USA U18 Girls 5th at Global Youth Sevens
USA U18 Girls 5th at Global Youth Sevens
The USA U18 girls took 5th in the Global Youth 7s in Auckland, New Zealand, finsihing the final day with their first loss and then an impressive win.
Pool play went nicely for the USA team. They moved the ball well, showcasing some serious pace on the outside and running the attack through flyhalf and Knightmare Rugby (Rugby PA) standout Bella Voegal. Long Island University speedster Koris Fields was excellent in space, while the likes of Chloe de Leon (Carmel Rugby, Indiana) and Dartmouth’s Paula Almeida were giving defenses fits in the middle.
The USA ran through pool play with two major blowout victories and a closer struggle with the Australia Cavaliers, which they won 22-12.
In the Round of 16 the USA faced fellow American team Belmont Shore which had done very well to make it into the top knockout bracket.
In this game Belmont Shore had power and looked work offloads up the middle. For their part the USA team looked a little impatient, and certainly were challenged in the tackle. The teams traded tries, with Belmont Shore constructing their tries a little bit better and the USA team getting their tries more from breakaways.
The teams tied 12-12 at halftime, and in the second half a breakaway from Anna Henrich put the USA team ahead 19-12. After that, Belmont Shore’s wind seemed to flag, and USA’s superior depth and pace started to show as they pulled away 33-12.
Quarterfinals
This all set the USA up for the quarterfinals. And here’s where they ran into trouble. The New Zealand U18 national team was the first team to really match the USA in the combination of power, speed, and fitness. Their ball movement was strong, too, and the result was a 33-0 lead. Fields did score at the end of the game, perhaps just reward for how hard they worked, but it was the New Zealand who were into the semifinal.
In a result that should put the rest of the world on notice, Australia then beat this very, very capable New Zealand side 40-7 to make the final, where they would face a talented Japan side.
USA Playing for 5th
The way this tournament worked in the consolation rounds is that the two teams that lost in the Cup Quarterfinals with the closest losses played off for 5th, while the other two teams played off for 7th.
The USA got a shot to face Central Storm, a New Zealand-based team from, shocker, the central part of the country.
Field raced in almost from the kickoff to stake the USA to a 5-0 lead. Central Storm worked a more patient attack and after the USA players fell off a couple of tackles they tied it up. But the Storm’s restart didn’t go 10 meters and the USA punished them for it. Vogel snaked through a gap and then after a bit of a bobble from the Americans, Deleon cut through the middle. Vogel converted and it was 12-5 at halftime.
Right from the restart the USA attacked, and a brilliant show-and-go from Vasiti Turagavou and an astonishing turn of pace saw her race through for a try under the posts. Once again Vogel converted and it was now a two-score lead for the USA at 19-5.
The Storm got into scoring position after monstering the USA in the scrum but the USA absorbed the attack and earned a penalty in the tackle.
Little errors from the Storm put themselves on the back foot, and finally off a completely avoidable penalty the USA tapped and sent it wide to Fields, and Fields just accelerated past the defense. Now ahead 26-5 the USA was in control of the game. Both teams were guilty of holding-on penalties late but as time went on the Storm was able to race through the middle and score under the posts. And that was it. The USA sealed the game 26-12 and finished off a really successful tournament for the U18 Eagle team.
It was a good team effort with all of the players contributing in some way, but Vogel and Fields were stars on the weekend.
Elsewhere
In the final Australia was once again astonishingly good, beating Japan 38-7. In going 7-0, Australia outscored opponents 349-19 (basically 50-4) and in fact 38-7 was their lowest score and their closes game.
Belmont Shore was in every game they played except against Australia (which dominated everyone), and beat Cook Islands NZ and NZ Maori. They took 14th.
USA U18 Girls Scores
USA U18s 54-0 NZ Dutch
USA U18s 22-12 Australia Cavaliers
USA U18s 40-5 NZ Fijians
USA U18s 33-12 Belmont Shore (Rd of 16)
USA U18s 7-38 New Zealand (Quarterfinals)
USA U18s 26-12 Central Storm (5th-6th
| USA WOMEN U18 7s | |
| Name | School/Club |
| Paola Arredondo Almeida | Dartmouth College |
| Rebecca Balladares | West Carroll |
| Chloe de Leon | Carmel Rugby Club |
| Kiyanah Edwards | Columbia Central HS |
| Kori Fields | Long Island University |
| Anneliese Henrich | Orchard Park HS |
| Lilian Harmoni Hopoate | Majestics Rugby Club |
| Madison Jersey | Lindenwood University |
| Marley Larkin | Majestics Rugby Club |
| Lionala Mayorga | Davenport University |
| Vasiti Turagavou | Provo Steelers |
| Lola Unga | Wolverines Rugby Club |
| Annabella Vogel | Knightmares Rugby Club |
