The USA U18s tied Canada 32-32 Wednesday in a wild game at the Corendon Summer Tour.
The game was certainly one of momentum and, in the end, the USA have only themselves to blame for not winning the game. But for a U18 team, that can be taken as a lesson and even though the game ended on a somewhat disputable note.
The USA started the game scoring very quickly. They pressured off the kickoff, got a penalty, won the lineout, and mauled it over. Hooker Seth Smith touched it down for a 5-0 lead.
Moments later the U18 Eagles ran a play off a lineup and put No. 8 Papa Matelau through a gap. He charged on for about 35 meters before being hauled down just before the tryline. The Americans swarmed in and after a couple of surges to the line Smith picked up and was over. Jonty Lee converted and it was 12-0.
The USA was in control, despite some trouble in the scrum. A kicking battle between the teams ended when Canada fumbled a rolling ball into touch inside their 22. From the lineup lock Maseah Young came close to scoring, and after a couple of probes to the line the ball was passed quickly to Smith on the weak side and he was in at the corner.
Up 17-0 the USA should have been brimming with confidence, but the confidence in their play was fragile, as we will see.
Canada Comeback
At a scrum near the middle of the field, Canada got a penalty and opted for the lineout. It was all as it was drawn up as they mauled closer to the line and then went wide to put lock Brodie Lowry in at the corner.
That made it 17-5 and after the hydration break the USA seemed to get the momentum back. Smith was held up in-goal but the USA kept up the pressure and finally a nice inside pass from Lee to Max Amasio put the prop over for a try and a 22-5 lead.
But Canada didn’t flinch. Off a scrum a superb line from center Josh McIndoe put him through. The easy conversion kick was missed, but Canada scored again moments later when the USA defense over pursued wide, leaving a gap on the inside for Luke Van Dam to cut into. The wing showed some astonishing pace and was through for 65 meters and a try. Matthew Bennett converted and suddenly it was 22-17. And the USA started playing like it. They started to push to make those extra passes and poaches that weren’t there, forgetting, really, that they were still ahead.
Second Half
For some reason the USA U18s decided to forget about kicking out of their own 22. Off the second-half kickoff they didn’t support the runner well enough and a holding-on penalty led to a penalty for Canada and Bennett put it over.
That made it 22-20. The USA was still ahead but only by two.
On defense the USA discipline on defense started to fall off and that almost led to another long-range try by Canada. The USA cover defense was there, however, and they got out of it.
Once again the USA started to push it, as if there were only a few minutes left in the game. A break on the outside by Padraig Long might have set something up for Ryan Putke (now playing fullback) but the pass didn’t have enough juice on it and Canada kicked down the field.
Another penalty and then a free kick off a lineout helped the USA get back on the attack and after a few probes at the line a wide pass from Lee put wing Jake Schumacher over in the corner.
That made it 27-20 and when Canada’s restart didn’t go 10 meters it seemed like the game could be put away. But the gravity of that chance seemed to leak into the players’ minds. Mistakes killed that chance and when Canada took the ball into the 22 more mistakes creeped in. The USA players started not only trying to run out of their 22 but flinging the ball around like they needed to mount a comeback with two seconds left.
The result was a scrum, then a penalty, then a lineout, and finally a maul to put the ball over for Canada. Bennett made the kick and it was tied 27-27.
