The USA women’s 7s team is in the top four in the World Series standings after a 4th-place finish at the London 7s.

With the Eagles finishing 4th they earned 14 points in London, while France earned ten points, leaving the two teams tied at 62 points. The Eagles defeated China and Fiji, and tied Australia to finish 2-0-1 in their pool, just a shade behind Australia in the pool standings.

That set them up for a quarterfinal against France, which they won on a Thomas try in the final minute 19-12.

That put them in the semifinals, and that’s when they just couldn’t get over the hump, losing to Canada 17-14, and, in the third/fourth playoff to New Zealand 24-19.

The USA led 14-12 over Canada with three minutes to go when Canada scored the winner. They led in the second half against New Zealand, too, scoring two early tries and again in the second half to go up 19-12. But two New Zealand tries in the final two minutes finished them off.

 

 

USA 40 China 7

Tries: Doyle, Folayan 2, Kelter 2, Thomas

Convs: Kelter 3, Lopez 2

 

USA 24 Fiji 19

Tries: Folayan 2, Griffin, Kelter

Convs: Baravilala, Kelter

 

 

USA 12 Australia 12

Tries: Baravilala, Doyle

Convs: Kelter

 

 

USA 19 France 12

Tries: Baravilala, Folayan, Thomas

Convs: Baravilala 2

 

 

USA 14 Canada 17

Tries: Folayan 2

Convs: Baravilala 2

 

 

USA 19 New Zealand 24

Tries: Baravilala, Folayan, Kelter

Convs: Baravilala, Kelter

 

Victoria Folayan led the USA with eight tries, giving her 30 for the season, good for third behind New Zealand’s Portia Woodman, Canada’s Ghislaine Landry.

 

But after yet another solid performance, the Eagles have one very clear job - do better than France and England. England are ranked two points behind the USA in the Series standings.

The top four in the standings get automatic qualification to the 2016 Olympic Games. New Zealand has already clinched and Canada and Australia have as good as clinched. So it’s a three-team battle in Amsterdam for the final spot, and the USA, which looked completely out of contention following the first two tournaments, has vaulted itself into contention for an automatic ticket to Rio.

 

 

World Rugby Women’s Sevens World Series Standings

x=clinched place in Rio 2016

1. New Zealand - x 96 pts

2. Canada - 76

3. Australia - 76

4. USA - 62

5. France - 62

6. England - 60

7. Russia - 54

8. Fiji - 28

9. Brazil - 20

10. Spain - 18

11. China - 10

12. South Africa - 8