After going 0-2-1 on the first day of the New Zealand Sevens the USA was looking at a matchup with France in the bowl quarterfinals. It was one of those games where the US could take a big step forward, but instead it was another heartbreaker for the US.
Madison Hughes made another start for the US, his emergence this weekend was awesome to see, and the US had a good first half. Danny Barrett scored a try 4:12 in and Hughes got a conversion through for the US to make it 7-0. France did answer with a try and conversion but the US answered back, again with Danny Barrett. Barrett’s try after the clock had stopped for the US gave them a 12-7 halftime lead. The second half was a defensive struggle with all seven minute ticking off the clock without a single point. France had one last chance though and were able to get the try and conversion after time had expired to turn it around and beat the US 14-12. The loss sent the US into a shield semifinal against Portugal. France went on to lose to Kenya 24-7 in the bowl semifinal.
In the game directly preceding the shield semifinal against Portugal the US saw Spain beat Tonga to reach the shield final. That meant the US had to win the shield themselves or else they’d give up some of their six point lead over Spain for the final spot on next year’s tour. The US came out and played fantastic against Portugal (they have done really well against the bottom teams lately). Madison Hughes was involved in a major way for the US in the first half as he scored their first and third trys and had a conversion on the later. Ryne Haitsuka added a try in between and the US went to the half up 17-0. It would get worse for Portugal before it got better as Carlin Isles went all highlight reel to make it 24-0 after a Hughes conversion. Portugal did add 10 points the rest of the way with another Isles highlight/Hughes conversion splitting them up. The final, a 31-10 USA victory propelled the Eagles into the shield semifinal.
After two dominant wins against Spain in Las Vegas more of the same might have been expected in Wellington, but the first half told a different story. Spain scored first but the US did fight back behind a Zack Test try with Hughes conversion to tie it at 7-7 at the half. The second half was a different story as the US routed Spain 21-5 in the second half behind two Isles tries, a Haitsuka try, and conversions on all three from Hughes.
So the US ended Wellington on a positive note, expanded their lead over Spain for the last spot to seven (15-8) and grabbed the shield for the third time in five tournaments. Of course I’d rather not admit that is partially because the US has been in the shield semifinals in all but one of the first five tournaments. There are only four more tournaments left and with Spain never grabbing more than two points the US looks safer and safer each week. Still you’d like to see the US have a real strong tournament, days one AND two, one of these chances.
The most important thing might be the emergence of the Carlin Isles/Madison Hughes dynamic duo for the US. Isles had six tries in Wellington, third most of anyone, and Hughes added three of his own. Hughes also had conversions on nine trys this weekend to rank fifth with 33 points. If these two can keep up their good play maybe we can see the US do ever better than the shield in Japan on March 22-23.
Oh and check out all six of Isles’ tries from this weekend. Holy cow is that man fast. Nearly every time you think that there is a defender with an angle that will cut him off and he just races right past them. Hopefully we’ll see him with the US team still in Japan.
