snooty gobsh1tes like you?
On your bike.
Same to you. No point asking people not to be toxic when you go around calling other rugby fans “dicks” and telling them to f**k off all time. That’s as toxic as it gets.
Also, can I leave you with some advice of my own? If you ask just about every rugby fan outside Ireland which word they most associate with Ireland when it comes to the World Cup it is ‘choke’. I’m sorry but that’s just the way it is. And until they make it to a semi-final they will have to carry that tag around with them. So, try not to be triggered by that word so much because it is going to be loooong four years.
Take the lesson the Boks learned in Durban: being arrogant can backfire - get over yourself.
We are your bogey team, we seem to always best you….less of the jealousy, less of the toxic stuff. Your self righteousness should also apply to you. Do better.
”Also, Ireland choked. Again”
Whatever gets you through the night.
NZ were better prepared. We went down fighting though. No evidence of a choke, only a d1ck would say so.
Well said. Well said. Love the passion.
Also, Ireland choked. Again.
That’s the second time you have said ‘deranged’ with its intended passive agressive implications. Drop the ‘reasonable man’ shtick, you’re a d1ck.
Most pundits after the world cup agreed that Ireland contributed to two classic RWC contests…..they said that anyone using Ireland’s narrow elimination in 2023 to hit them with the ‘Choking’ barb was either a d1ck or knew nothing about rugby.
I am glad we beat SA up. Their lies about Irish player arrogance in the lead up to the match should be beneath International representaives. The assault and head butt on Casey by Snyman was always going to mean a lot of retribution. SA seemed genuinely confused by the ferocity. Durban was a timely reminder to get over yourselves.
Your team will get dignity and respect before and after you travel North. Nice if SA could grow the F__k up and reciprocate.
Wow, that’s epic. Completely deranged and makes little sense. But epic. You strike me as a fellow who can start a fight in an empty room. So much hatred, especially for people in the SH so you can see why I would think that you might be xenophobic. But you say you are not and I’ll take your word for it. So I retract the statement.
Well done on the Durban result. I wouldn’t call a one point victory secured after the final hooter (great drop goal btw) a demolition as you referred to it earlier. And, yep, there was some blood, which seems to have excited you greatly. But the series was still a 1-1 draw. And I’m sure it doesn’t make up for choking at the World Cup. If it does, then great.
This was your literally your last (juvenile emoji) comment below….You also lied by accusing me of being xenophobic.
Run along boring Bob…… take yourself, your SA lies, your disgusting history and go fry your ‘bigger fish’. (Sorry for the vulgarity petal, but the frying Pan seems to have made sh1t out of your face in Durban. Bad luck old boy.)
“““🥱 X 10000
🤫🏆🏆🏆🏆”””
Let the disparagement and abuse BEGIN!
Pity Ireland can’t lose without (some fools) feeling sorry for themselves. Attitude determines your altitude.
Good effort by Ireland. They have come a long way. No doubt a few from the ‘Great’ nations (NZ,SA) will be along to disparage and abuse.
Ireland be it 7s or 15 man game are value for money. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes not.
As a Bok supporter I have to say the toxic SA vs Ireland rivalry has become really tedious. Hope the fact that we won’t play each other for a considerable time will result in a temporary ceasefire.
Well, they did kind of fold like the wet napkin pack of snivelling little bitches they are, disgracing the entire nation so thoroughly that they’ve put Irish rugby back 20 years.
But we lost too, so people in glass houses I guess.
We let it slip. Again? Gutted is the perennial adjective describing Irish rugby.