The two Fallbrook teams at the Fullerton Invitational /// Photo courtesy Fallbrook Girls Rugby Club[March 31 update: An earlier version of this article listed an incorrect score between Fallbrook U18s and Coastal Dragons.]
Fallbrook’s 15s season has started to pick up a little speed this week, as the Warriors played visiting Canadian team, the Leprechaun Tigers, Wednesday night to a 49-0 victory. The SoCal team was happy for the added 15s fixture and appreciated the test in the rucks. That’s how this season is going to go for the former five-time national champion – adding in competition where the program can find it, and relying on internal forces to build toward nationals.
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“We look forward to nationals but we don’t talk about it too much,” said Fallbrook coach Marin Pinnell. “It’s not our focus at the moment, but it will be. We’re just getting started and getting warmed up with 15s. We’re looking forward to playing against teams of substance and testing ourselves – we’re just not out to crush the world at the moment. It’s a progression that gets more intense as we go along.”
Fallbrook consistently fields U14, U16 and U18 sides in a region that struggles to field consistent girls’ high school 15s programs. Teams rallied around the 7s season, which had enough teams for Los Angeles-based and San Diego-based leagues and culminated with a SoCal championship in February. But then even long-standing programs like ICEF backed away from the 15s season.
Fallbrook followed its 7s championship with a trip to Las Vegas, and then switched gears and sent two 15s sides to the Fullerton Invitational. While the senior side went relatively uncontested through the title match, it was fulfilling to watch the younger players develop.
“The younger ones lost to Coastal on Saturday … and were really upset how it unfolded,” Pinnell said. “I love when there’s inequity because you can grab on it and use it. We were really motivated to play them on the second day.”
Fallbrook’s second side beat Coastal on Sunday.
“It was awesome because they were completely committed and were doing so much tackling and working together,” Pinnell said. “That’s what I love about 15s. Sevens is such an individual thing – give the ball to the fast girl and let her run. There is some coordination, but in 15s you really need to work together. It unified the younger ones who mainly have played 7s until that point.”
The U14 and U16 age grade teams will be playing a 7s round robin on Saturday at Chula Vista, while the U18 squad will face South Bay in advance of the USA vs. Canada test.
“That will be nice to play a team like that because that’s what we end up getting against the NorCal teams at nationals – bigger, crashing teams,” Pinnell said.
On April 8-9, the Warriors will head out to Utah for a highly anticipated match with United, a top-of-the-rankings showdown. They’ll bring a team that has good upperclass leadership in players like 7s Eagle Lilly Durbin, now a senior and playing flyhalf; All-American Destiny Arena at No. 8; lock Naomi Colin, who is heading to Florida with the Atavus 7s squad; four-year flanker Kim Mendoza; and center Bella Devore and fullback Julia Haigh, who have both played select side ball. They provide the foundation for exciting first-years and younger players in important positions to thrive.
“They’re not your flashy ones,” Pinnell said of the squad. “They’re committed ones and have been with us a long time and love rugby, but aren’t necessarily [Atavus] stars. Some are taking that path, but others, rugby is what they do for their high school sport and they enjoy it, but aren’t out for scholarships.”
Fallbrook will be present in Elkhart, Ind., for the club high school championship, which takes place Friday-Saturday, May 19-20, overlapping one day with the single-school championship (May 20-21) at the same site. Pinnell didn’t reference a sentiment of retribution for the second-place finish at last year’s nationals, indicating that the squad has moved on. Instead, the experienced leadership and staff is focused on incremental steps that build toward a peaking performance at the championship.
“It’s interesting to see how other teams are developing, how teams change when coaches and players move,” Pinnell said. “We’re different. We keep consistent even though the girls come and go, and keep the same structure.”
Catch all of Fallbrook’s teams in motion Saturday, as the U14s and U16s play round robin 7s games from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Pacific, and the U18s take on South Bay at 10:30 a.m. at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Center. There is also a San Diego vs. Belmont Shore match at 10:30 a.m. among other matches (for which we don’t have details) before the 3 p.m. USA vs. Canada test.