CARSON, CALIF. -- Terry Kennedy scored as the clock wound down to give Ireland a 17-12 win over Canada in the opening match for both teams Saturday at the HSBC Los Angeles Sevens.
Kennedy beat five Canadians as he accelerated diagonally for the goal-line after a string of Canadian penalties allowed the Irish to lay siege to the Canada end.
Canada stands 10th in the overall standings while Ireland is No. 9 after four stops on the 10-event HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. The Canadians faced No. 2 South Africa and No. 11 Kenya later Saturday.
Spain, which stands 14th in the overall standings, upset No. 4 England 22-5 earlier Saturday.
The U.S. stop, which has been returned to Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., after a decade in Las Vegas, is the last event before the HSBC Canada Sevens in Vancouver on March 7-8.
The Canadian men are 6-4-0 all-time against Ireland
Theo Sauder and David Richard scored tries for Canada, which led 12-7 at the half. Nate Hirayama booted a conversion.
Jordan Conroy and Greg O'Shea also scored tries for Ireland. Billy Dardis kicked a conversion.
After a Canadian knock-on in its own end, Conroy beat a defender and scored despite losing a boot in the process. Conroy seemed destined to score again minutes later, dragging Canadian tacklers towards the line, but lost the ball before he could touch it down.
Canada spent most of the first half in its own end but scored an opportunistic try that saw Sauder chip the Irish line, get a favourable bounce and run in unmolested. Richard capped off a nifty passing sequence two minutes later for Canada's second try.
After Canada was penalized for offside, O'Shea broke a tackle and dove over for a try by the posts. The conversion tied it at 12-12.
The Canadians opened the season with a ninth-place performance in Dubai before finishing 10th in Cape Town, a season-best fifth in Hamilton, New Zealand, and 10th in Sydney, Australia.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 29, 2020.
