Hope Rogers scored the USA’s try vs. Canada. /// Photo: Paul Rudman (KLC fotos) see more •
Round three of the Super Series will be contested Saturday, and the USA Women’s National Team will pool its forces against England, while Canada plays France. Canada leads the standings at 2-0 and is coming off of a 33-5 win over the Eagles Tuesday.
“Credit to Canada, they executed their game plan and were able to create scoring opportunities,” USA scrumhalf Jenny Lui reflected on the loss. “Our back row played well and gave us some good go forward and turnovers. Our defensive launch was a bit inconsistent, but luckily we’ll have another chance to improve and grow against England.”
“As a team we’ve been focusing on getting the little things right and just finishing,” added Eagle prop Hope Rogers. “We have great moments during the game that we just need to convert into points.
“Overall against Canada, I think we just needed to get some flow going, but we were never able to due to penalties and ball retention,” the front row summarized.
Some of that disruption originated in the scrums. Canada dominated the set piece, and the U.S. was routinely in retreat.
“I feel like the ref had some struggles managing the scrums a little with the amount of penalties given from scrums alone,” Rogers explained. “Canada had a really solid, unified scrum. It was a great challenge for me personally as well as our pack. I think we need to work on our connections with each other and staying together. Eight as one.
“This is the first opportunity we have had all year to scrum together, so given the lack of playing time together, I think we are learning and still coming together nicely,” Rogers added.
Of all the teams involved in the Super Series, the USA plays the fewest international tests annually. That said, the starting tight five sported three Rugby World Cup vets, and rotated in players like Tiffany Faaee, Alycia Washington and debutante Jamila Reinhardt later in the match.
“International play is so exciting,” the freshly capped Reinhardt enthused. “I expected a challenge and that’s what I got.”
Due to deployment, Reinhardt didn’t play much rugby from November through June, and when the Eagle prop did boot up for her home club, she was playing No. 8.
“So it felt as if I was starting from the ground up, learning how to prop again, low positive tackles, and getting comfortable with contact,” Reinhardt explained. “Practice makes perfect. I’ve been on a mission to learn as much as I can on scrums, getting low, binding, foot position, and timing. Help from NASC and [Super Series] coaches and teammates really helped me get over my hump.”
Reinhardt’s comfort with ball in hand became immediately apparent.
“If you couldn’t tell, I love contact,” Reinhardt relived a couple of rumbling runs. “I love using my strength, power, and explosiveness. Playing with other strong women at this elite level forces me to not just use my brute strength but also technique.”
Reinhardt is just one of the newer players who’s trying to build a case for World Cup inclusion next year, and if she’s selected for Saturday, then she’ll line up against an English side on a bit of a high. A game-ending try propelled the Roses past Six Nations champ France 17-13 Tuesday.
“We want our last game to be our best game, so we are ready to learn from the last two games and give it all we got against England,” Rogers indicated. “I personally am really excited to see what this USA team can do. We have an abundance of potential … we just have to unlock it now.”
USA vs. Canada
1. Catherine Benson 2. Kathryn Augustyn 3. Hope Rogers 4. Stacey Bridges (C) 5. Molly Kinsella 6. Elizabeth Cairns 7. Nicole Strasko 8. Jordan Gray 9. Jennifer Lui 10. Kimberly Rozier 11. Cheta Emba 12. Jenn Sever 13. Nate Serevi 14. Saskia Morgan 15. Jessica Wooden
USA Reserves 16. Joanna Kitlinski 17. Tiffany Faaee 18. Jamila Reinhardt 19. Alycia Washington 20. Christiane Pheil 21. Deven Owsiany 22. Megan Foster 23. Naya Tapper
