USA Eagles Beat Brazil for 11th place at Dubai 7s

The Women’s Eagles Sevens saved the best for last at Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, beating Brazil, 26-17, in the 11th-Place Playoff Friday.

Bulou Mataitoga scored her first career HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series try to kick off a four-try scoring streak for Richie Walker’s side in the first half. The Eagles finish the opening leg of the Series with two wins from five games and two points in the Series standings. They will have an extended break before the season resumes in Sydney Feb. 3-4, 2017.

After two changes in possession from the opening restart kick, Alev Kelter set up the Eagles with a lineout in attacking territory from a penalty against Brazil at its 22. She took the ball even closer to the try line through three defenders before it came out to Mataitoga for the match’s opening try.

The Eagles took a quick tap when a penalty was called against Brazil in the same position, and a few passes to the wing saw Kate Zackary fend one defender for the try and 14-0 lead after six minutes. Another Zackary run on the wing from the ensuing restart was supported by two teammates, with Cheta Emba holding off a defender long enough to feed Ryan Carlyle for the 21-0 lead.

Captain Lauren Doyle capped off the half with her fourth try of the weekend, extending the Eagles’ first-half lead to 26-0. Good thing, too, as Brazil came out of the halftime team talks with a renewed vigor. The South Americans scored three tries in the second seven-minute period, but fell short of a successful comeback effort in a 26-17 final.

Resident Eagles will return to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., and other Dubai selections will return to their clubs and colleges to play domestically until the next Series stop in Sydney.

Women’s Eagles Sevens | v. Brazil
1. Cheta Emba
2. Ryan Carlyle
3. Kate Zackary
4. Alev Kelter
5. Nicole Heavirland
6. Lauren Doyle
7. Naya Tapper
8. Joanne Fa’avesi
9. Nicole Strasko
10. Kayla Canett
11. Kristine Sommer
12. Bulou Mataitoga

Brazil | v. USA
1. Mariana Nicolau
2. Luiza Campos
3. Lariane Pruner
4. Edna Santini
5. Isadora Cerullo
6. Maira Behrendt
7. Amanda Araujo
8. Beatriz Muhlbauer
9. Haline Scatrut
10. Raquel Kochhann
11. Cleice Lopes
12. Bianca Silva

Women’s Eagles Sevens | 26
Tries: Mataitoga, Zackary, Carlyle, Doyle
Conversions: Kelter (3)

Brazil | 17
Tries: Kochhann, Muhlbauer (2)
Conversions: Kochhann

Women’s Eagles Sevens | Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens
v. Russia – W 12-10
v. South Africa – L 26-7
v. Australia – Thursday, Dec. 1 @ 10:43 a.m. ET
Challenge Trophy SF v. Ireland – L 28-5
11th-Place v. Brazil – W 26-17

Sourced from USA Rugby.