Sacramento’s Talica Vodo / Photo: Jackie Finlan
After Sacramento won the 2019 USA Rugby DII Club National Championship, a big turnover in the roster and staff followed. It’s not an uncommon stage in the life cycle of a club, especially for the Amazons, whose many mothers, with their children and families in tow, knew last year’s title run was a special season. An adjustment period followed, but after a decisive win against San Francisco Golden Gate last weekend, Sacramento is starting to look like its old self again.
“It’s been hard because we depended on those key, solid players for so many years, and they left all at one time,” Sacramento captain Leka Green said. “We’ve had a lot of new players coming in – some from [UC] Davis and other clubs, one from a high school team – and we needed some time for the pieces to fit together.”
Photo: Jackie Finlan
The Amazons lost their opening DII NorCal league game 27-20 to Berkeley, which leads the standings at 3-0. After a bye week, Sacramento put down an 85-5 win against San Jose, and then readied for San Francisco Golden Gate, which was 3-0 heading into last weekend’s game.
“The games before this, it was still a little hodge-podge,” Green said of a still-evolving team game. “But everything started clicking [Saturday] and we did what we set out to do.”
SFGG was missing a couple of players, notably flyhalf Lindsay Kinsler; however, first-year Jillian Eicher was superb in the #10 spot. A couple of injuries also stalled its game, but ultimately, tackle completion and lost scrums handicapped the home side. Sacramento needed a few minutes to find its flow, and the Amazons actively moved players around in pursuit of that connection. Talica Vodo moved from No. 8 to inside center, and along with players like Liz Danielson and Roxanne Lembke, got that hard-carrying, offload game in motion.
Wing Natalie Romero scored the game’s first try / Photo: Jackie Finlan
In the first half, Danielson, Lembke, Vodo, wing Natalie Romero, outside center Miriama Marawa (2) and prop Francilia Lee-Lo all scored, while flanker Caroline Sequeira added three conversions and Danielson two. Gate scored a lovely try off a scrum, as Eicher sent a leading pass to inside center Aurore Soufflet on a line through the gap. Sacramento led 45-5 at the break.
“Caroline [Sequeira], she’s a key player to me who has stepped up big time,” Green said of teammates blossoming in more prominent positions. “She was the social chair last year and this year she’s just stepping up as one of our main leaders. And there are some returning players – they weren’t in leadership roles in the past, because our old leaders were doing such a great job – and they’re starting to shine. It’s amazing.”
Sacramento added five more tries – Marawa, Sequeira, Talica, Makena McCluskey, Meg Slattery – before Gate got its second score. After building some nice phases, Eicher drew a high-tackle penalty that resulted in a Sacramento yellow card and scored from 10 meters out: 74-10. The Amazons added two more converted tries through Vodo and McCluskey for an 88-10 final. Green was thoroughly pleased with the result as well as the team’s ability to accommodate positional moves.
Outside center Miriama Marawa / Photo: Jackie Finlan
“We had some new faces who are becoming key players and stood out today,” Green said. “[Marawa] is an international player and one of our top try-scorers. She played with San Jose last year alongside teammate [Vodo], who is usually a forward but in this game we transitioned her to the back line. She did an amazing job transitioning and adjusting to back line play.
“[Slattery] stepped in as scrumhalf in the first half,” the captain said of the Denver Black Ice and Vassar College alumna. “She’s such a versatile player and very dynamic in the back line at outside center or wing, or wherever she plays.
“Sabrina [Perez] is also new player,” Green said of the UC Davis graduate. “She’s a forward and has a quiet way about her, but she carried the ball well off of the fringes. I can go on and on with all the new players. There are so many who are standing out.”
Prop Sabrina Perez / Photo: Jackie Finlan
Saturday was a good win for Sacramento, but there are still many moving pieces – including the continued search for a head coach – that require steady attention. The team is reinforcing its foundation, but with that said, the potential for nationals is also a consideration.
“Rebuild as well as post-season,” Green said of this season’s focus. “I’m looking at the talent we have now and I really do believe we can make a run for nationals with what we have.”
There are two league-wide bye weeks in the month of February, and Sacramento will see leader Berkeley on March 7.