Good Day One for USA Women in Dubai
Good Day One for USA Women in Dubai
It was a good Day One for the USA women's 7s team in Dubai, as the Eagles came away as winners of their pool with a 2-1 day.
The 12-hour time difference and a long day might have caught up with them at the end, as they dropped their last game 14-5 to a very physical and defensively-minded French team, but overall this was a positive opening day for the 2024-25 season.
USA vs Great Britain
Team GB started the game going sideline to sideline and looked to burst through to score. Kaylen Thomas was beaten on the first attempts, but used her pace to chase down and make the try-saving tackle. However, right after that Ariana Ramsey was yellow-carded for an intentional knock-on. Team GB tapped and scored in the corner.
The Eagles had hardly touched the ball at this point, but when Great Britain's restart didn't go 10 meters, the USA had a chance. Thomas sold a bit of a sidestep and was gone up the middle, showcasing her outstanding pace. From the restart Sarah Levy made a huge tackle that up a penalty. The Eagles opted for a scrum, put Nia Toliver up the middle close to the tryline, and after a couple of rucks Ramsey, back on the field after the yellow card, picked up and was over.
That put the USA ahead 12-5 and they never looked back.
Some nifty footwork put GB through to score but they muffed the kick in front of the posts. USA led 12-10 at halftime.
Some solid, patient phase work opened the second half for the USA, and then Toliver stepped into the halfback position, faked the pass wide, and raced through from 40 meters.
Levy scored the next one. After a couple of weird plays—a shanked kick that stayed in USA hands, and a pass by Rachel Strasdas that bounced off GB hands straight back to her—allowed Strasdas to set up Levy in the corner.
GB answered, but perhaps the story there was that Alyssa Porter, well away from the play, almost chased Laruen Torley down. It was an astonishing effort from Porter and one to remember as the season progresses.
The USA closes this out 26-15. One of the key elements of this game was Alena Olsen's restarts—she kicked deep each time and the ball landed on grass each time, putting the opposition underpressure.
USA 26
Tries: Thomas, Ramsey, Toliver, Levy
Convs: Canett, Ibarra 2
Great Britiain 15
Tries: Torley 2, Boatman
USA vs Spain
The Eagles started very well against a tough Spanish team. Levy, whose physicality in defense has ramped up, forced a turnover. From there Ramsey drew some attention and fed Hann Humphreys, who put the foot down to score under the posts.
Humphreys then put in a solid defensive play. After a pass went behind her and Spain pounced, she chased the play down to prevent a disaster. In fact, from the ensuing scrum the Eagles pun it wide and Toliver took the outside angle and went in from long range.
The USA almost added to that after Levy won the restart. Spain hung on but were under so much pressure they were finally penalized. The Eagles took a scrum, ran blind, and in tight quarters Toliver crashed through some tacklers. Having shown he pace in the previous try, the ICEF/View Park alum then showed her significant power.
Olsen's conversion from the touchline banked in off the post and the USA led 21-0.
Spain scored just before halftime, but the USA remained in control.
In the second half the USA had a scrum in their 22 and they ran a set move. Ramsey passed to Olsen and then drifted back to tack a return pass from Olsen to change the direction of attack. It did the job and Ramsey raced 85 meters to score. Sariah Ibarra converted and it was 28-0.
They capped it off with a brilliant try as Strasdas took off down the sideline. She had two players with her and chose Autumn Locicero, who scored her first USA 7s try.
USA 33
Tries: Toliver 2, Humphreys, Ramsey, Locicero
Convs: Canett 2, Olsen, Ibarra 2
Spain 7
Tries: Stella
Convs: Fernandez de Corres
USA vs France
Despite being 0-2 France was still a formidable opponent, and they also knew that a win would put them into the quarterfinals. The Eagles gave up an early try and answered when a superb kick was chased down by Toliver.
However, the French won the physical battle. A couple of prime scoring chances for the USA were stymied because France defended well and pushed the USA back. The Eagles did not have as much energy as they had shown in the first two games. But they had done enough to win the pool with a 2-1 record.
USA 5
Tries: Toliver
France 14
Tries: Lothoz, Ciofani
Convs: Dezou
Quarterfinals
We confess at GRR that we don't understand the quarterfinal matchups. We expected it to be a reseeding of the top eight, 1 through 8. It's not. The USA would come in as the #3 seed behind Australia and New Zealand, and that would put them at the #6 team, which would be Japan. However, instead, the USA will play France.
The matchups are as follows:
Australia (#1) vs Canada (#8)
New Zealand (#2) vs Ireland (#4)
Great Britian (#5) vs Japan (#6)
USA (#3) vs France (#7)
Whatever the matchups, the Eagles have an excellent chance to rebound from that game versus the French.
Overall, the Eagles showed they have options on attack, but have to be able to handle a more physical defense. On defense, they weren't perfect but they scrambled well.
