NCR Griffins Return from Algarve 7s With Impressive Records
NCR Griffins Return from Algarve 7s With Impressive Records
After going 3-0 on Day One of the Algarve 7s, the NCR Griffins select team ran the table to win the Open Division at the Portuguese tournament.
The Griffins beat GD Dirieto in the quarters 17-10, CR Évora 33-12 in the semis, and, in the final, shut out Clonasti Scombinati 28-0.
In the final the Griffins worked the ball patiently from side to side before Kutztown's Archie Grayson broke a tackle and was in from 45. Grayson got the movement going for the next try, which ended with Aidan Smith (Kutztown) selling a dummy and cutting through for the score.
Then with Scombinati shorthanded because of an injured player, the Griffins struck, getting it wide to Everett Boys (Queens U.), and he stepped out of a tackle to speed around and under the sticks. That made it 21-0 at halftime.
In the second half Smith tapped on an early penalty and ran around a bit before finding his Kutztown classmate Rowan Sierra to score in the corner. Conversion good and it was all over 28-0. defense got them the next opportunity, as
The quarterfinal against Dirieto was by far the Griffins' closest game. Should they have been entered into the Elite bracket? It's hard to judge that. They won the Open by a comfortable margin and had easily the best points difference. But the Elite bracket included men's professional teams and national teams—it might have been a step too far.
There was no such decision to be made for the women, as there was just the lone women's bracket. The NCR Griffins followed up their 2-1 opening day's effort with a place in the quarterfinals, where they took care of Sporting CP 38-5.
In the semis the Americans edged Tuse 7s 26-22 to make the final. But in the final they went up against Froggies, a well-established pro touring program, and lost 43-0.
Still, going 4-2 and losing only to the champions and the Kazakhstan national team (who lost to Froggies 19-12 in the semis) is a very good showing.
Other North American teams were in the action at Algarve. Ohio Seals sent a team that finished 10th in the Women's Division. Texas-based select program Gorilla Rugby finished 21st out of 25 in the Men's Open, and took a very creditable 5th in the Men's Elite, beating Kazakhstan in the 5th-place final. Canadians Trinity Power 7s also competed in the Elite bracket, but found it tough sledding, fisnihing 8th out of eight.
