USA v Romania Breakdown
USA v Romania Breakdown
Goff Rugby Report tracked the USA's 27-17 victory over Romania to see how each possession started and finished. This timeline and the analysis doesn't tell the whole story, but perhaps you can glean some lessons from it, notably, how much ground Romania gained in open play (almost none), and how much ground the USA lost at scrums (a lot).
The Eagles were certainly more successful in open play than Romania. Both teams kicked a great deal, but often for the USA the kicking was done to either clear away from their defensive end, or as a planned attempt to gain ground. Romania, in contrast, was more likely to kick because they couldn't do anything else.
Some stats and analysis The USA’s five scoring moments started from: A counter-attack on a kick, lineout turnover, a Romania penalty on their own scrum, a USA scrum, and a scrum win against the head. So four of the five were started from a change in possession. The lineout, normally a reliable platform for the USA, didn’t do that job. Romania’s six scoring opportunities (including three missed penalty goals) started from: A muffed kickoff, a long period of possession that ended with a penalty, a USA mistake that leads to a Romania lineout, a turnover, a Romania scrum, and a muffed kickoff. Set Piece | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Below is the timeline. See the sidebar for some analysis. Each possession is given a number. Possessions in bold are the USA, in regular type Romania.
1. Romania kicks off, USA does not secure kickoff. Ball bounces to Romania. Romania runs four pick-and-go’s, makes no ground, and gets a penalty for not rolling away. Penalty kick hits the post.
2. Fulau Niua catches ball as it rebounds off the post, runs about 20 meters, and after one ruck, USA kicks downfield.
3. Romania fields the kick and pops a short high-ball.
4. Tim Stanfill of USA catches the kick. USA recycles, runs two rucks, and kicks into the Romania 22.
5. Romania kicks to touch.
6. USA lineout inside Romania half. USA wins lineout, sends Niua on a crash. Runs two rucks then kicks deep into corner.
7. Romania kicks back.
8. USA flyhalf Adam Siddall fields ball at his 22, runs and then passes wide to Niua, who passes to Takudzwa Ngwenya. He fends off two tacklers and outruns two more to score from 60 meters. TRY.
9. USA wins restart, 2 rucks and then a box kick.
10. Romania run a counter-attack, but stopped by John Quill. Long period - 8 rucks by Romania, no gain in ground. Penalty against USA in from the side. Penalty attempt is good. PENALTY
11. Romania wins restart, one ruck, USA steals the ball.
12. On attack with numbers on left, Siddall pops a kick into the Romania 22.
13. Romania calls for the mark, and kicks to touch.
14. USA Lineout, not straight.
15. Romania scrum. Penalty against USA, Romania kicks to touch. After winning lineout, they run two phases, and try a grubber kick through the USA line - USA recovers.
16. USA runs two rucks and kicks to touch (Tim Stanfill gives a good chase to stop the quick lineout).
17. Romania lineout, won by Romania. Go through 4 rucks, and lose ten meters in ground. Kick downfield
18. Niua tries to catch ball and fumbles it into touch.
19. Romania lineout. Not straight.
20. USA lineout won by USA, and a deep kick, about 80 meters, by Siddall.
21. Romania fields ball and kicks to touch. Net gain for USA about 50 meters.
22. USA lineout. USA wins lineout; one run in the backs, then wide left but Todd Clever pass to T. Stanfill goes into touch.
23. Lineout Romania. Romania wins lineout and sets a maul, then 2 rucks, no gain in ground, and box kick.
24. Lineout USA - USA loses lineout and Romania regains possession
25. Romania goes through 1 ruck and then drops ball, but advantage for previous USA knock-on. Romania scrum, eight man pick and a 12-meter gain. Romania pushed into touch.
26. USA lineout. Romania wins lineout.
27. Romania gains loose ball and goes through 5 rucks, gaining about 12 meters. In final tackle USA holds Romania up to get a scrum.
28. USA scrum, USA wins the ball but loses 10 meters. Kick out of 22.
29. Kicked ball fumbled and eventually a lineout to Romania. Romania wins lineout, goes through 6 rucks. No gain in ground. Penalty in the ruck. Penalty kick attempt hits the post.
30. Quill fields ball off post and after 1 ruck USA kicks to touch.
31. Romania lineout. Romania wins lineout, 4 rucks, losing 20 meters. Break by fullback regains ground. Caught by Petri and Niua. 4 rucks, knock-on forced by Kilifi tackle.
32. USA scrum. USA wins scrum, in own 22. Kicks.
33. Romania fields kick and is tackled at midfield. 1 ruck and a box kick.
34. Niua takes the mark and kicks to touch. Kick gains only about 15 meters.
35. Romania lineout. Romania overthrows lineout and loses the ball.
36. Todd Clever catches overthrow and gains 20 meters. Sets a ruck. Ball wide to Niua who feeds Andrew Suniula and then Seamus Kelly deep into Romania 22. After a ruck, ball comes left to Tuisamoa. Ruck, then out to Quill to Clever to T. Stanfill. TRY
Excellent handling and passing from Quill and Clever.
