In the quarterfinals, Great Britain, who also had a shot to move up, lost to New Zealand, and that basically put them out of contention.
The Americans didn't win their quarterfinal, either. Spain just dominated possession, getting the ball back on restarts quite impressively. The Lions won that game 17-5.
But ... good news followed as Kenya lost 7-5 to Germany in the 9th-place semifinals.
What this means is the following:
USA came into the tournament with five (5) standings points, while France and Kenya had 14.
France is in to the semifinals, and as a result have secured a berth in SVNS 1 for next year, along with South Africa (who clinched the championship with a quarterfinal win), Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Spain, and New Zealand.
So there is one spot remaining. The USA will play in the 5th-place playoff against a very tough Fiji side. Depending on how they do, they can get 10 points for 6th, or 12 points for 5th.
Kenya, meanwhile, can earn no more than two points.
| USA vs Kenya Scenarios |
| | USA | | |
| Finish | Total Possible Pts. | |
| 5th | 17 | 16 | Kenya 11th |
| | | 15 | Kenya 12th |
| 6th | 15 | 16 | Kenya 11th |
| | | 15 | Kenya 12th |
Kenya came into Bordeaux with the tiebreaker over the Eagles thanks to a -52 points difference compared to the USA's -66. However, Kenya is now at -103 and USA -35. All that is to say that if the USA and Kenya end up tied on standings points, it appears that the Eagles will win the tiebreaker.
All eyes, then, are on the 5th-place playoff between the USA and Fiji, and the 11th-place playoff between Kenya and Uruguay. If USA wins or Uruguay wins, the USA makes the top eight.
