Photo: www.canadasevens.com
The USA advances to the Fast Four 7s final in Vancouver after defeating Canada 22-12 in today’s semifinals. The score is a repeat of the teams’ round-robin match and also required a comeback performance. The Eagles will now face Great Britain at 4:56 p.m. PDT in the title bout.
Nia Toliver received the opening kickoff and stepped Fancy Bermudez Chavez and Renee Gonazlez for the centered try, which Kayla Canett converted: 7-0. But the meat of the first half was played in the Eagles’ end, the result of errors around the restarts and penalties.
After the restart, there was no clean release on Emma Chown on the sideline, and Canada went quick from the penalty mark. Steph Rovetti couldn’t get Bermudez Chavez to ground, and that allowed a hand-off to Gonzalez busting through for the try. Chloe Daniels connected on the conversion for the 7-all game.
Nana Fa’avesi seemed to lose the restart ball in the air for a second, and it hit the ground and knocked forward. Canada reset with an attacking scrum and the USA was called for the first of three driving-upward penalties. Olivia Apps moved the ball away quickly and it ended in the hands of Gonzalez for a second try, 12-7.
Gonzalez should be familiar to American viewers. She is a USA High School All-American, who started playing at Armstrong (Minn.). Gonzalez played a year of college ball with Lindenwood University before transferring to University of Victoria and has remained in the Canadian system since. She looked great.
From the subsequent restart, missed passes afforded Canada possession in good territory and two penalties gave the home side ample opportunity to score again. Canada put a little too much on a kick to Gonzalez running on, and the ball out the back set up a USA drop 22. Canett kicked across the line quickly and although the defense was on the halfback, the Eagles were able to move the ball away from traffic. Toliver took the final pass on the sideline, fended her opposite, and took off for the opposing try line. In a fantastic defensive effort, Chown raced across the pitch in an attempt to prevent the try. The duo met at the try line and the collision forced a knock-on in the grounding. Toliver incurred a lower-leg injury – looked like a rolled ankle – and was escorted off the pitch.
Losing Toliver is significant, but the Eagles did keep their composure from the rest of the game onward. Canada erred not long after its scrum, and then the USA benefitted from back-to-back penalties. From a scrum center, the ball moved wide to Jaz Gray, who had the pace and power to get by Chown into the corner: 12-12 into the break. It marked the wing’s fifth try of the tournament.
From the restart, Daniels attempted to avoid the defense by running sideways and instead incurred a shepherding penalty. Canett went quickly from the mark, and Rovetti hit Lauren Thunen for some meters forward. Canada nearly poached possession as support was slow, but the ball was able to move to Rovetti, who connected with Sarah Levy coming through. The final pass went to Fa’avesi, who looked for the offload but instead powered into the try zone for the go-ahead points, 17-12.
Reserve Rachel Strasdas was good on defense and drew a holding-on penalty after a Canada carry, and then the USA built from a Canadian penalty in the scrum. Fa’avesi and Canett tied up the inner defense, and then the ball moved wide to Rovetti on the sideline for the fast try, 22-12.
There were three minutes to play and the USA managed the clock well, calling for scrums on all penalties and eating up the clock. Canada was starved of possession, and that made the difference.
The Eagles will now see Great Britain again and look to close in on the 41-12 decision on day one.