37. Restart knocked on by USA.
38. Scrum Romania. Romania wins scrum, sets a ruck, but drops the ball.
39. USA scrum. USA wins ball but loses 15 meters. Kicks out of 22.
40. Romania kicks back
41. USA runs a counterattack. 1 ruck and then Ngwenya kicks downfield, but Romania were offside so penalty to USA. Kick to touch. Lineout 10m inside Romania half. USA lineout is not straight.
42. Romania scrum. Romania is penalized for feeding the scrum.
43. USA free kick. Clever in space but doesn’t get pass. Romania possibly not 10 meters back. Five rucks by USA near the Romania 22. Ill-advised change of direction results in knock-on. But … Romania penalized for a no-wrap tackle. USA run it. Go through 11 phases in and around Romania 22 (Kilifi off injured during this time). Penalty Romania not rolling away. Siddall penalty attempt is good. PENALTY.
HALFTIME
44. Romania wins kickoff, kicks.
45. Niua runs it back 20m, but loses ball
46. Romania runs out of their own 22. Tackle and knock-on by USA
47. Romania scrum. Romania wins scrum. eight man pick. 2 rucks, no gain, penalty to Romania. Kick to touch 30 meters downfield. Romania wins lineout and sets a maul. 2 rucks then another maul, which gains 10 meters and gets a penalty. Kick to touch and Romania wins lineout. They maul 10 meters over the one but Andrew Suniula holds the ball up. Scrum Romannia, USA scrum disintegrates and PENALTY TRY.
48. Romania wins restart, 1 ruck, box kick.
49. USA lineout 12m inside Romania half. USA wins lineout, runs 3 rucks before Ngwenya loses the ball in contact.
50. Romania takes loose ball. 10 rucks makes 12 meters around midfield. Lou Stanfill penalized for in from the side. Penalty attempt from 48 meters out, misses.
51. USA 22 Dropout
52. Romania catches drop kick and attacks at USA 22. Oaks go through 4 rucks and are held up. (Andrew Suniula complains to the ref about being elbowed in the neck.)
53. Scrum USA. USA wins the scrum but not cleanly. Matt Trouville rescues the ball and gains a few meters. USA kicks deep.
54. Romania kicks to touch.
55. USA Lineout 8 meters inside Romania half. Overthrown.
56. Romania takes overthrow. 1 ruck, USA steals ball. Play stopped for potential head injury.
57. Play resumes with USA Scrum. USA wins scrum. Quick pass to Ngwenya, who makes 10 meters. 4 rucks, Niua dummy and clean break for 30 meters. Passes to Petri, who is tackled. 5 rucks, penalty advantage for USA. Petri DROP GOAL.
58. USA wins restart. 1 ruck and kick deep to Romania 22.
59. Romania runs and kicks high ball.
60. USA kicks high ball
61. Romania runs. 10m inside Romania half A. Suniula and Quill hold the ball up.
62. Scrum USA. Bad scrum but USA retains. 3 rucks and a kick to corner
63. Romania kicks to touch
64. USA Lineout inside Romania half. Ball fumbled.
65. Romania takes loose ball. 3 rucks, and then penalized for holding on.
66. USA takes a kick to touch. Lineout USA. Almost lost but rescued by Coolican. Ruck, then maul. USA stopped.
67. Scrum Romania - USA wins it.
68. Trouville runs right and passes out to Ngwenya. 2 rucks then long passes eft from Petri to Siddall to Niua, who makes a dummy and scores in the corner (right in front of the USA fans). TRY
69. USA knocks on Restart (Trouville).
70. Romania Scrum. USA penalized. Romania kicks to touch. Romania wins lineout, sets a maul. 2 rucks and another maul right in front of the posts. TRY
71. Romania wins restart. 1 ruck, kick.
72. Niua fields kick. Maul by USA. Ruck. Pen against Suniula rucking too far off the ball.
73. Romania kicks to touch, wins lineout, but ball is stolen by Peterson.
74. Clever big run, passes to support who is knocked over. Ball rolls into touch.
75. Romania lineout. Romania wins lineout, goes through one phase, and ball is ripped out by T. Stanfill.
76. USA has ball. Makes 20 meters in 3 rucks. Knock-on by Kelly.
77. Romania scrum. Romania wins scrum. USA penalty. Romania kicks to touch from 22 to 22. Wins lineout, sets maul. 2 rucks and half-break by Romania inside USA 22. 5 rucks then knock-on in tackle. (Tackle by Quill.)
78. Scrum USA. Barely rescued. Kick to touch.
79. Quick lineout by Romania. Tackled to touch by Quill and Ngwenya.
80. USA lineout. Lost and regained. Ruck, Petri kicks downfield. Goes into touch (not what he wanted.)
81. Romania lineout. Romania wins lineout and makes a half-break on a peal move. 3 rucks - penalty v USA for Coolican offside at lineout. Time is up so Romania keeps ball in play, calling for a scrum. Romania wins scrum, 2 rucks, then Trouville and Cullen steal ball.
82 USA 1 ruck and Petri kicks to touch to end the game.
GAME OVER
