Morris surprised itself in its 52-5 win over the Play Rugby Academy during the teams’ first league match of the season. The New Jersey side had expected the New York City-based team to be its toughest competition - especially since the teams' last meeting in a 5-0 win to Morris - but the home side proved well prepared.

The teams felt each other out during the first quarter, and then the Morris backline began attacking gaps in the defense. The forwards worked hard to support those line-breaks, and that’s how prop Tyffany Brisbane scored the opening try from five meters out. Same with flanker Tammy Cowan, who trailed outside center Delia Hellander on one of her many breakaways for the offload and try. Hellander scored four tries on the day.

“Delia Hellander is the real deal,” Morris coach Tom Feury said of the Atlantis alum. “She has speed, skill, and strength. She started playing flag rugby in the Morris programs at age seven, so her running lines and passing skills are well above most high school players. As a junior, I expect much more out of her in the next year and half.”

Hellander accounted for the third try of the game. All American Kat Ramage added a conversion and the first of her two penalty kicks to push her team’s lead to 20 at the break.

Play Rugby logged its lone points of the match after Morris erred on the kickoff. In good scoring position, Play Rugby Academy used a five-meter penalty to bulldoze into the try zone, 20-5.

Morris returned to the restart reinvigorated, and the remainder of the second half was marked by low, hard tackling and strong rucking. Clean ball allowed scrumhalf Jess Nagie to quickly move play around the pitch, and flyhalf Jordan Cowan did well to distribute the ball and challenge the defense.

In addition to Hellander’s three second-half tries, Tammy Cowan got her second five-pointer, and Ramage added a try and three conversions to her tally.

Once the team pulled away, Feury worked in his two subs – Kayla Smith at lock and Alba Corney at wing. “Quality, not quantity has been our situation,” Feury said of his light roster. Depth will be an issue as the season continues, especially when multi-game weekends arrive, but for now, Morris is looking ahead to Union on April 12 at home.