Eagle Women Face France For 3rd
Eagle Women Face France For 3rd
USA WNT prepares for final WRWC 2017 game.
USA Women's National Team Head Coach Pete Steinberg has made a couple of changes for his team's final Women's Rugby World Cup game of 2017.
The Eagles will play France in Belfast on Saturday at noon ET, with the winner taking the Bronze Medal in the tournament. This is already the USA's highest finish since 1998, when they took 2nd. Prop and 2015-16 Sorensen Award winner as the top women's collegiate player, Hope Rogers, gets a start in the #1 jersey in place of Catherine Benson. Abby Gustaitis steps in at flanker in place of Kate Zackary. Nineteen-year-old Kayla Canett-Oca gets the start at flyhalf in place of injured Kimber Rozier.
The outside backs remain the same. The deep three of Naya Tapper, Kristen Thomas, and Harvard product Cheta Emba have been excellent. Emba gets a deserved nod as vice captain.
"We know what we need to do against France," Steinberg told USARugby.org. We need to have solid set pieces, we need to hold onto the ball in contact, and we need to apply pressure on defense with some good line speed. And we feel like if we can do that, we're able to compete. Our goal has always been to play our best game in the fifth game of the World Cup, and I think we're ready to do that."
The Eagles are 2-2 at the World Cup, losing to England in pool play, and losing to New Zealand 45-12 in the semis earlier this week.
2. Katy Augustyn
3. Tiffany Faaee (C)
4. Stacey Bridges
5. Alycia Washington
6. Abby Gustaitis
7. Sara Parsons
8. Jordan Gray
9. Deven Owsiany
10. Kayla Canett-Oca
11. Kristen Thomas
12. Alev Kelter
13. Nicole Heavirland
14. Naya Tapper
15. Cheta Emba(VC)
Reserves
16. Samantha Pankey
17. Jamila Reinhardt
18. Naima Reddick
19. Nick James
20. Christiane Pheil
21. Jessica Wooden
22. Tess Feury
23. Jessica Javelet
USA Women's Eagles | Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 Coaching Staff
Pete Steinberg - Head Coach
Peter Baggetta - Associate Head Coach
Richie Walker - Assistant Coach
Liz Kirk - Assistant Coach
Richard Ashfield - Assistant Coach
Ian Gibbons - Head of Physical Performance
Katie Gloyer - Physician
Michelle Look - Physician
Amy Valenta - Physiotherapist
Sarah Leslie - Physiotherapist
Bri Arsenault - Physiotherapist
Caitlin Singletary - Video Analyst
Julie Sutcliffe - Sports Psychologist
Amie Kern - Assistant Manager & Massage Therapist
Roshna Wunderlich - Manager
The Eagles will play France in Belfast on Saturday at noon ET, with the winner taking the Bronze Medal in the tournament. This is already the USA's highest finish since 1998, when they took 2nd. Prop and 2015-16 Sorensen Award winner as the top women's collegiate player, Hope Rogers, gets a start in the #1 jersey in place of Catherine Benson. Abby Gustaitis steps in at flanker in place of Kate Zackary. Nineteen-year-old Kayla Canett-Oca gets the start at flyhalf in place of injured Kimber Rozier.
The outside backs remain the same. The deep three of Naya Tapper, Kristen Thomas, and Harvard product Cheta Emba have been excellent. Emba gets a deserved nod as vice captain.
"We know what we need to do against France," Steinberg told USARugby.org. We need to have solid set pieces, we need to hold onto the ball in contact, and we need to apply pressure on defense with some good line speed. And we feel like if we can do that, we're able to compete. Our goal has always been to play our best game in the fifth game of the World Cup, and I think we're ready to do that."
The Eagles are 2-2 at the World Cup, losing to England in pool play, and losing to New Zealand 45-12 in the semis earlier this week.
USA Lineup To Face France
1. Hope Rogers2. Katy Augustyn
3. Tiffany Faaee (C)
4. Stacey Bridges
5. Alycia Washington
6. Abby Gustaitis
7. Sara Parsons
8. Jordan Gray
9. Deven Owsiany
10. Kayla Canett-Oca
11. Kristen Thomas
12. Alev Kelter
13. Nicole Heavirland
14. Naya Tapper
15. Cheta Emba(VC)
Reserves
16. Samantha Pankey
17. Jamila Reinhardt
18. Naima Reddick
19. Nick James
20. Christiane Pheil
21. Jessica Wooden
22. Tess Feury
23. Jessica Javelet
USA Women's Eagles | Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 Coaching Staff
Pete Steinberg - Head Coach
Peter Baggetta - Associate Head Coach
Richie Walker - Assistant Coach
Liz Kirk - Assistant Coach
Richard Ashfield - Assistant Coach
Ian Gibbons - Head of Physical Performance
Katie Gloyer - Physician
Michelle Look - Physician
Amy Valenta - Physiotherapist
Sarah Leslie - Physiotherapist
Bri Arsenault - Physiotherapist
Caitlin Singletary - Video Analyst
Julie Sutcliffe - Sports Psychologist
Amie Kern - Assistant Manager & Massage Therapist
Roshna Wunderlich - Manager