The Rugby Breakdown produces the women’s portion of USA Rugby’s weekly club recaps. For this week’s full installment, click here. Below is the women’s recap:
San Antonio (2-0) sits atop the DII Red River standings after its 24-15 win over Bay Area (1-1). Dallas Athletic (DARC) and the Austin are also 1-1 after last weekend, as the Dames beat the Dallas Reds 40-0 in an abbreviated match, and the Valkyries took a forfeit win against McAllen. [Lead Photo: Code Black Photography]
The Riveters played their last 15s match in mid-December and had three training sessions to freshen up for Bay Area, which had defeated the Valkyries 24-19 to kick off its season.
“Quietly confident,” San Antonio head coach Jason Liddle said of the team vibe heading into Saturday’s match. “We felt we had a good strategy. We wanted to make sure we didn’t counter-ruck and that we had a lot of quick ball and moved the ball wide.”
Liddle also stressed points on the board, and that any penalties in Christine Krieger’s range should be directed toward the posts. Ten minutes in, the fullback slotted a penalty for a 3-0 lead that held to the 20-minute mark.
Overall, however, Bay Area set the tone for the first 40.
“Bay Area is very physical at the ruck and with counter-rucking. We were shocked by that and it put us on the back foot,” Liddle said. “People just weren’t taking charge. Some were waiting for things to happen and you can’t allow that in rugby.”
Bay Area prop Randa Medows scored twice before the break for a 10-3 lead.
“At halftime I asked them a question, ‘What are we doing wrong?’ And a number spoke out. They knew what needed to be corrected,” Liddle said there was no sense of panic during the break. “I just said someone has to take charge, and that did change in the second half.”
Liddle made three tactical substitutions at the break, and informed Aida Gutierrez, Alexia Martinez and Brandi Teel that they had to encourage quicker line speed on defense. That aspect improved, and after a change at flyhalf, ball movement was also better.
Krieger and outside center Toni Armstrong (2) put down three-straight tries, and the fullback was perfect on conversions for the 24-10 lead. Scrumhalf Elizabeth Clementi pulled Bay Area back into contention with a try in the 70th minute, and San Antonio spent much of those final 15 minutes defending its 22. The outcome wasn’t certain until the final whistle and the Riverters held on for the 24-15 victory.
“I reiterated to the players that we need to come to every game with 23 players,” Liddle said. “Because with replacements – and I don’t like to call them ‘replacements’ because they’re ‘finishers’ – you need their fresh legs to end the game, especially in the last 30 minutes.”
Looking toward this week’s training and Saturday’s opponent, Dallas Athletic, Liddle has his list of work-ons ready.
“This weekend’s focus is line speed,” Liddle said. “Bay Area scored two tries in the first half because we sat back and waited for them. We need to work on defensive line speed, so we can take up that space and the options they might have.”
Ruck security and scrum mechanics are also major foci, and lots of fine-tuning. Overall, though, there is a positive buzz of growth, and faith that these incremental improvements will lead to future success.
In Dallas, the DARC Dames put down 40 first-half points against the Reds. All of the scores were finished through the backs, as flyhalf Monique Fosco, inside center Morgan Calvert, wings Samantha Tufford (2) and Jessica Ellis, and fullback Gabriela Hillmann dotted down. Calvert converted five of six tries for the healthy halftime lead.
Shortly after halftime, the Reds’ diminishing roster halted the match, and DARC took the bonus-point victory. This weekend, DARC hosts San Antonio, and Bay Area travels to Austin.