Fall Fest 7s Sparkle In Rugby Pa
Fall Fest 7s Sparkle In Rugby Pa
Media took home the Boys Bracket in the Rugby Pennsylvania Fall Fest, showcasing how teamwork and good support running is the pathway to rugby success.
The 7s tournament was played with some key COVID-19 protocols—the ball were disinfected and rotated through whenever play went dead, teams stayed in their own areas when not playing, spectators were in their cars on the side of the venue, and the games had no scrums or lineouts (free kicks instead) to maintain a little distance between the athletes.
The free kick rule meant dropped balls were more damaging than usual, with defenses having to retreat 10 meters.
The tournament started off rough with Berks County Red getting a try set up nicely by Ford Rubel. But moments later Rubel sustained a concussion and had to be helped from the field. He is resting comfortably, but Berks felt his absence.
Philly-Whitemarsh looked exceptional in their opening 38-12 win over Berks Black. With Eli Ross thundering through tackles and setting up his teammates, P-W was able to use its speed to toast the opposition. That opposition included Media, which Whitemarsh beat 19-5 in pool play. That loss provided some lessons for the final. Meanwhile, West Shore also produced some good performances. Led by Max Schlager, who has a nice combination of speed and power, West Shore thundered through Blackthorn and then Berks Red, who looked a little shocked at United's direct attack.
At the end of pool play, then, West Shore and Philly-Whitemarsh sat 2-0, with Berks Red and Media 1-1, and Berks Black and Blackthorn at 0-2.
So that set up the quarterfinals. West Shore and P-W got a bye to the semis; Berks Red took on Berks Black in one quarterfinal and Media took on Blackthorn in the other. Both games were lopsided, with Berks Red winning 33-7 thanks to a solid game from Chris Clelan and some breakaways from Steph Peval. Media put it together nicely in the quarterfinal, going up 40-0 and winning 40-7. As one Media player said, "we knew after the third game—we thought 'we might be able to win this."
In the semis, P-W and Berks Red played in a dramatic game. Philly-Whitemarsh led 19-5 before Berks scored two quick tries to lead 21-17 in the second half. But Philly didn't panic and replied immediately with a well-taken try to retake the lead 26-21. Then P-W scored again to lead 31-21. Berks scored again and converted to make it 31-28, but there wasn't enough time for another play.
Media and West Shore played a tight one as well, but it was Media's ability to move the ball swiftly to the edge on the wide Doylestown field. West Shore had size, but couldn't cover all of that ground.
The final then saw Philly-Whitemarsh against Media. P-W scored first when Ross broke through and flipped a pass wide. But after that, Media's ability to send support runners, and maintain their defensive shape was the key. Many of the Media players have known each other as teammates since youth rugby in middle school, so they slotted easily into their roles. And with three Downingtown players joining the squad for the fall, they were a roster of smart rugby players who knew how to exploit space.
At the same time, defensively they were up quickly, taking time and space away from the Philly-Whitemarsh attack. Caught in two minds, often the Philly players were forced to take contact, and that slowed their attack. Media, with Colin Brassel directing play and Schlager finishing off movements, they led 33-5 before two late P-W tries made it somewhat closer.
Fall Fest Scores:
Berks Red 27-5 Blackthorn
Berks Black 12-38 Philly-Whitemarsh
West Shore 39-5 Blackthorn
Media 5-19 Philly-Whitemarsh
Berks Red 12-31 West Shore
Media 38-5 Berks Black
Quarterfinal: Berks Red 33-7 Berks Blacks
Quarterfinal: Media 40-7 Blackthorn
Semifinal: Philly-Whitemarsh 31-28 Berks Red
Semifinal: Media 22-17 West Shore
5th/6th: Blackthorn 20-10 West Shore 2nds
3rd/4th: West Shore 29-12 Berks Red
Final: Media 33-17 Philly-Whitemarsh
So there was a champion, but this was more about returning to the field. Every player at the tournament said they were just happy to be back playing rugby in a competitive environment again. it wasn't perfect rugby, but it was rugby, and playing the game has a perfection all its own.
