AND JUST LIKE that, in the space of 49 agonising seconds, the four years of dreaming and toiling, hoping and fighting, wishing and sacrificing were washed away by a flow of Fijian brilliance.

This is 7s rugby. The players know how things can swing wildly from promising to agonising, but that awareness doesn’t make it any easier to accept when the agony comes rolling around again.

Ireland were 15-7 up early in the second half of their Olympic 7s quarter-final against Fiji last night, threatening a huge upset against the defending back-to-back champions, but were soon desperately searching for a winning score after their lead had vanished.

First, Fiji scored a stunning 95-metre team try that showcased their amazing talent. As their two Olympic titles and undefeated record at the Games underline, the Fijians are masters of 7s rugby.

The second blow instantly from the ensuing restart was harder to accept. Hugo Keenan couldn’t claim the Fijian drop-off, there was a potential knock-on that couldn’t be checked due to the TMO protocol in 7s only covering in-goal decisions, and Fiji were in front again as they gobbled up the scraps to bag a converted try.

Ireland searched desperately for one last surge to win it but their effort was spent and their dreams of medalling in Paris were over.

James Topping’s side will stick around at the Olympics as they play in the fifth to eighth-place play-offs on Saturday, meeting the US in their next game, but it’s not the weekend they had in mind.

Captain Harry McNulty, Terry Kennedy, Mark Roche, Jack Kelly, Hugo Lennox, Gavin Mullin, and Jordan Conroy – who was injured for this Fiji game – have been part of this programme for a long time, the dream of achieving something special at this Olympics one of the main reasons they have stayed so motivated.

The last Games in Tokyo in 2021 – in which all of the above featured – was a disappointing experience due to Ireland’s performances on the pitch and the effects of the pandemic off it, so making a huge impact in Paris has been at the forefront of their minds as they stuck at it in the years since.

Terry Kennedy and Jordan Conroy. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

The reality is that no one has been playing 7s rugby for financial gain. Though Irish players’ remuneration has improved slightly in recent years, lots of these players could have been earning more by pursuing different careers. Travelling the world to play rugby on the World 7s Series is certainly attractive but others, including 2021 Olympian Greg O’Shea, have retired along the way to build post-rugby lives.

All of this is to underline just how sickening a feeling it must have been for the Irish players last night given how close they were to reaching the Olympic semi-finals, which would have meant being just one win away from a guaranteed medal.

It will be painful for the relatively fresher faces too. 25-year-old Zac Ward has been one of the most impressive players in the entire Olympics but his muscular efforts were in vain, Chay Mullins did an excellent job starting against Fiji in place of Conroy, while Niall Comerford gave everything he had.

Keenan gave up the Ireland 15s’ number 15 shirt for their tour of South Africa to be part of this Olympics but he will likely be agonising over a few errors he made. Andrew Smith was the other professional 15s player returning to this 7s squad and he would have loved more starts to show his quality.

Collectively, Ireland will surely regret not eking out a win over New Zealand in their last pool game earlier on Thursday which would have meant avoiding Fiji in the quarter-finals.

That said, South Africa – the lowest-ranked team in the quarters – shocked the Kiwis to reach the semi-finals.

Again, this is 7s rugby. South Africa suffered defeats to Ireland and New Zealand in their day one matches on Wednesday but have now advanced into the final four of the competition and have a medal in their sights.

Ireland will now go after fifth place at the Olympics. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Hosts France had a worrying first day too, lost to Fiji in their last pool game yesterday, but surged into the semis in glorious fashion as Antoine Dupont put the icing on the cake against Argentina.

While the Irish players experienced the agony of 7s last night, there were thrilling reminders of the joy this game offers too at Stade de France.

So what next for Ireland? They will go after fifth place in the determined manner they always bring to their work. They will try to enjoy being at the Olympic Games in the coming days, even if the dejection will be hard to shake.

And thereafter, they will pick themselves up for a new season on the World SVNS Series in 2024/25.

It remains to be seen exactly what the squad will look like in the next Olympic cycle but there’s no doubt that Los Angeles 2028 will be a huge motivator for all involved.

Captain McNulty, Roche, and Conroy are the only squad members in their 30s so it’s not like this whole group are veterans, but there is always life outside of 7s rugby to consider.

Outgoing IRFU performance director David Nucifora has been a huge advocate for 7s rugby, relaunching the men’s programme as soon as he arrived in 2014, and new boss David Humphreys has made positive noises about the union continuing to back the seven-player code.

In Paris, it’s over to the women’s 7s team as they kick off their campaign on Sunday afternoon.