Georgia beat the USA Saturday but the game was still a step forward for the Eagles.
Not favored to win the Americans ran out to a 21-7 lead and ended up losing 43-30. Their attack showed improvement. They scored three tries in the backs—one from Toby Fricker and two from Dom Besag. After looking offensively stunted against Scotland, the Eagles played a little faster, put found a couple of connections, and put points on the board.
However, Georgia did come back. They returned to what they are good at and came back, took the lead, and after the Eagles got the lead back, put the game away.
So this wasn't perfect for the USA, but it was better.
Scott Lawrence said that he wanted a simple game plan executed with intensity.
He also talked about the bench lighting a fire under the game when they come on. It was Georgia, however, that was able to finish the game stronger.
Launching into the game the Eagles were physical and intense, and skipper Jason Damm said they had to bring the wood in the forwards. Georgia, however, scored first, punishing a series of USA penalties to maul it over.
But the Eagles quickly put the Lelos under pressure, forced a penalty, and Besag was over after a series of surges from the forwards.
After that, wing Rufus McClean chased down a kick from Luke Carty, juggled and secured the ball as he was being tackled, and then set the ball back for fullback Toby Fricker to pick up and take over the line.
Besag ran a nice line in off Carty to take it in for his second. Carty converted all three, and the Eagles led 21-7.
However, they didn't score another try after that, a state of affairs which, if you want to be skeptical about it all, it a little concerning.
Having executed a simple game plan well and finished well, the USA perhaps needed to change things up a bit later.
The Lelos, led by hard-charging No. 8 Beka Gordoadze, started to come back. They didn't panic, but did get a bit of let-off with what seemed to be a knock-on allowed to play and then they punished the USA on the weak side.
They mauled it over after that to make it 21-19 with halftime approaching. They added another with Mark O'Keefe in the sin-bin for a challenge in the air, spinning it wide and exploiting the lack of a wing to make it 26-21.
Carty added a penalty to inch closer at the break 26-24.
