MARINES WIN GOLD AT INAUGURAL 7’S RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP, END USAF’S 8-YEAR RUN
GLENDALE, CO (By Kenneth Polk, Armed Forces Sports) – The last time the Marines and Air Force faced each other in the championship match was the 2006 Armed Forces 15-aside Rugby Championship. Since then, the Marine Corps Rugby team placed last in three of five years with the last two years failing to reach at least the consolidation match. As the Armed Forces Championship format moved from 15-aside to 7’s, the fast and physical Devil Dogs would emerge as champions over the Air Force (33-31) at the inaugural 2012 Armed Forces Rugby 7’s Championship.
The Marines advanced to the championship match with help from the Army who came back from a 19-0 halftime deficit to tie Navy 24-24 in the final match of pool play. The Army-Navy tie gave the Marine Corps and Navy teams identical 2-1-1 records at the conclusion of pool play. With an earlier 21-17 Marine Corps victory over the Navy during pool play, the Devil Dogs had their ticket to the championship (based on the head-to-head tie breaker).
It took Air Force only 43 seconds to draw first blood in the championship match. SrA Marcus Satavu (Tyndall AFB) broke free and sprinted 50 yard for the first try. 2dLt Reed Fleming (U.S. Air Force Academy) dropped-kicked the conversion and gave the Air Force a 7-0 lead. The Marines evened the score on a short try by 1stLt Chuck Smith (NAS Whiting Field) and a conversion by 2ndLt Sean Rohr (NAS Corpus Christi) at the 4:06 mark.
It didn’t take Air Force long to regain the lead as Capt John Lockard (Vance AFB) went the distance on the ensuing kickoff. Fleming’s conversion put the Air Force ahead 14-7 at the 5:28 mark. A minute later, the Marines tied it up again when 1stLt Elliot Joses (NAS Corpus Christi) scored on a 45 yard try followed by Rohr’s conversion. Poor tackling on the part of the Marines enabled Lockard to score again on a 60 yard try. The missed conversion gave Air Force a 19-14 lead with 8:49 on the clock.
The Marines were not about to go away as Rohr scored a try at the 9:57 mark. The failed conversion tied the score again (19-19) at the half.
Air Force wasted no time as Capt Jeff Branham (Los Angeles AFB) scored the first try of the second half followed by Fleming’s conversion. The Boys in Blue had a 26-16 advantage at the 12:04 mark.
One again there was no stopping the Marines. SSgt Mark Terrell (Camp Pendleton, CA) scored a try and Rohr converted to tie the score 26-26 with 14:43 showing on the clock. The big break for the Marines came when Joses scored a 43 yard try off of an interception as Mr. Reliable Rohr booted the conversion forcing the Marines to gain the lead at 33-26. With 17:36 showing on the clock, Satavu’s try in the closing seconds put the Air Force within two, but the failed conversion gave the Marines a reason to celebrate their first ever Armed Forces Rugby gold medal, thus ending the Air Forces’ 8-year run as rugby champions. Final score Marine Corps 33 - Air Force 31
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2012 ARMED FORCES MEN’S 7’s RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP - 17-21 AUGUST 2012
Played Inconjunction with the International Defense 7’s Championship Infinity Park, Glendale, CO
19 AUGUST RESULTS
Armed Forces Championship Match
Marine Corps def Air Force 33-31
Halftime: 19-19 Tie
Armed Forces Consolation Match
Navy def Army 26-12
Halftime: Navy 7-Army 5
ARMED FORCES 7'S CHAMPIONSHIPFINAL STANDINGS
MARINE CORPS
AIR FORCE
NAVY
ARMY
COAST GUARD
ARMED FORCES 7'S RUGBY ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
LT Jeffrey Brill (Navy) U.S. CENTCOM, Tampa, FL
1stLt Elliot Joses (Marine Corps) NAS Corpus Christi, TX
SrA Marcus Satavu (Air Force) Tyndall AFB, FL
LCpl Joshua Barry (Marine Corps) MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
PV1 Keoni Hamala (Army) Utah Army National Guard
MM3 Jerry Roettger (Navy) Joint Base Charleston, SC
2ndLt Sean Rohrs (Marine Corps) NAS Corpus Christi, TX
ARMED FORCES FINAL POOL PLAY STANDINGS
| |
W
|
L
|
T
|
| Air Force |
3
|
1
|
0
|
| *Marine Corps |
2
|
1
|
1
|
| Navy |
2
|
1
|
1
|
| Army |
1
|
1
|
2
|
| Coast Guard |
0
|
4
|
0
|
*Marine Corps def Navy in head-to-head tie-breaker
18 AUGUST RESULTS
ARMED FORCES POOL PLAY
Air Force def Army 26-7
Halftime: Air Force 14- Army 7
Marine Corps def Coast Guard 26-12
Halftime: Marine Corps 12 - Coast Guard 0
Navy def Air Force 19-12
Halftime: Air Force 12 -Navy 5
Army def Coast Guard 22-5
Halftime: Army 5-Coast Guard 5
Marine Corps def Navy 21-17
Halftime: Marine Corps 14 - Navy 7
Air Force def Coast Guard 31-5
Halftime: Air Force 14-Coast Guard 5
Marine Corps and Army Tied 12-12
Halftime: Marine Corps 12 -Army 0
Navy def Coast Guard 19-5
Halftime: Navy 7-Coast Guard 5
Air Force def Marine Corps 29-12
Halftime: Air Force 17-Marine Corps 0
Navy and Army Tied 24-24
Halftime: Navy 19-Army 0
19 AUGUST RESULTS Note: International teams played in separate pool
PRIDE TIER PLAY
(5th ranked teams from each pool)
Australia Green def U.S Coast Guard 24-12
BRONZE TIER PLAY
(3rd and 4th ranked teams from each pool)
Australia Gold def U.S. Navy 19-7
Royal Air Force def U.S. Army 38-7
Royal Air Force def U.S. Navy 28-10
Australia Gold def U.S. Army 22-19
GOLD TIER PLAY
( top two ranked teams from each pool)
British Army def U.S. Air Force 43-5
French Armed Forces def U.S. Marine Corps 47-0
British Army def U.S. Marine Corps 45-5
French Armed Forces def U.S. Air Force 21-19
MEDAL FINALS
Royal Air Force def U.S. Marine Corps 54-7 (for Bronze)
British Army def French Armed Forces 68-12 (for Gold)
Information compiled by Mr. Ken Polk, Armed Forces Sports