Kristen Thomas scored the USA’s try. / Photo: Alex Ho (hoiho.net)
The USA Women’s 7s Team lost its second match of the Madrid 7s, dropping a 26-7 decision to France, and will now play for third against Poland.
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The game was pretty contact heavy, but France did a good job of moving fast around the breakdown and taking advantage of a slowly adjusting defense. Penalties didn’t help the Americans, nor did slick conditions for everyone’s handling, but France just had the Americans’ number.
France moved downfield with the help of several consecutive penalties – not releasing, offsides at the breakdown. When it looked like the drive had ended with a bouncing pass into touch, play was called back for a penalty and the mark in the center of the field. France went quickly and moved the ball to wide-open Coralie Bertrand, who cut back inside Cheta Emba and Kristen Thomas coming across for coverage. Bertrand centered the try and Caroline Drouin added the extras, 7-0.
The rest of the half was pretty physical, messy in the rain, and a little chippy. As the halftime buzzer sounded, Bertrand grubbered through the line with Heavirland in the chase, and then shanked the subsequent kick off the ground. It dribbled toward Nia Toliver, who also attempted a kick off the ground but missed. France recovered the ball and while the USA scrambled well in the middle of the field, they looked tired. Once the ball moved away from the congestion, there were four French players all in a line waiting to attack. Jade Ulutule cut back across the defense for the centered try, which Drouin converted, 14-0 into the break.
But the USA has overcome a two-try deficit before, and it wasn’t long into the second half before it became a one-try deficit. Thomas went back for the deep restart, sized up Bertrand, and promptly sat her down with a big fend. Thomas then stepped hard across Drouin coming across and beat everyone in the sprint to the try line. Heavirland converted, 14-7.
France answered right away. Shortly after the restart, three Eagles collapsed on a French ballcarrier and the defense didn’t shift swiftly enough to account for numbers looping around the short side. A couple of well timed passes put Ulutule away for her second try. Drouin banked the kick off the far upright and the ball rebounded back over the crossbar: 21-7.
The remainder of the game stayed mostly in the USA end, and France did well to get the Americans moving backward when the passes didn’t go to hand. An offsides penalty at the breakdown kicked off a series that eventually saw France break weak off the ruck and capitalize on a 2-on-1 on the sideline. Lina Guerin scored in the corner for the 26-7 lead.
The USA did break out of its end as the game neared its close. Heavirland cleaned up a messy ball and looped the pass around the tackler to find Kasey McCravey. There was one player to beat and two passing options, but the finishing pass didn’t go to hand and France kicked to touch to end the game.
USA 7
Tries: Thomas
Cons: Heavirland
FRANCE 26
Tries: Bertrand 2, Ulutule 2
Cons: Drouin 3