The USA began the Dubai 7s, the second stop on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, with a 29-7 win over Brazil. The Eagles will now face Russia, which dropped a 24-19 contest to Canada in Pool A.
RELATED: Fixtures & Results: Dec. 5-8, 2019
It wasn’t the cleanest of debuts for the USA, the top-ranked team on the series, as some handling errors, penalties and miscues on defense challenged the flow. But the Eagles worked hard to make amends for those mistakes and were rewarded with five tries.
Alev Kelter sent a lovely kickoff into the air, and while all of the restarts were well contested, they struggled to find American hands cleanly. The knock-on set up a Brazil scrum, the ball moved wide, and a couple of missed tackles followed. Kelter cleaned it up and then chased down the subsequent kick ahead. As the USA attempted to regroup, the ball hit the ground and Canett dove on top of it, drawing a yellow card when Brazil unintentionally made contact with the scrumhalf’s head. The Eagles set up a lineout and moved the ball to Kristi Kirshe, who pushed off the defense for the opening try that Kelter converted: 7-0.
A knock-on handed the restart to the USA, but a knock-on in the scrum returned possession to Brazil. Back to full strength, Brazil’s Mariana Silva dummied through the middle of the field and nearly scored if it weren’t for Kelter’s chase. Kelter almost got the turnover but referee Lauren Jenner indicated there was no release in the tackle, and Brazil continued to attack inside the USA’s 22. A second penalty put Brazil within five meters of the try line, but a soft, long pass from the mark allowed Canett to race onto the ball for the intercept. The Penn Stater raced to the 40 meter before flyer Bianca Silva tracked Canett down, but Kirshe was there in support for the pop pass. Silva was the only one in range but Kirshe had the gas to pull away for the try. Canett added the extras for the 14-0 lead.
There was time for one more restart and while it didn’t produce any points, the half ended with Eti Haungatau dummying through the defense. It was a precursor to a second-half highlight.
Brazil’s kickoff didn’t go 10 meters and the USA took control from midfield. The ball eventually moved to Kirshe, then co-captain Abby Gustaitis, and then Haungatau on the wing. The 19-year-old confidently took on three defenders, goose-stepping and fending the first two, and then outrunning the final pursuer for the try. It was the NorCal native’s first 7s try on the international circuit and provided a 19-0 lead.
The Eagles looked like they were building another try, as Tapper stole possession off the ground, and Cheta Emba and Gustaitis switched out wide for good meters gained. The pass back was knocked on, but the team was all smiles as it set up for a Brazil scrum inside the 22. The ball moved wide and Mariana Silva’s pass to Thalia Costa sailed over the wing’s head into the try zone. Tapper pounced but Costa gathered the ball perfectly, quickly evaded the immediate threat and then beat the pursuit for a full-length try. The conversion was good for a 19-7 scoreline after 11 minutes.
The score emboldened Brazil, especially on defense, which pressured another knock-on and nearly stole a ruck. But the USA connected well enough to keep building scores. A lineout ball moved wide to Tapper, who stepped Costa for a return try. Nicole Heavirland then sent a low-hanging restart 10 meters and Jordan Gray-Matyas was able to just get under it. Brazil nearly pushed the Americans off the ball but a penalty for kicking through halted that threat. Instead, the Eagles moved the ball to Gustaitis out wide and the co-captain barreled over the final defender for the final score: 29-7.
Russia is next. Kickoff is at 1:06 a.m. Eastern, Friday, Dec. 6. Games are live-streamed with NBC Sports Gold’s Rugby Pass.
USA 29
Tries: Kirshe 2, Tapper, Gustaitis, Haungatau
Cons: Canett, Kelter
Brazil 7
Tries: Costa
Cons: Kochhann
USA Starters: Abby Gustaitis, Kris Thomas, Eti Haungatau, Kayla Canett, Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirshe, Naya Tapper.