Madrid Tournament 2 Scores, Standings
Here are scores and standings for Day 1 of the second weekend of the Madrid 7s.
Times were changed for the games right before kickoff because France women had to pull out, so if you were confused, that's why.
The live stream is available on FloRugby.com or possibly on the Spanish Rugby Federation's YouTube Channel here>>
Here are the schedules. All times are Eastern Time.
Ruben De Haas To Sign With Saracens
USA scrumhalf Ruben de Haas is going to be signing with English club Saracens in the summer.
Saracens has a long history of working with USA players, including Chris Wyles, Hayden Smith, and Titi Lamositele. De Haas, who played his high school rugby with the Little Rock Junior Stormers and was first capped while only 19, has been playing with the Cheetahs in South Africa. The explosive #9, who scored the winning try against Canada during the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship, is still developing as a pro and will sign a two-year deal with Sarries this summer.
Schedule Set For Madrid 7s Take Two
The schedule is set for the 2nd round of the Madrid 7s.
The men's bracket has been bolstered by the addition of Chile, an experienced and dynamic side that has at times pulled off some big upsets (notably beating New Zealand in the Silicon Valley 7s a few years ago). The lineup of teams for the women's bracket is the same.
The USA men and women both finished third in the first event. Argentina took 1st over Kenya among the men, while Russia beat France for 1st among the women.
The tournament is being shown live by FloRugby, but has also been available on the Spanish Rugby Federation's YouTube Channel here>>
Here are the schedules. All times are Eastern Time.
Friday: We've Got To Learn To Dig Deep
After a 3rd-place finish in Madrid that left observers scratching their heads a bit, the USA Men's 7s team is working on addressing the issues that sprang up as they prepare for the second tournament in Spain.
Of course, they will do it without USA star Perry Baker, who injured his leg Sunday against Kenya and has had to return to the United States to figure out exactly how bad it is, and what to do about it. (A report from spain said he had fractured his tibia, but we're waiting for further corroboration.)
Brown: Eagle 7s Women Have More Chances to Impress
Coming out of the first weekend of the Madrid 7s the USA women have some things to fix, but that's the point.
Good enough, certainly, to win it all, but not good enough, ultimately, as the mixture of experienced players and younger players didn't quite click. The Eagles seemed potent on attack but had issues with restart kicking accuracy and in tackle accuracy.
It was, said Head Coach Chris Brown, as good checkpoint.
"Some new learnings, a lot of reminders on and off pitch after being away a long while," added Brown. "While we were missing a number of more experienced players, it was was pleasing to see some of the newer players take some good steps under pressure while also picking up some harsh lessons that you only get on the road with elite competition."
Perry Baker Injury Update
MADRID, Spain—USA Rugby has released a statement on the injury Men's 7s star Perry Baker received on Sunday.
Baker was stretchered off during the USA's loss against Kenya after a tackle. He appeared to injure his leg, and indeed USA Rugby has confirmed that he has injured his lower leg. There has been speculation that he has broken a bone in his leg or dislocated his ankle, but that's essentially speculation at this point. (The Spanish Rugby Union said he had a fractured tibia.)
The statement said that "out of respect for athlete privacy, USA Rugby does not provide details regarding the exact scope and nature of player injuries."
USA Women 3rd In Madrid As Mojo, And Defense, Falter
Nicely poised to make the final of the Madrid 7s, the USA women's 7s team in the end took 3rd, and have to wonder what might have been.
The Eagles showed flashes on Saturday—enough flashes to make you think they were good enough to win the whole thing. But they had not played the other two best teams in Madrid, and they lost to both of them on Sunday. First up was Russia, which was more physical and more direct than the Americans. Elena Zdrokova scored three tries, burning the USA on the outside when they didn't respect her speed, and cutting back against the grain when they sent too many bodies to the sideline.
USA Men A Disappointing 3rd In Madrid
The USA Men's 7s team finished the Madrid 7s with a disappointing 3rd place, seeing their hopes for a better finish disappear thanks to a rout delivered by Kenya early on Sunday.
Coming into Sunday at 2-1, the Eagles had only to beat Kenya in the second game of the day to ensure a rematch with Argentina in the final. The USA had lost to the Pumas by just a try on Saturday. But one of the lessons of these types of tournaments is that jet lag and travel and the intensity of international competition really shows itself on Day Two. The Eagles were sluggish—more so mentally than physically—and when they fell behind reacted with a little panic in their step, which led to mistakes.
