USA Women’s 7s Coach Julie McCoy takes a slightly changed and much improved Eagle squad to the Sao Paolo 7s next week.

After finishing 11th in Dubai, certainly the Eagles, who have harbored hopes of an Olympic medal, would expect to be better.

“I know how important it is that we finish better than 11th,” McCoy told Goff Rugby Report.

The story is that after the USA scrimmaged with Canada last month, and beat the Canadians in one of those games, Canada star Jen Kish told USA star Jillion Potter that the USA had really improved. If the Canadians are admitting it, maybe there’s something to it.

In trying to turn that improvement into results, McCoy has made some changes from Dubai, changing, in fact, half of the team that was in Dubai. The players McCoy has left behind are, for the most part, straight-ahead runners whose chief talent is breaking tackles. That’s not what McCoy wants her team to do - she is more interested in a game plan that moves the ball and stretches the field.

What she wanted was a playmaker or two, and especially Bui Baravilala.

“The pendulum is swinging toward working together than it is ‘I throw it to you and hope you shag the tackler and we support you whatever happens on the other end,’” said McCoy. “If you get those fast players and those players who can break tackles and you put  someone in the middle as a playmaker you spread and make them defend 70 meters across, then you can attack in a different way. We have a lot of good runners, but you’ve got to surround those good runners with good passers and players with vision … then you’ve got more balance.”

Not in the Sao Paola squad who played in Dubai: Lauren Doyle, Jane Parr, Richelle Stephens, Kate Zachary, Nia Williams, and Kathryn Johnson.

Instead, the USA squad is this:

Bui Baravilala - an elusive flyhalf from Hawaii who is also a very accurate kicker.

Megan Bonny - a hard runner and touch tackler from Washington State University. Ball movement key with her.

Ryan Carlyle - a strong, aggressive hooker whose job it will be to control the point of contact.

Joanne Fa’avesi - A Sacramento Amazons product who was part of their national HS championship team. Like Carlyle, she’s about providing power.

Rachel “Hunter” Griendling - A product of Elon, Griendling is a flyhalf, having cut her teeth in touch as well as tackle 7s - don’t scoff, Australia won the 2009 World Cup with a team made up of players who were trained in tough rugby.

Kelly Griffin - At her best as a distributor and conduit during line breaks, the UCLA product is also a key part of the defense. She’s listed as a forward but she is skilled enough to fill in almost anywhere.

Jessica Javelet - the speedy field hockey crossover was a sensation when she broke onto the 7s scene, but once defenses started to key on her, she had to adult. Back from injury, she’s a more experienced, smarter athletic force.

Alev Kelter - Probably the best player for the USA over the last year or so. The hockey crossover can kick, tackle, and pass, and her partnership with Baravilala will be hugely important.

Ashley Perry - A real product from the American Pro Rugby Training Center Perry, run by McCoy, Perry is not a surprise choice - If McCoy wants players to move the ball and not get caught up in contact too much, then you’d expect her to pick a center who plays the way she wants.

Jillion Potter - The University of New Mexico product has been in a USA jersey since she picked up a rugby ball as a UNM freshman. She understands the flow of the game and is still an imposing physical presence.

Naya Tapper - The University of North Carolina product is fast and also very strong. Her job is to make tacklers fear her. 

Kristen Thomas - Thomas is the one ‘pass to her and hope she goes the distance’ player on this team. But she has had to learn to use her support when she’s bottled up.