Tokyo Olympics: China reaches rugby sevens quarter-finals after trouncing Japan in last pool match
- Xu scores twice as Mackintosh’s side earn their first win of the tournament, setting up a quarter-final with France
- China guaranteed a top-eight finish in their first-ever Olympics as Japan fall into ninth to 12th place playoff
Follow our live coverage of day seven of the Tokyo Olympics here
Euan Mackintosh’s side continue to make a habit of scoring out the blocks after winger Xu Xiaoyan opened the account with 40 seconds.
It did not take long for rising star Wang Wanyu to cross the line, before Xu doubled her tally before the break to bring China up 19-0.
05:46
Hong Kong’s most successful Olympian: Swimmer Siobhan Haughey wins second silver
A flustered Japan, led by Mayu Shimizu, struggled to get going despite coach Hare Makiri making a triple substitution at the half. Tang Minglin, who scored in their previous match against Australia, added another before the Japanese defence eventually kicked into gear.
Fellow future star Yang Feifei scored in the last minute, completing a landmark whitewash which could be a sign of things to come in the Asian women’s scene.