It is said sometimes that it's not how you start, but how you finish; sometimes, it's both.
The USA Men's National team started poorly and ended meekly in a test match that they certainly had the ability to win, falling instead to Spain 31-20 late Saturday night in Charlotte.
Before a record crowd to see a professional rugby game in Charlotte, the Eagles, Spain's Lions, and the 6,100-plus crowd all had to wait two hours for the game to kick off because of lightning. Thankfully, the crowd returned to watch the match when it finally did kick off. Not to thankfully for them, the Eagles did not start well.
Right off the kickoff the USA took the ball and trucked it up, only to lose the ball in contact. Now, we'll say this once—ball handling was difficult. It had rained, it was humid, players were sweating, and as a result the ball was difficult to keep ahold of. Still and all, gifting the opposition a scrum inside your own 22 seconds into the game is not good. Spain ran weak, and scrumhalf Estanislao Bay drew the attention of Nate Augspurger and then laid down a perfect grubber for wing Martiniano Cian to chase down. TMO confirmed, the conversion from Gonzalo Lopez Bontempo was good from the touchline, and before three minutes were up, and the USA was down 7-0.
Both teams looked to test the other through kicks, and when the Eagles did well within that environment was when they countered. Mitch Wilson made some effective runs, although he was also tested by the high kicks.
One counter saw the fullback make several tacklers miss before the ball was sent quickly to lock Marno Redelinghuys. He charged on, linked with AJ MacGinty, and after another offload the Eagles looked set to charge in under the posts. But the last offload didn't go to hand.
Later on the USA had a lineout five meters out, but the drivers in the maul engaged a split second to early. Jumper Vili Helu brought the ball down and it hit a teammate's back and rolled loose.
So two prime try-scoring chances fell away. Instead it was Spain, punishing a dropped ball and toeing it ahead. Wilson tried to slide onto the ball and the slippery little thing just squelched out of his grasp. The Lions chased on and Bay was the man to dive on it. Kick good and it was 14-0.
Spain added another try that was at least constructed out of their own abilities and less out of USA mistakes, with a wide kick to Gauthier Minguillon got it, evaded Toby Fricker a bit, and sent a pass inside to Lopez Bontempo, who galloped through for the try, which he converted for a 21-0 lead.
After that the USA seemed more in control. They tested the Spanish defense and worked it wide. Fricker was put into space on the wing but couldn't evade the defenders. The Eagles had a lineout five meters out only for Spain to steal it.
Another chance saw the Eagles close and they were penalized for not releasing the ball. On a fairly well-refereed game, this was a poor call as it certaibly appeared that Spain had not released the tackled player. This was a clear try-scoring chance taken away.
As the first half frittered away, finally they got some points. Dom Besag broke through, passed nicely to Fricker, who saw he couldn't make the corner and cut back inside. Scrumhalf Ruben De Haas lofted a pass as he was tackled and captain Benjamin Bonasso fought his way over. MacGinty converted and it was 21-7.
Spain then lost the ball forward and Jamason Fa'anana-Schultz powered ahead with it. The ball was sent wide quickly—good ballhandling from the Eagles—and Fricker had space. Again he was tracked down, but the USA rescued the movement with a diving catch and then a long series of forward phases near the line. They had numbers out wide but in the end it was Bonasso who took it over. Conversion good and it was 21-14.
