Photo courtesy New York Rugby Club •
New York took a 17-0 halftime lead before pulling away from the D.C. Furies, 48-0 the final, in the teams’ Women’s Premier League opener. Six players scored tries in the shutout, and captain Mary McCarthy led all point-scorers with 12 on a try, two conversions and a penalty.
“It was a normal opener – both teams were nervous at the start, “ New York coach James English reflected on the game as a whole. “D.C. did a good job of making it difficult for us. In the first half they held us off for a long time, but we kept plugging away and were patient, and that eventually paid off. … The second half was a decent performance and good foundation to build from.”
New York was able to score its first-half tries through its wings, Nicole Humphrey and Jess Berry, while inside center McCarthy added a conversion and penalty, and flyhalf Kristen Siano added the first of her three conversions. Both teams were stunted by penalties, and while New York maintained the majority of possession, D.C. did well to keep the scoreboard manageable.
Temperatures over 90 degrees added a layer of difficulty, but New York found its form in the second 40.
“We were just able to hold onto the ball better,” English said. “And I was really pleased with the defense. We were able to put them under pressure, turn over good ball and turn that ball into attack pretty quickly.”
McCarthy, Siano, Berry, reserve Ashley Nesby and flanker Ally Dykes dotted down in the second stanza. McCarthy and Siano handled the kicking duties.
English didn’t single out any players with standout performances, but acknowledged the influence of some key veterans in unifying the team.
“I’m happy with the strength and depth we’ve got,” English surveyed his player pool. “Our developmental team put in a big performance after that. Players are putting their hands up for selection, which is a nice position as a coach.”
The Red Conference will host its other game – Atlanta vs. Twin Cities – on Sunday. The Blue Conference saw ORSU beat Berkeley 34-12, while Glendale held off San Diego 28-26 at home.
New York 48
Tries: Berry 2, Dykes, Humphrey, McCarthy, Nesby, Siano
Cons: McCarthy 2, Siano 3
Pens: McCarthy
D.C. Furies 0