The MVP of the Men’s NACRA 7s Championships was Danny Barrett.

While Perry Baker led the team in tries, and Maka Unufe was an all-around effective player, distributing, defending, and scoring, and while players like Folau Niua and Garrett Bender and the rest had their role to play, ultimately, Barrett was the best.

Why? In part because the USA was going to make the difference against most of their opponents through physicality as well as speed, defense, and passing skill. Many of the Caribbean teams had sufficient pace to at least key on the speedsters Perry Baker and Carlin Isles. Those two still got plenty of tries, but the space needed to be created elsewhere.

And then, in the final against Canada, it had to be all about taking the chances that were there, and holding on for grim life. Barrett did both. 

“What I’ve tried to do all year is get the ball to the attacking guys and let them run,” Barrett said after the final. “And we take a lot of pride in our defense. Canada went a man up, and we were going to make sure they didn’t get anything out of it. All of us were. We gave up two tries in the tournament, but we have been working on - if they score, they’re going to score in the corner, and make sure it’s only five points. We did that against Canada and that was big for us.”

“Danny Barrett has grown a lot os a player and a man,” said his coach Mike Friday.

Early in the season, Barrett was an impact player with a fiery personality who could make inopportune penalties. But as time went on, he stopped committing penalties, and stopped thinking about running over everyone he saw, and because more of a thinking man’s 7s player. The result has been palpable. He can score in the open field. He still loves the rough stuff. And in the final, he and Bender set the tone. Canada was going to beat the USA up, so somebody had to step forward.

“We’ve learned to be ruthless, relentless,” said Barrett. 

None more so that #3, who scored a try (see GIF below) that was fitness, pace, and a ton of desire.

And then he stood up to the Canadian attack, laying in crucial tackles against their biggest, most imposing players. (See the tackle and clear out that produce a turnover below).