2017–18 United States national rugby sevens team season
| 2017–18 season | |
|---|---|
The 2017–18 United States national rugby sevens team season included both the 2017–18 World Rugby Sevens Series and the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The season began badly. In the first tournament of the 2017–18 World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai, 2017 World Rugby Player of the Year Perry Baker suffered a concussion, and the United States team limped to a last place finish. The U.S. improved from that point on, reaching the semifinals of the Australia Sevens. The team then won the 2018 USA Sevens, the first time the U.S. won their home tournament, boosted in large part by Perry Baker, who led all scorers with 8 tries.[1][2] Baker, along with forwards Ben Pinkelman and Danny Barrett all made the tournament Dream Team.[3][4] Overall the team displayed inconsistent performances, reaching the Cup semifinals three times, but also failing to qualify for the cup quarterfinals three times. Despite the inconsistent play, the U.S. finished sixth overall.
2017–18 World Sevens Series[edit]
| Leg | Date | Finish | Record (W-L-D) |
Leading Try Scorer | Leading Points Scorer | Dream Team selection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | December 2017 | 15th | 0–5 | Carlin Isles (3) | Carlin Isles (15) | — |
| South Africa | December 2017 | 6th | 4–2 | Carlin Isles (6) | Madison Hughes (37) | — |
| Australia | January 2018 | 4th | 3–3 | Perry Baker (9) | Perry Baker (45) | Ben Pinkelman |
| New Zealand | February 2018 | 9th | 4–1–1 | Perry Baker (8) | Perry Baker (40) | — |
| United States | March 2018 | 1st | 6–0 | Perry Baker (8) | Perry Baker (40) | Pinkelman, Barrett, Baker |
| Canada | March 2018 | 4th | 3–3 | Perry Baker (7) | Perry Baker (37) | Perry Baker |
| Hong Kong | April 2018 | 6th | 3-2-1 | Carlin Isles (7) | Carlin Isles (35) | — |
| Singapore | April 2018 | 9th | 4–2 | Carlin Isles (8) | Carlin Isles (40) | — |
| England | June 2018 | 6th | 3-2-1 | Carlin Isles (8) | Carlin Isles (40) | — |
| France | June 2018 | 6th | 3-2-1 | Carlin Isles (6) | Carlin Isles (30) | — |
Player statistics[edit]
The following table shows the leading players for the U.S. after the 2017–18 Sevens Series season. Among all World Series, players, Isles ranked first in tries scored with 49, and Baker ranked fifth with 37. Ben Pinkelman ranked fourth in tackles with 124 and fourth in matches played with 58.
| Player | Position | Matches | Tackles | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Pinkelman | Forward | 58 | 124 | 11 |
| Matai Leuta | Forward | 46 | 82 | 8 |
| Martin Iosefo | Back | 55 | 80 | 22 |
| Folau Niua | Halfback | 52 | 80 | 9 |
| Stephen Tomasin | Forward | 38 | 67 | 15 |
| Madison Hughes | Halfback | 23 | 61 | 5 |
| Perry Baker | Back | 30 | 58 | 37 |
| Danny Barrett | Forward | 49 | 56 | 17 |
| Kevon Williams | Halfback | 47 | 52 | 14 |
| Carlin Isles | Back | 53 | 40 | 49 |
| Maka Unufe | Back | 33 | 36 | 9 |
| Malon Aljiboori | Forward | 30 | 19 | 2 |
Source: World Rugby website.
2018 USA Sevens[edit]
The United States won the tournament by beating Argentina 28–0 in the final. This was the first time that the United States won its home tournament. USA's Perry Baker led the tournament with 8 tries and 11 breaks.[5] Baker, Pinkelman, and Barrett were all named to the seven-man tournament Dream Team.
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Danny Barrett | Forward |
| Ben Pinkelman | Forward |
| Matai Leuta | Forward |
| Folau Niua | Scrum-half |
| Kevon Williams | Fly-half |
| Martin Iosefo | Center |
| Perry Baker | Wing |
- Substitutes: Carlin Isles, Malon Aljiboori
- Unavailable due to injury: Madison Hughes, Stephen Tomasin, Maka Unufe
With the U.S. finishing out the game with a lineup that included Isles (wing), Baker (center), Williams (fly-half) and Aljiboori (forward), it is believed that this is the first time the U.S. has fielded a team where the majority of players are African-American.[6]
2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens[edit]
| Semi-finals | 5th Place Final | |||||
| 22 July 2018 – 11:56 – AT&T Park | ||||||
 Scotland | 0 | |||||
| 22 July 2018 – 17:02 – AT&T Park | ||||||
 United States | 28 | |||||
| United States | 7 | |||||
| 22 July 2018 – 12:18 – AT&T Park | ||||||
 Argentina | 33 | |||||
| Argentina | 26 | |||||
 France | 15 | |||||
| 7th Place | ||||||
| 22 July 2018 – 16:40 – AT&T Park | ||||||
| Scotland | 29 (a.e.t) | |||||
| France | 24 | |||||
Round of 16
| 20 July 2018 | (5) United States
|
35–0 |  Wales (12)
|
AT&T Park | |
| 21:37 | Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa) |
Quarterfinals
| 21 July 2018 | (5) United States
|
19–24 |  England (4)
|
AT&T Park | |
| 16:38 | Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa) |
5th place semi-finals
| 22 July 2018 | (5) United States
|
0–28 | Scotland (8)
|
AT&T Park | |
| 11:56 | Referee: Jérémy Rozier (France) |
5th place final
| 22 July 2018 | (5) United States
|
7–33 | Argentina (7)
|
AT&T Park | |
| 17:02 | Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland) |
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Union / Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BK | Carlin Isles | November 29, 1989 (aged 28) | Unattached |
| 2 | FW | Ben Pinkelman | June 13, 1994 (aged 24) | Denver Barbarians |
| 3 | FW | Danny Barrett | March 23, 1990 (aged 28) | Unattached |
| 4 | FW | Matai Leuta | July 20, 1990 (aged 28) | Unattached |
| 5 | FW | Brett Thompson | August 17, 1990 (aged 27) | Unattached |
| 6 | BK | Kevon Williams | June 7, 1991 (aged 27) | Denver Barbarians |
| 7 | BK | Folau Niua | January 27, 1985 (aged 33) | Unattached |
| 8 | BK | Maka Unufe | September 28, 1991 (aged 26) | Unattached |
| 9 | FW | Stephen Tomasin | September 25, 1994 (aged 23) | Unattached |
| 10 | BK | Madison Hughes (c) | October 26, 1992 (aged 25) | Unattached |
| 11 | BK | Perry Baker | June 29, 1986 (aged 32) | Unattached |
| 12 | BK | Martin Iosefo | January 13, 1990 (aged 28) | Unattached |
| BK | Chris Mattina | March 31, 1993 (aged 25) | New York Athletic Club | |
| FW | Pat Blair | January 27, 1990 (aged 28) | Unattached |
Head coach: Mike Friday [7]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Las Vegas Sevens: 'Gladiator' USA team win on home soil", CNN, March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Perry Baker took USA to sevens gold in Vegas – now the hard work begins", Guardian, March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Las Vegas Sevens: 'Gladiator' USA team win on home soil", CNN, March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Perry Baker took USA to sevens gold in Vegas – now the hard work begins", Guardian, March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Las Vegas Sevens: 'Gladiator' USA team win on home soil", CNN, George Ramsey, March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Benchmark Breach of Color Barrier for Eagles?", Rugby Mag, Pat Clifton, March 27, 2018.
- ^ "USA Men's Squad Named for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018". USA Rugby. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.