Scion Takes the MAC Championship

It's no surprise, after dominating performances in the first 3 Qualifier tournaments, that the Scion Rugby Academy would take the MAC Championship tournament. However, they would have to survive the punishing Virginia heat and get through a feisty NOVA squad, in the finals, to bring home the trophy. 

With only four teams fighting for the top two spots (only the top two from MAC get a berth to Nationals), the tournament was an abbreviated one for the women--the teams all played each other and the top two played in the finals. 

Scion breezed through pool play, holding their opponents scoreless while tallying a total of 124 points in three games. Just as in past tournaments, the Sirens had possession of the ball for well over half the time, in each of their matches. Relying on their breakdown savvy and offensive scheme, they were able to turnover ball quickly, run their offense smoothly and score often.

Though pool play was a breeze for Scion, the championship match would prove to be the antipode of ease. NOVA came out swinging, and hit Scion with an early score. Their scrappy defense turned the Scion offense sloppy at times, and the Sirens weren’t able to find a rhythm.

However, rhythm or no rhythm, the women of Scion are a versatile and resourceful bunch and were able to out-scrap NOVA. They pounded the ball at NOVA and put up 24, hard-earned points. NOVA was able to claw their way to 12 points and made MAC Championship a bit of a nail-biter.

Both teams will head to the USA 7s National Tournament in Glendale, CO, in a couple of weeks, and both hope to bring back some hardware to the MAC Region.  

Scion Rolling Through Competition in the Mid-Atlantic

As the 2016 7's Season is approaching its culmination at Nationals, several teams are emerging as powerhouses in their respective regions. The Scion Academy has become the dreadnought of the Mid-Atlantic region, winning the first two MAC Qualifier tournaments, and last weekend's Qualifier, in Rocky Gorge, MD, was no different.

Not only has Scion been winning tournaments, the elite side has only lost one game this season (in a non-qualifying tournament, without their full roster), and they win most of their games by 20 points or more. In fact, few teams actually score against Scion, and this past Saturday, Scion's opponents couldn't manage to put a single point on the board.

Scion rolled through NOVA B, in their first match, and then the DC Furies, in pool play (the Academy did play itself in a cross-pool match, and mixed their elite and select squads for a fun, fast match). In the semi-finals, they routed Philly, and were geared up to continue sailing through the competition when a summer storm hit Maryland. Due to lightening, the tournament final was cancelled, so Scion and NOVA A split the Qualifier points.

Scion's ability to shutout opponents is partly due to their connection and physicality on the defensive end, partly to their success in the breakdown, and partly to the seamless way they seem to run their offense. It's hard for a team to score when they don't have the ball, and Scion keeps the ball from their opponents. They turn over ball quickly and frequently, and then they take care of the ball and let their offense work.

This weekend, the Scion Academy will look to win the MAC Finals in Richmond, VA. With the momentum they have going into this tournament, it will be hard to stop them.

Eagles Fall Short in Utah, But Look Forward to Growing

The 2015 Super Series saw the Women's National 15s team cap 17 new players, and during this year's event another 8 players played in their first test matches. With only 4 players, who played in the 2014 World Cup, on the roster, and over half the team entering the event with less than 4 caps, the Eagles were not only looking to make a statement with their athleticism, but also get their young squad some field time.

This year's Super Series, hosted by First15 Sport and Utah Rugby, brought two European teams, in France and England, and two North American teams, in Canada and USA, together to compete over two weeks. Though the Eagles couldn't muster a win out of the three-match Super Series, they learned valuable lessons in each of their contests.

In their first match, against France, the USA WNT failed to hold on to a first half lead and let France tick off 3 tries in about 20 minutes, early in the second half. This momentary lapse in otherwise solid play, coupled with missed opportunities, were the Eagles' undoing. Those missed opportunities included 7 trips to France's 22 in the first half alone, and with only one try to show for their effort, the Eagles missed having a larger cushion to start the second half.

They also missed a scoring opportunity at the end of the match. Battering on the French defenses, the Eagles got to within feet of scoring, with no time left on the clock, and a clutch French steal after about 5 minutes of unwavering defense, cemented the French win, 19-13. Though the Eagles out-played the French for most of the match, they couldn't manage the win. Lesson learned: scoring opportunities are rare; be aware and take advantage of them.

The Eagles' second match, against Canada, shaped up differently than the first. Canada had the momentum for most of the match, and the Eagles couldn't seem to find a rhythm. Handling errors and set-piece woes also plagued the Eagles, which could've been the reason for their lack of flow.

At halftime, the 17-5 score didn't have the feel of a Canadian trouncing of the USA, but the second half saw the Canadians adding to their tally, while the Eagles fell silent. Canada continued to cause trouble in the scrum and turn over Eagle ball, and in doing so, ran up the score for a 33-5 victory. Lesson learned: It's hard to get a rhythm, when you're having trouble in the set piece.

In their last match, the Eagles' set pieces tightened up, but their defense let them down. The match started with some crushing hits by the Eagles--one that sent the English flyhalf to the sidelines early--however, the USA offense took a while to warm-up. A penalty kick, with 5 minutes left in the first half, finally broke the Eagles' scoring drought, and sent the teams into the second half at 17-3.

The Eagles were able to put 10 points on the board in the second half, but they allowed 22 from England, including some vicious line-breaks. The hard-running Eagles had some breaks of their own and moments in which they looked better than any of the teams in Utah, but again they couldn't finish, and England took the match 39-13. Lesson learned: consistency, consistency, consistency.

While the 2016 Super Series may not have turned out the way the USA would've liked, the Women's Eagles learned and grew over the two week series. Players and coaches realize that the WNT needs more rugby time together, and over the next year, the Eagles hope to convene more so that they can hone their skills. With some exceptional talent and a fine group of athletes, the USA WNT has a great foundation to build a world class rugby team.