It was exactly what they needed and also exactly what they didn't want when it comes to two USA age-grade games South of the Equator Saturday.
While we will report opn the RAN U19 final later today, the tour wrapup games for the USA U23 men and the USA U18 boys were in direct contrast to each other.
The expectation, nay, the need, for the U23s was as tough competition as possible without it being a walkover. Only the UXI Invitational XV in the opening match gave the USA team much of a game. It was tied 12-12 at halftime before the USA U23s ran in five tries to win 41-12.
The Boland match, which one might argue was closer, was not. The USA team was in control early, were tougher, stronger, more disciplined, and more athletic.
The hope, then, was that the Stellenbosch Maties would see that and field an opposition appropriate to the U23s. As reported on GRR, Head Coach Agustin Cavalieri expected this to be the USA's toughest game.
Not so much. USA u23s 85, Maties 15.
This is unfortunate. Given the time, expense, and effort the USA program took to make the trip to South Africa, the least the hosts could do was provide a competitive game. You cannot look at the overall score from the three games: 183-53 (average 61-18) and say that South Africa brought their best, most experienced, and most age-appropriate team available.
The UXI/Western Province team, Boland Cavaliers, and Maties were all younger than the USA U23s, and it showed.
For this amount of of time and expense would have been better served playing Canadian provincial teams. And the response from South Africa, especially given how Stellenbosch could have scouted the previous two games and clearly didn't, smacks of disrespect.
One hopes that the USA U23s do not come back to the USA thinking they are world-beaters. While they should be commended for playing well and working to improve and creating a good team atmosphere, they were not provided with the right opposition.
That is why, when club and school and college teams tour they need to tour with an organization that understands not only the competitive level in the destination country, but the competitive level in the USA. That is why Irish Rugby Tours is the best tour operator in the world, because they work very hard to provide strong opposition for their touring teams ... strong, but appropriate. No one wants blowouts either way, You want close games, whether you're playing for fun or playing to level-up.
For the USA U23s, the best scenario would have been three close losses. Instead, we're left wondering what might have been for them. They did actually play very well and Cavalieri told GRR that "the boys did their job. We have a lot of good profiles for the future."
That is true, too.
