The USA improved to 2-0 at the Fast Four 7s after defeating Mexico 62-0 today in Vancouver, Canada. The Eagles’ final match for today is against also-undefeated Great Britain at 3:44 p.m. PDT.
The Eagles scored 10 tries, and players like Sarah Levy and Jaz Gray showed well with three tries apiece. But it was defense – in its ability to drive Mexico continually backward – and the Eagles’ quickness over the ball – especially from captain Nana Fa’avesi – that created many of these opportunities. The team transitioned from defense to offense quickly, tapping quickly through the mark and running and connecting with confidence.
Steph Rovetti took the opening kickoff, and two passes later, Gray was powering down the sideline for the opening try, which Spiff Sedrick converted: 7-0. Gray, too, was a nuisance in the breakdown, and took advantage of a slowly resetting Mexico for two more scores on the day.
Fa’avesi forced a not-releasing penalty and went quickly, with the ball eventually moving to 19-year-old Lote Tausinga, who dummied past her opposite for the try. Sedrick flew off the line to really stun Mexico and a penalty allowed Rovetti to put her on attack. She nearly crossed the line if it wasn’t for an ankle tap, but she freed the ball for a pop pass to on-running Levy, who scored her first USA 7s try. Sedrick converted for the 19-0 lead.
The Eagles ran in two more tries to close the half, as a Fa’avesi-forced penalty saw Gray return to the try zone. Gray then cleaned up a loose ball and moved it Levy for the try and 29-0 halftime lead.
Gray stayed gritty in the second half, pinched a ball from the ruck, and two passes later, Sui A’au was in the try zone. Mexico let the subsequent restart from Canett hit the ground and it bounced fortuitously into Levy’s hands. The wing swerved through the broken defense for the score, which Canett converted: 41-0.
A’au was yellow carded for past-horizontal tackle but that deficit didn’t hinder the attack. A penalty at the breakdown moved to Toliver, who took her case up the middle for another power try. Canett followed, setting up for the outlet pass from the ruck but instead dummying past the soft defense in the one channel. Canett converted her score for the 48-0 lead.
Toliver and Gray ended the day with another try apiece. The former arose after the USA stole a Mexico scrum in good territory, and the latter after Canett cleaned up a dropped pass and moved the ball to Toliver for a north-south break. Toliver was hauled down short of the line but Gray was there for the offload. Canett converted both for the 62-0 win.
USA 62
TRIES: Levy 3, Gray 3, Tausinga, A’au, Canett, Toliver
CONS: Sedrick 2, Canett 4