The USA women’s 7s team secured third place and Bronze in the SVNS 1 World Series, and clinched a place in the expanded World Championship series of three, all with a Bronze Medal performance at the USA 7s in New Jersey this weekend.
It was a chilly but, thankfully, sunny weekend at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ, just outside New York City, and this was the final of six tournaments for that initial series.
As it turned out, the Eagles clinched 3rd after Day One. The two teams that could have caught them, France and Canada, had ended up in the bottom of the bracket, so the Eagles we guaranteed to get more points.
Day One
USA 24 Canada 0
The Eagles opened up against Canada and dominated this game. The first noticeable thing about the USA team was their physicality. With skipper Kristi Kirshe leading the way they were making tackles that rocked their opponents. All of that produced turnovers and Ariana Ramsey popped a little shimmy, created a gap, and took it for the first try.
Kirshe’s ability to tackle was inspiring her teammates and they held on into the second half. That’s when the Eagles blew the game open. Kirshe broke through for a 50-meter run fed by an excellent offload from Rachel Strasdas. Then Kaylen linked up with Ramsey for the team’s third, They wrapped it up with a nifty dummy and run from Sariah Ibarra, and then a hard fend and run from Sam Sullivan to make it 24-0.
USA 47 Japan 0
The Eagle defense kept up and this is an impressive step for them as they are starting to make ballcarriers pay.
After a rather disjointed opening, Kirshe took charge and scored twice in the closing minutes of the first half. Japan’s offload game and their acceleration were not getting them anywhere as the Eagles bottled them up, hit them hard, and used their pace to get tries for Ibarra, Sullivan, Thomas (twice), and Ramsey.
That put the USA in the semis. And, yes, they lost another close one to Australia—Faith Nathan’s late score putting it away 26-19—the USA team seems to be getting closer and closer.
Day Two
The Eagles were unlucky to lose to New Zealand, but the issue they are now running into is, when it’s close, and they absolutely have to score to get a tie or inch ahead, they need to execute. And they don’t. It’s an isolated runner, or a moment of indecision, or a weak body position in the ruck … anything like that and New Zealand pounces. That they did, and they took the semifinal 26-14.
New Zealand went on to edge Australia 22-21 for the championship. But in the 3rd-4th game the USA weathered a difficult Fijiana side to win Bronze.
The Eagles dropped the kickoff and Fiji put the pressure on. The Eagles got a somewhat fortunate penalty, but lost the ball on the scrum and Fiji zipped it wide to score in the corner.
The Eagles responded well with a few offloads out of contact, with Su Adegoke and Sullivan connecitng with Kirshe. the skipper put on a move and was gone for 50.
Fiji responded almost immediately to take the lead at 10-7, but Adegoke broke a tackle and ran in from long range. She then broke a tackle in-goal to get under the posts. Ibarra’s conversion was good and the USA led 14-10 at halftime.
Thomas forced a holding-on penalty early in the second half, and then took the ball out wide and burned Fiji for the try.
Throughout this tournament and the last, Ramsey has been outstanding. The former wing nd now a scrumhalf, Ramsey has had to make adjustments. She’s been good, but she’s closer to the whole package now, quick to the ball, communicating, playing defense, making passes, and punishing defenses.
She took the field in the second half and made an impact, slicing through to seal this game. Fiji scored late but 26-17 was the scoreline.
