Well it wasn’t easy, but the USA did open their account in Hong Kong with a victory; it just took them seven minutes to get in the game.

The teams play just one game on Friday night in Hong Kong, and so the game has a special character - there’s no other game to save yourself for, and one bad loss can make for a long night.

It seemed like it was going to be very long when Kenya took the field against the USA. The Kenyans welcomed back their superstars Collins Injera and Humphrey Kayange, the brothers who aren’t always available because of school, work, and other responsibilities. And Injera immediately torched the Eagles for a try, with wing Perry Baker going wide to cover the wing, and Injera taking the gap he left for his 191st World Series try.

It got worse, as Kenya won the restart, although Baker almost intercepted a pass to go all the way for a try. Baker couldn’t quite keep the ball, and from the ensuing scrum the Kenyans ran a nice series of phases and then opened up the passing. USA tackling was good, but only a forward pass stopped Kenya.

Without the ball for the first four minutes the Eagles did mount an attack from their 22, but a chance for Zack Test and Perry Baker to work a move was ended when Test was tackled.  

Kenya then ran a monumental sequence where they ran through over ten phases from their 22 to the tryline. The USA tackling was there but Kenya retained ball superbly and just marched down to put Andrew Amonde over and Lavin Asego’s conversion made it a 14-0 halftime lead, and 1,000 World Series points for the Kenyan star. 

At halftime USA Head Coach Mike Friday said the problem was simple - the Eagles weren’t getting the ball. Make them kick, he said, and watch the turnovers, but tries will come if they get the ball.

Test didn’t quite gather the restart but Folau Niua rescued it and then it was simply a case of passing to Maka Unufe, and the player who has really emerged as a leader by example, dummied and went 80 meters for a superb try.

Andrew Durutalo got the restart ball and after a Kenya penalty the Eagles looked like they’d score again, but it was man-and-ball for Danny Barrett and Kenya got the ball back. This was actually the big test for the USA as they needed to prevent Kenya from building phases. As he contested a ruck, Test toed the gal into the halfback’s hands. The resulting knock-on made for a scrum, and then it was hands out to Carlin Isles. Isles had ton of space out wide, so he cut back inside and unleashed a startling sprint to score under the posts. 14-14 as Isles notched his 50th try in 21 tournaments.

But it wasn’t over. Kenya got the ball but Durutalo forced a penalty in the ruck and a tap and hands out to Barrett saw the forward come in on the wing. 

The three USA tries were the result of simple, quick passing, and within the space of five minutes had turned a 14-0 deficit to a 21-14 lead.

Kenya had one last shot to do what they did before, and patiently test the defense. 

With about 50 seconds to go the USA got a penalty and took their own sweet time kicking to the corner. It was the right move and all they needed to do was win the lineout and run out the clock. They didn’t, as Kenya stole the ball five meters from their own line and worked their way upfield again. Kenya’s attack was relentless and patient. Once again the Eagles made their tackles (mostly) - Isles getting stuck in nicely - but they couldn’t half the slow march forward from Kenya.

Then, when it seemed a try was inevitable, Test raced in to contest a ruck and force a holding-on penalty; and that was it.

So not a clean, precise victory for the Eagles, but considering how little ball they had, they did enough. Maka Unufe, once again, is showing his class and he may well be the USA’s best player at the moment. Certainly the Eagles will want to play better, but they’ll take the win.

Next up for the USA, Wales (0-1) and England (1-0).

USA 21

Tries: Barrett, Isles, Unufe

Convs: Hughes 3

Kenya 14

Tries: Amonde, Injera

Convs: Asego 2