What The USA Women Mean When They Play Their Game
What The USA Women Mean When They Play Their Game
As July approaches the Paris Olympics approach, too.
The USA women’s team is going through a period of preparation that will include training with Canada and hopefully some more. in Chula Vista and then Tours before they enter the Olympic Village.
After that, it’s about focusing on themselves, and focusing on gold.
“It’s the same goal we had in Tokyo,” said co-captain Naya Tapper. “Not just getting on the podium but bringing back the gold for our family, our friends, for the organization, for the rugby community. It’s a big goal; it’s something we’ve been putting actions towards and having the understanding that we have to do the small details, focusing on being present and what those actions look like in the moment.”
All of those action can add up to a gold medal.
“We have the opportunity to do something that’s never been done,” added Head Coach Emilie Bydwell. That’s because of, she added, “the work that they have done, the talent they have, and the culture that they have.”
They have the mental resilience to handle the pressure, added the coach, and said that in the end, the thing about the Olympics is that it’s a massive once-in-four-years all-or-(almost)nothing prospect.
“There might be favorites; there might be people that are ranked 1 or 2 in the world or 3 in the world. But you have to deliver when it counts,” Bydwell said.
And for the USA to do that, they have to “feel free to play their game,” she added. What does that mean?
“”For us our mission is to play an American brand of Rugby 7s that maximizes the strengths of the players we have,” Bydwell told GRR. “For us that is ‘Street Ball’ — a fast, dynamic, direct, and physical game that relies on speed of support, ability to win one-on-one battles and get behind the defense and keep the ball alive. When we are at our best (like you saw in LA) you are watching a dynamic and unpredictable game. The challenge for us is our ability to do that against the variety of defenses that we face, and our ability to scan and choose the best space to attack that will enable us to ignite Street Ball.”
The USA finished third in LA and second in Hong Kong. Those finishes were their high water marks this season. And on defense? It’s about applying pressure, competing at the breakdown.
“[Those] two areas that we will look to set us apart at the Games.”
And yes it is evident. The Eagles have powerful tackle-breakers, and speedsters, and steppers. They need to avoid getting bogged down into one-and-ruck ball, and keep the ball alive.
If the USA is playing that brand of rugby, all that talk of Gold will carry more weight.