USA Men 2-1 On Day One In Madrid
The USA men's national 7s team looked every bit what they are at the moment on Day One of Tournament One of the Madrid 7s—a team with talent and ability that has some young players who sometimes make mistakes.
All of that was on display in their third game of the day, when the Eagles gave up a key penalty while on the attack and Argentina turned all of that into pressure and a try. That try proved the difference as Argentina ended the day 2-0 with a 24-17 win over the Americans.
It was also on display on the first play of the day, when the USA players converged on the Portugal kickoff, missed it, and the ball fell to Pedro Ferreira who galloped in for a Portugal try. Against Portugal in the first game, the Eagles were dynamic and exciting and maddeningly inaccurate at times, eventually winning 38-17. It was fun to watch, but far from perfect.
USA Women Almost Untouchable In Madrid On Day One
The USA women did what was expected and dominated on Day One of Tournament One at the Madrid 7s.
Led by a strong debut from former ICEF standout Nia Tolliver, and with important contributions from the likes of Abby Gustaitis, 2017 Sorensen Award-winner Ilona Maher, and Cheta Emba, to name just three, the Eagles put a stranglehold on the opposition and looked relatively polished for a team that hadn't played much.
USA 40 Poland 0
It turned out that Poland was a pretty useful side, but they were overmatched in their opener against the USA, even a USA team fielding some new players. The Eagles won the kickoff and spun the ball out to Emba, who used her hip to dismiss a tackler and then raced off around the corner to score. Easy as that, Emba converted her own try and it was 7-0.
Scores And Standings Madrid 7s
The Madrid 7s Tournament 1 scores and standings.
All times Eastern Time.
If you'd like to watch it's on FloRugby.com.
(Note the schedule changed after the French men's team had to pull out)
Madrid 7s Schedule And Streaming Details
The Madrid 7s isn't a Sevens World Series event, but it's something, and both the USA teams, men and women, will be there.
Below is the full schedule with all times Eastern Time.
You can watch this all live with Spanish commentary on YouTube here>> Sunday feed is here>>
Or you can watch on on FloRugby.com.
Big Challenge For USA Men In Madrid
It's a big ask for the USA Men's 7s team to cross nine time zones and rock up at the Madrid 7s, but of course they'll face it with relish in part because they just want to play.
Head Coach Mike Friday said he expects some stiff competition when the USA kicks off on Saturday for the first of two weekends of games.
"It won't be like a typical February on the World Series where we'd be hitting our straps," said Friday. "We're probably operating at kind of 70% of where we expect to be, where we want to be, where we need to be. This is a very competitive tournament with Argentina, Spain,. France, a very physical Kenyan team. Lots of different styles for us to contend with."
They will have to shake off some rust, but they will also have expectations as the Olympics beckon later this year.
All-Time American List: Dan Lyle
Possibly the most significant rugby player to come out of the United States ever, and undoubtedly the best American player of the early professional era, Dan Lyle changed the game in a variety of ways that can still be seen today.
A football player at VMI, Lyle started playing rugby with the Washington Rugby Club in the DC area while awaiting a decision on an NFL shot. A tight end with big hands and an impressive vertical leap, Lyle may have been a shade small for the NFL, but his skill set and his timing were perfect for rugby. The USA rugby team at the time needed an athletic jump-start, and Lyle was exactly that. Green? He was very green. But his way of thinking as an athlete fit superbly with rugby, and within a very short period of time Lyle was on the Eagles, and was one of the best players on the Eagles immediately.
All-Time American List: Ray Lehner
Ray Lehner was the first in a long line of players who played for Jesuit of Sacramento, Cal, and the USA.
It wasn't a varsity Jesuit team when Lehner suited up, but he remains the trailblazer. A gruff, broad-shouldered prop who was described in the 2002 Sports Illustrated profile of Cal Head Coach Jack Clark as the team "loudmouth." It was intended as a compliment, and certainly Lehner was a powerful personality on the field.
A physical prop who embraced the scrum like few others, Lehner helped lead Cal to national D1 championships in 1991, 1992, and 1993, eventually captaining the Golden Bears. He was an All American and then after his time at Cal he moved on to attend Oxford University, where he studied and earned four Oxford Blues from 1997 to 2001.
