THE margins were small but the standards are rising.
And coach James Topping reckons Ireland might need a rethink about how they approach Sevens rugby after coming up short against New Zealand and Fiji.
With two minutes to go against the Kiwis, they were leading and on course for a quarter-final meeting against South Africa whom they had already beaten.
But – having led 12-0 at half-time – they lost 14-12 with the more daunting Fiji lying in wait in the knockout stages.
They were 15-7 ahead, thanks to two tries from Chay Mullins and one from Zac Ward, against the two-time Olympic champions who had struck first through Iosefo Balewariki.
But they again fell short with the Pacific Islands scoring two tries through Joji Nasova and Waisea Nucuqu – with the second converted – to win 19-15.
Three missed conversions from Mark Roche could have made all the difference.
Topping said: “Fiji are just a top team in the world in playing that there, they’re always around the ball and any mistake you make will be costly.
COSTLY ERRORS
“To be honest, we probably made three or four mistakes in that game and that’s three or four scores and the game.
“It’s disappointing.
“We were ahead by a score but you can’t just bank on that there and try to just park the bus and expect them not to come back at you.
“Listen, we’re getting beaten by New Zealand and Fiji by a score and we’re distraught whereas last year we were still fighting for quarter-finals and bits and pieces. There’s been real progression.”
Players pointed to a knock-on for Fiji’s second try but losing the restart saw them concede straight away.
And Topping said: “I don’t know, I didn’t see it, I’m at the side of the pitch and even the angle of the replay doesn’t show it.
“We would have lost games this year if they were to look back and there were knock-ons.
“The decision is made but maybe it’s something to look at down the line if they can clean those things up. We should have caught that kick-off is what we would say probably.
“It is a bit of a restart error but it’s not the whole reason of that their loss.
“I thought we maybe had a couple of other opportunities but it comes down to a ball in the air, three guys going for it and it bounces the wrong way. That’s our game.”
And Topping reckons Ireland might need to look for a different type of player if they are to push through to the next level.
He said: “Fiji are the sort of team that will score five tries and concede four. We’re the sort of team that maybe scores two and doesn’t concede any. Maybe we’ll have to look at how that there works.”
Topping brought Hugo Keenan back to the Sevens programme but the XVs star did not have the impact he might have liked.
OLYMPIC REFLECTION
And Topping said: “It’s been a good year but a real harsh month or two months.
“You’re sort of not selecting players, guys are missing out, guys who are putting lots of effort in and there’s been training camps going on and a real focus on it.
“I don’t think our performance was all that bad. They’re just a very good team.
“They’re the sort of guys who get a chance that they can take it. May be we have to look at the way we play to counter that a bit more but listen that’s probably something for next year.
“It’s skills and looking at our skillset, who we want playing the game. The game’s changed, you’ve seen a bit with the likes of Zac Ward who’s just been a fantastic player for us all year.
“It’s maybe that robustness and size we need coming through more. The way the game is played now.
“It’s gone professional in the last two or three years, the size of the players and their skillset has increased so much.
“It’s going to have to be an effort where we work a lot harder, hunt a lot higher.
“Maybe me a bit more demanding of players around Ireland, try to get them more invested in it a bit more because you can see the intensity and how a hard game it is to play.”