Kingfishers Dominant Performance Closes Out Winter NASC

With their lineups slightly altered, the Kingfishers (WNT coaches' top 15 picks) and the CuckooRollers  (coaches' next 15) squared off again to close out the Winter 2016 NASC, in Tigertown, Florida. Like the first match, the Kingfishers controlled the tempo of the match and were able to rack up the points, while the CuckooRollers struggled to gain momentum. 

The Kingfishers struck first in the match, with an early try from Alev Kelter on an offload from Molly Kinsella. Kelter would score a second time, quickly after her first on a good support run after a Jess Wooden line break. Offloads and quick ball from the breakdown would be the story of the match for the Kingfishers, while trying to stop that momentum would prove to be the bane of the CuckooRollers.

Though the CuckooRollers struggled to string together consistent phases, they has some moments of brilliance. One of those came off a good scrum by their forwards, a nice half-break by Nana Fa'avesi, and a great strike run and try-scoring finish by Kris Thomas. This was as close as the game would get, however, as the Kingfishers tacked on three more tries to end the half--one a return favor from Kelter to Wooden and two from Naya Tapper on two great breaks. 

Six tries in a half makes for some exciting rugby, and the Kingfishers wouldn't let down the fans in the second half. Though they wouldn't match their first-half total of five, they were only one try shy, with Tapper and Kelter leading the scoring once again. 

Tapper ended the first half with two scores, and she began the second with two. Certainly she had some great breaks and broke tackles, but three of those four tries began with quick ball, offloads and great ball movement. One of those four was a stellar 90-meter break away run, in which she beat everyone down the sideline. 

Kelter's third try of the game, came off another great support line. It started with a smart read by flyhalf, Hunter Griendling, spotting a gap for herself, then putting Kelter through another for the score. 

The CuckooRollers, though held scoreless in the second half, weren't silent. Behind some smart reads and great line breaks by players like Stacey Bridges and JoJo Kitlinski, they threatened to score on several occasions, but just couldn't muster the manpower to put second-half points on the board. 

The Kingfishers would put a final flashy stamp on the game in their last try. A behind the back flip, by Phaidra "Old School" Knight, led to a Wooden break, a connection to Christiane Pheil and another to AnnaKaren Pedraza, who scored in her first senior side NASC match. 

Though the games may not have been close, the execution by the Kingfishers, with their wonderful support lines and dynamic play, was a welcome outcome, especially after the Women's National Team's lackluster performance in France. There is definitely a great foundation for these women to build a winning World Cup team, and the players are excited to continue their journey to Ireland and the world stage, in August. 

Kingfishers Control Tempo and Win Opening Winter NASC Match

(photo credit: Paul Rudman)

The first senior side match of the 2016 Winter NASC pitted 48 of the best women's rugby players in the country against each other. The Kingfishers started the players the coaches felt are "the current top 15" and the CuckooRollers started the players the coaches felt are "the 'next' 15."

Both teams came out of the gates in attack mode, but jitters would be the story of the opening "quarter" (the match was divided into four 20 minute quarters, so that coaches could experiment with different combinations of players). There were quite a few scrums in the first 10 minutes of the game, as some good phase play was lost on missed connections and the ball going to the ground. The Kingfishers were still able to capitalize on good field position, as Christiane Phiel powered a try in from the one-meter mark, and Sam Pankey stole a lineout overthrow on the five and sneaked in for a try.

The squads cleaned up their play quickly, and the rest of the first half saw some great offense on both sides. The CuckooRollers' backs displayed great footwork and ball movement and broke the Kingfishers' defensive line on a couple occasions, with Kelsi Stockert streaking down the sidelines trying to finish those plays. However, the Kingfishers were able to stop those drives, turn over the ball, and capitalize with Jordan Gray and Cheta Emba dotting down tries.

The Kingfishers continued to roll with their momentum and control the tempo of the second half. They kept the ball alive with offloads and quick ball from the breakdown and were able to handle some good tactical kicking from CuckooRollers' flyhalfs, Hannah Stolba and Lauren Rhode. Cheta Emba would score again in the second half, as would Naya Tapper and Alycia Washington.

Overall, both squads put together some great phase play, with the Kingfishers scoring off of, in the words of Associate Head Coach, Peter Bagetta, "one of the best phases of rugby I've seen since I've been a part of the Women's National Team." The deciding factor was the Kingfishers' control of tempo and set pieces. With their forwards setting good platforms, backs attacking into space, and their ability to keep the ball alive and quick with offloads and quick rucks, the Kingfishers executed their game plan effectively and came away with a decisive victory.

For the second match, the coaches have made some lineup changes, so they can see different player combinations, but mostly the lineups are the same. Both squads have kinks to workout, and the hard work that all players have been putting into this assembly will once again be on display tomorrow morning.