NAGOYA: The national rugby sevens squad came back strong on the final day of the competition to achieve a respectable fifth-place finish in the men's event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Saturday.

The result saw them equalling their best-ever placing of fifth from the 2018 Indonesia Games.

Nik Safuan Ismade Nik Man's men, who lost 50-0 to eventual winners Hong Kong in the quarter-finals on Friday, opened the day with a 33-5 win over United Arab Emirates in their first fifth-eighth place classification match at Nagoya City Mizuho Park.

Malaysia then downed the Philippines 34-7 to secure fifth place overall. Philippines had earlier beaten Sri Lanka 33-12.

Nik praised his injury-hit squad for their strong performances against the two teams.