Not since 1998 has the USA advanced to the semifinals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, and breaking that streak depends on a knockout performance this Saturday, when the Eagles take on New Zealand in the final pool round. Even after the team’s impressive 47-7 victory over Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the gravity of game three was already making its presence known.

“I’m proud of the team for coming out harder in the second half, but we still have a lot more to give,” USA captain Kate Daley told IRB.com after Tuesday’s win. “We have a big game ahead of us.”

Daley added that the team would prepare for New Zealand the same way it prepared for previous games – but those comments were made before Ireland posted one of the biggest upsets in recent memory, defeating the Black Ferns 17-14 later that evening. New Zealand proved it wasn’t invincible, but now the four-time reigning champion is motivated to beat the point differential and secure the fourth semifinal berth.

But the USA has concerns of its own, and those take priority. “We have to play a quicker game,” USA head coach Pete Steinberg told USA Rugby during halftime Tuesday. “We're really frustrated with the way the breakdown's been refereed. They’re not rolling away … and they're slowing down our ball. And we've shown that if we can win some quick ball, we can score tries on these guys. “What we also need to do is play a little more territory,” Steinberg added. “Kick, turn them – and we know that they'll kick back – and then use the counter-attack to attack space.”

The USA plays the penultimate match of round three, and it’s very likely that the semifinalists won’t be determined until the final pool game between France and Australia.