Tampa Bay: 2020 Was Not a Fluke

When Tampa Bay joined the DII Florida league in 2017-18, the team won just one game. Every season since, the Krewe has advanced up the standings, and when Covid-19 canceled the 2020 spring matrix season, Tampa Bay sat in first place. The team has just played, and won, its first 15s game in nearly a year and intends to continue the trend of building on past performances.

“This is a shorter season but it’s a proving season to put out a statement: We did really well last year because we deserved it and worked really hard,” Tampa Bay head coach John Woollcombe-Clarke said. “We were number one [in Florida] until the season was cut short and had a pretty significant point differential [+118]. So we want to play and attempt to dominate the season as much as we can this year, and prove that last year was not a fluke.”

Before Covid-19 allowed in-person training sessions, the coach hosted virtual education sessions for the team. Once per week for six weeks, players met online to discuss conceptual topics.

“In practice, you have less time for the ‘what’s and the ‘why’s, or the reasoning behind a game plan, those details,” Woollcombe-Clarke said. “At practice it’s more high-level with that stuff and it’s more about doing the things than talking about the things.”

Once in-person training sessions were permitted, approximately 30 players showed up. Care was placed into the creation of four groups, which quarantined together during training and worked with their own equipment. Numbers fluctuated as the fall progressed, and Woollcombe-Clarke kept practices light. He took the pressure off of performance and instead focused on basic skills, the opportunity to refine them and/or address bad habits. But once the new year arrived and the matrix season looked feasible, practice shifted to building chemistry and game flow, and numbers jumped back up.

Woollcombe-Clarke was happy with the team’s progress at training as well as the supportive, encouraging attitude that the players embraced. Credit goes to the board as well as captain Sam Black and pack leader Alex Meads for cultivating that environment.

“Sam Black is the captain and is a great player,” Woollcombe-Clarke said. “She plays a number of positions but I run her at inside center because she’s a fantastic runner and rarely if ever misses a tackle. She was captain last year, and the biggest change, aside from confidence in her game, is her confidence as a captain. … She’s really taking players aside and giving them feedback and leading them. She’s been that driving force on and off the field.”

Black presides over an “interesting back line that includes two married couples, which is always fun,” per Woollcombe-Clarke. “We rotate through the positions. We have a very versatile, flexible back line.”

The forwards nominated Meads as the pack leader. The flanker, too, has shown great growth since last year and has developed into a vocal leader and mentor. Also a jumper in the lineout, Meads has transitioned from a support role to an example-setter on the pitch.

Everything was lining up well for Tampa Bay’s season-opener against Jacksonville on Feb. 13.

“One thing, as a coach, that you don’t have control over is what’s in the back of people’s minds,” Woollcombe-Clarke said of full preparation. “What’s their motivation to be on the field? So we did talk about that. What’s your mindset on the field? What do you want to get out of this? I gave them general advice, but they set small, attainable goals and took over. On game day, I’m really hands off, and I made that expectation up front: I prepare you at practice so you can be the best rugby players you can be, and then you have to show up on game day. I make the subs and hopefully enjoy the game as much as I can without having a heart attack on the sidelines.”

But there was a cardiac episode in store. Saturday’s match started well, as Tampa Bay scored back-to-back tries in the opening 15 minutes, but then the Sinners created and capitalized on their own opportunities.

“We had good shape, the backs were attacking well, and the forwards were aggressive in the ruck,” Woollcombe-Clarke said. “The players identified this themselves, that they maybe got too, ‘This isn’t going to be super difficult,’ and were definitely punished for that mentality. We got a bit try-focused in the game plan, and that’s now how we play. We have two very simple prerogatives: On offense, keep the ball. If you have the ball you’ll score tries. So retain possession and the tries will come. Defense is: Get the ball back. But not: Stop people from scoring. They turned into, ‘Let’s start trying to score tries,’ and individuals doing too much. You can’t do that against a good team.”

Jacksonville rallied well and back-to-back tries – one of which started from the Sinners’ 22 and featured a lovely chip over the top – provided a three-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“But it was a wake-up call for us,” Woollcombe-Clarke said. “I’m not sure what was said in the try zone while they were taking their kick, but we came out swinging the last 10 minutes and put in another two tries.”

By game’s end, Black (2), Victoria Jarrett, Peyton Boyd and Narcisse Jordan scored tries, while Robyn Oliveri kicked two conversions in the 29-22 win. The Sinners banked two bonus points in the loss.

“The first game against Jacksonville is always a litmus test for us. They’re always a strong side where if you make any mistakes or don’t play extremely well, they’ll run right over you,” Woollcombe-Clarke said. “So we were up and confident, and then Jacksonville made us rethink that for the next 55 minutes. And then the last 10 minutes we pulled it back together with some gorgeous rugby.

“The team did a lot of good stuff. To go up and then have to fight back – that can be demoralizing,” the coach continued. “You basically have two choices at that point: Stumble on through the rest of the game and be done with it, or as we did on Saturday, come back and earn that win. Jacksonville made us work hard for that win and it was no singular effort. It was a combination of everyone doing their jobs. I’m really proud they stuck it out.”

Woollcombe-Clarke indicated that the game was special simply because it was allowed to happen. Everyone was just happy to play again, and the win was a nice bonus. The matrix season is cut in half, as the five teams play each other once, instead of twice. Orlando won the first game of the year (73-0 vs. Indian River) and represents an important opponent for Tampa Bay. The teams split their matrix games in 2020, with both games decided by single digits.

“So we have an axe to grind and want to make sure we beat Orlando with some sense of certainty and finality,” Woollcombe-Clarke said of the March 27 fixture.

There’s a league-wide bye this weekend, and then the season resumes on Feb. 27 as Fort Miami travels to Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville heads to Indian River. Learn more about the Florida’s DII club league and season via rugbyfl.com.

The Senior Club Rugby National Council canceled its 15s national championships for this spring, and some regions (Midwest) and geographic unions (Carolinas) have canceled their official league season. The South has not outright canceled its regional championship, but even if it moves forward, it will not have reps from all of its members. The Florida GU championship is currently set for April 24.