Olympics-Rugby Sevens-Four-try Okemba keeps French fans rocking

By Mitch Phillips

PARIS (Reuters) - Seraphine Okemba scored four spectacular tries as France beat the United States 31-14 on Monday to complete a sweep of pool victories and earn a quarter-final against Canada as the home fans again turned the Stade de France into a cauldron of noise.

Defending champions New Zealand also won their third game, thrashing Fiji, and will play China in the quarter-finals later on Monday. Australia will face Ireland after beating them in Monday's tight pool game, while the U.S. face Britain.

France won their first two Pool C games without conceding a point but it was a different level of opposition on Monday as Ilona Maher put the U.S. ahead.

Kayla Canett converted but was then sinbinned for a head-on-head tackle and France hit back with a great finish in the corner by Okemba, cleverly flicking her feet into air to avoid touch as she slid in.

A minute later she scored an almost identical try in the same spot, showing speed and power to get round the corner and earn a 10-7 halftime lead.

Okemba then completed a hat-trick as she ran past four defenders in an arcing 40 metre burst. Chloe Jacquet got the fourth, but Okemba had the final word with a 60-metre turnover try to send the 66,000 crowd into raptures once again.

The U.S. will face Pool B runners-up Britain, who survived a scare as they trailed 12-0 to South Africa but came through with a strong second half to win 26-17.

Ireland also went through as the best third-placed team after a fantastic effort against Australia as they fought strongly in a 19-14 defeat to give them hope for the last-eight rematch. Eve Higgins scored all Ireland’s points with two tries and two conversions, while Maddison Levi scored for Australia to take her tally to eight tries in three pool games.

Stacey Waaka scored two tries as New Zealand barely needed to get out of third gear but still utterly outclassed Fiji 38-7 as the Tokyo bronze medallists finished a wretched campaign with a third defeat.

Charity Williams scored two tries as Canada beat China 26-17 to secure second place in Pool A but China, the final team to qualify for the Games by winning last month's repechage, also progressed as one of the best third-placed teams.

Japan beat Brazil 39-12 in Pool C but, on the back of their two heavy defeats to France and the United States on Sunday, that was well short of the margin they needed to secure a best-third place slot.

The quarter-finals take place on Monday evening with the semis and medal matches on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Alison Williams)