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USA pulls off shock result against world champs and host France at Olympics – but rugby fans slam ‘disgusting’ approach
Team USA refused a chance to win their opening rugby game
TEAM USA pulled off the first shock of the Olympics in the rugby sevens.
However, fans were left bemoaning the players for their "disgusting" approach, which led to them being booed off.
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The Americans took on hosts France in their rugby sevens opener at the Stade de France.
As the clock hit 00:00 during a scrum, the scores were level at 12-12.
However, rather than pursuing a stunning victory to silence the home crowd, the USA opted for a very different tactic.
So when Marcus Tupuola got the ball in his hand, he immediately turned to the side of the pitch and booted the ball into touch, securing the draw.
However, while the Americans—led by coach Mike Friday—were happy to settle for the tie, the French crowd and even the US supporters were frustrated.
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The French fans inside the Stade de France - which will be used for the athletics at Paris 2024 - booed Tupuola instantly.
They were aggrieved that he did not continue the match, preventing France from having one more chance to win it.
The underwhelmed and frustrated American rugby lovers watching on felt the cop-out kick was far too negative and set a bad tone before the Olympics had even officially opened.
One said: "Gotta play for the win. Disgusting behavior."
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Another wrote: "And instead of attacking to win the game, you kick it out."
A third added: "How American was that from @USARugby instead of going for a win kick it out for a draw. Sums up the team's attitude on the first day at Paris2024."
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However, others recognized the importance of two precious points in Pool C, which also features free-scoring in Fiji and Uruguay.
One replied: "USA rugby sevens team able to get a draw against favorites France, great result and improves their chances to get out of the group."
A second responded: "Important to play the long game and advance no matter what. We’re in a tough pool and need to be strategic in our game management decisions."
And a final user typed: "That was a good result for us. France is deadly and had the benefit of a huge crowd backing them.
"Normally I would be disappointed with kicking it out at the end (and not playing for the win), but under the circumstances, it was the right move."
How to watch the Olympics in the US
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While you may feel very far from the 2024 Paris Olympics, you can stay up-to-date with all of the action right from the comfort of your sofa.
You can watch on:
Or if you're not able to watch, you can follow along with The Sun's live blog for the latest updates from France.
The result overshadowed Antoine Dupont's Olympics bow.
The French rugby union Grand Slam-winning skipper skipped the Six Nations this year to focus on preparing for Paris 2024 and representing the sevens team in the home Games.
France made the perfect start, scoring their first try after three minutes, but the Americans hit back as speedster Lucas Lacamp raced clear to go over - as Steve Tomasin's conversions ensured Team USA led at half-time.
After the break, Rayan Rebbadj put France back in front - only for Tupuola to make it 12-12 with two minutes remaining.
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USA faces Fiji on Wednesday in their next game before taking on Uruguay on Thursday.
The gold medal match - aka the final - takes place on Saturday evening.
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