LANGFORD, British Columbia - The Women's Eagles Sevens are coming off of a Plate Final triumph at HSBC Atlanta 7s, their home tournament on the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series.
Though they gained two fewer points than they did with a fourth-place result in Brazil more than a month earlier, the Eagles won one more match than the previous tournament and were able to end last weekend's event on a high rather than a loss. The short turnaround for HSBC Canada Women's Sevens is the first and only of the season for the teams on the circuit, with the final tournament in Clermont-Ferrand, France, scheduled for the last weekend in May.
WHAT YOU MISSED
Richie Walker was appointed head coach of the Eagles two weeks prior to kickoff in Atlanta, and some picked the team to adjust slowly in a tough pool featuring New Zealand. The team kept its first-match opponent from the attacking half in scoring three tries against Spain, and followed a first win with a second against Japan. Japan was able to breach the try line twice in a 33-12 decision, once more than New Zealand was allowed.
The Eagles had only ever beaten New Zealand once on the circuit in 13 matchups, but turned the tables on a side missing at least one influential player. The pool match played out like a Final in front of the U.S.-heavy crowd at Fifth Third Bank Stadium at Kennesaw State University, with the teams level at halftime, 5-5. Jessica Javelet provided fresh legs late in the second half, and single-handedly beat four defenders with a lateral run across the gain line for the match-winning try, giving the Eagles their first pool win of the season.
Watch Canada Women's Sevens on The Rugby Channel
Despite the No. 1 seed from Pool C, the U.S. was matched up with Series-leading Australia in the Cup Quarterfinals while Canada, with a lower point differential than its rival, played a third-place team out of pool play. Australia, which won the first two tournaments of the season in Dubai and Brazil, played on another level in the Quarterfinal, and ran out on top in a 22-5 final.
The first setback of the weekend was followed by a shutout of Fiji, loser to Canada in the Quarterfinal. The Eagles scored six tries, and kept the train on the tracks in the Plate Final to beat Russia for the first hardware of the season.
"The girls played some really good rugby and are happy to win the Plate,' Walker said, "but we also know we have a lot to improve on and our focus this week will be improving in areas where we feel we need to, and fine tuning other areas.
"The Australia game was a little disappointing but, after the loss, we didn't let it get to us and that's what I'm most happy about.'
WHERE THE EAGLES FLY
With only two tournaments remaining for Walker to see his athletes in high-intensity competition, the head coach scheduled roster substitutions between the Atlanta and Langford legs of the Series. Olympic bobsledder Emily Azevedo will make her debut this weekend alongside returning veterans Victoria Folayan and Christy Ringgenberg, the latter having been away from the circuit since 2014.
Meya Bizer and Lauren Doyle were two of the Atlanta Eagles sent back to southern California, but for injury-related reasons. Joanne Fa'avesi and Carmen Farmer shore up the 12-player squad as Jillion Potter, Kristen Thomas, and Kate Zackary watch from the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
"It's great to have Christy back,' Walker said. "She took a break for a little while and now has a cute little kid named Willa. She is a seasoned veteran and brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the team. We are also welcoming back Victoria Folayan, who has been absent due to injury but played really well in our scrimmages at the OTC, and Joanne Fa'avesi comes back into the squad after training really well at the OTC.'
FLIGHT PLAN
If five pool draws with New Zealand in nine tournaments had not been enough, Canada Women's Sevens will extend that statistic to six pools in 10 tournaments as the reigning Series champion will again end day one against the U.S.
First up for the Eagles is Spain, which qualified for the Cup Quarterfinals to open the season but has not been able to muster much since, winning just three of 12 matches leading up to Langford. Last weekend's lopsided shutout to the U.S. was its second such result against the Eagles this season, while Walker's team holds an 8-0 all-time record against Las Leonas.
Fiji compounded the Eagles' frustrating opening-round campaign in Dubai with a come-from-behind victory in pool play, but paid the price to an on-the-rise U.S. team in last weekend's Plate Semifinal. The typical Fijian style of play - exemplified on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series by the reigning-champion men's side - was on display throughout the weekend in Atlanta, but failed to produce points in the shutout.
New Zealand has slowly gotten better and better this season, improving its performances from tournament to tournament. The Eagles met the Kiwis in São Paulo for the first time since the infamous victory in Amsterdam at the tail end of last season, and were comprehensively beaten in a shutout in the tournament's Third-Place Match. Despite the loss to the U.S. in Atlanta's pool play, New Zealand continued on to the Cup Final, eventually losing to Australia in a five-point contest.
SCREAMING EAGLES
The tournament at Westhills Stadium kicks off Saturday, April 16, with the U.S.'s first match against Spain set for 12:50 p.m. PT. Canada Women's Sevens is scheduled for the same weekend as HSBC Singapore Sevens, the eighth round of the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, but does not overlap due to the time difference. Viewers in the United States can watch the penultimate round of the Series live on The Rugby Channel (a risk-free, 30-day preview is available), while USA Rugby's Twitter handle (@USARugby) will provide live match updates throughout the weekend.
Women's Eagles Sevens | HSBC Canada Women's Sevens
2. Megan Bonny
4. Alev Kelter
5. Ryan Carlyle
8. Bui Baravilala (C)
10. Joanne Fa'avesi
11. Victoria Folayan
12. Jessica Javelet
Women's Eagles Sevens | HSBC Canada Women's Sevens
v. Spain - Saturday, April 16 @ 3:50 p.m. ET
v. Fiji - Saturday, April 16 @ 6:42 p.m. ET
v. New Zealand - Saturday, April 16 @ 9:12 p.m. ET
