The DII Florida women’s club championship is set, and it’s a rematch of the most competitive contest of the season: Tampa Bay vs. Orlando. In the teams’ regular-season meeting, Orlando won 38-19, but Tampa Bay pulled useful information from that experience, revisited some strategies, and worked those adjustments during its semifinal win against Jacksonville last Saturday.
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Tampa Bay and Orlando were both undefeated when they met on March 27, and up until that point, the spring season had gone relatively smoothly for the Krewe. The same could be said for Orlando; however, the team also played DI Elite Life University the week before facing Tampa Bay, and that experience in Marietta, Ga. – a 52-17 loss – was very useful in readying for tougher competition.
“We didn’t really find our rhythm in the backline, and that’s where we spent the last couple of weeks working,” Tampa Bay head coach John Woollcombe-Clarke said of difference-makers in the March 27 Orlando match. “Maybe we went into this game with a little too much pressure put on ourselves, so we were more cautious and that put us out of position and out of sync in the back line. Orlando has solid defense so there’s no freedom to make mistakes or be off pace or out of position.
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“Also, we hadn’t played such an aggressive pack this season, especially one that can keep the pressure on like Orlando did,” the coach added. “Orlando tends to run the ball heavy in the pack because they have strong, mobile players, so we had to revisit the physicality standpoint.”
Tampa Bay incurred two yellow cards and then a red card with approximately 20 minutes remaining in the match. Orlando leaned on that advantage and built momentum that carried the team through the second half.
“We walked away with a good attitude,” Woollcombe-Clarke said of the team’s reaction to the loss. “We’ve been performing well all season and then played a really hard test. We were a little shaken but overall it’s one of those things that turned into resolve.”
The team had two weeks to prepare for the April 10 semifinal against #3 Jacksonville, which had played #2 Tampa Bay to a 39-32 loss early in the season.
“I wanted to see our game plan play out better and the back line shape forming up,” Woollcombe-Clarke said of expectations. “We did a lot of work on support lines and looking for gaps in the defense, and I want to see them be proactive in those rather than reactive. We want to get to a point where we’re thinking 1-2 phases ahead of the game rather than playing what’s in front of them.”
Woollcombe-Clarke likes to pick one key focus for each game that, if properly executed, will set up the rest of the match. For Jacksonville, the team rallied around support – from running tight pods, to quickly covered rucks, to offload options, to following one’s passes. That discipline is not only necessary against a poach-y Jacksonville but also enables a faster attack.
The first half was pretty even, as Tampa Bay took a little time to find itself. But the backs and forwards were communicating well with each other, and the pack was playing a more mobile game that helped with fatigue in the heat. Tampa Bay took a 12-7 lead into the break.
“In the first 10 minutes of the second half, we found our groove,” Woollcombe-Clarke said. “Around the 50th, 60th minute, any close game will start to get decided. Sometimes it’s fitness, or one team settling into their play and the other starts to crack. That happened Saturday. The first half was even, but then something clicked. Jacksonville fought us off a lot but our intensity and pressure kept building.”
By game’s end, Sam Black, Peyton Boyd, Jennifer Fasano, Victoria Jarrett and Narcisse Jordan had scored tries, and Robyn Oliveri kicked the extras in the 71-7 win. On the other side of the bracket, Orlando beat Ft. Miami 76-5, and now Tampa Bay gets its shot at the rematch.
“They’re chomping at the bit. They want another go,” Woollcombe-Clarke said. “I’ll speak for them but I’m not really speaking for them: We didn’t put our best out against Orlando – not to take away anything from them, but I think we have more to offer as an opponent. The team recognized that. And that bitter taste will stay in their mouths until we get on the field and settle things for 2021.”
The Florida state championship will occur on April 24 in Titusville, Fla. Stay tuned for an interview with Orlando’s Laurell Cuza and check with Rugby in Florida for potential live-stream details.
“We’re confident in ourselves,” Woollcombe-Clarke closed. “If we show up and they show up, then the game can go either way. You can’t win this final if you don’t bring your absolute best because both teams will punish you. We believe we can win.”