As the Paris Olympic Games inch closer to the grand opening ceremony, the City of Light is already ablaze with excitement and anticipation. The festivities began in earnest with the men’s rugby sevens, where France delivered a performance that will be remembered for years.
The Stade de France was a sea of French tricolours, with fans passionately chanting “Allez les Bleus” and singing La Marseillaise. Their voices overpowered the PA system every time the French team took the field. The atmosphere was electric, reminiscent of a Six Nations springtime match, despite the sweltering Parisian summer heat, which briefly gave way to refreshing showers just in time for the quarterfinals.
The noise inside the Saint-Denis venue reached a crescendo during France’s quarterfinal against Argentina. The crowd’s alternating roars of approval and hisses of disapproval reflected the game’s thrilling ebb and flow. Andy Timo’s opening try was met with an overwhelming cheer, but Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang’s quick double nearly lifted the roof off the Stade de France.
Argentina faced a hostile environment, with the French supporters’ frenzied passion making it clear who the home team was. France stormed to a 21-0 lead at halftime, with the stands pulsating with joy and excitement, turning the venue into a carnival of sound.
However, Argentina was not ready to concede. Rodrigo Isgró’s breakaway try caused a murmur of discontent among the crowd, followed by angry boos. The tension rose further when Jordan Sepho was sin-binned, allowing Marcos Moneta to narrow the score. But France’s Antoine Dupont then took control, darting through defenses and reigniting the home crowd’s delight. His final move was sheer genius: with the clock ticking down, Dupont faked a kick to end the game but instead accelerated and scored the winning try, causing the Stade de France to erupt.
As his teammates lifted Dupont in celebration, the anticipation of a semifinal against South Africa’s Blitzboks grew. The Blitzboks had defeated New Zealand 14-7 in a brutal contest, drawing more boos from the French crowd.
The celebrations continued into the third quarterfinal between Fiji and Ireland, a thrilling match that saw Fiji come from behind to win 19-15. Fiji’s flamboyant style will face Australia in the semifinal, after John Manenti’s team secured an impressive 18-0 victory over the United States. Australia, initially the crowd favorite against Argentina, lost top scorer Dietrich Roache to injury but saw strong performances from James Turner, Corey Toole, and Maurice Longbottom, who helped secure the win.
The French public has clearly designated their rivals, with Argentina receiving boos throughout the competition. This animosity stems from recent tensions, including an incident involving Argentine footballer Enzo Fernandez and historical grievances from the SVNS Series final in Madrid.
Reflecting on the heated rivalry, French back Pasquet anticipated a physical quarterfinal against Argentina. His words were prophetic as France emerged victorious, sending their supporters into a night of celebration.
With the finals on Saturday, the spirit of the Olympic Games is just beginning to ignite in Paris. For the French team and their passionate supporters, the party is only getting started.
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