Both teams knew the second half would be a different story. With the wind the USA had chances early and with Mattie Tago running hard and captain and No. 8 Collin Grosse leading from the front with his work in the breakdown, they started to make inroads.
This despite losing Freddy Tafuna, the forwards Man of the Match from the USA Military's match with the Army Masters earlier on the tour, getting a bad ankle injury. The USA finally did score, pressuring the British Army with some superb work throughout the team, they earned a penalty and took the lineout.
The Army stole the lineout but the ball rolled into in-goal. Two British Army players chase after it but hooker Ryan Leonard, only recently on as a replacement for Kevin Harrison, sniped through and somehow dove on the ball in the corner. Try USA.
This was a try of quick reaction, athleticism, and total hustle. Leonard had no business scoring this try, except he decided he would do everything he could to get there.
The British Army stormed right back, forcing a turnover and eventually scoring out wide to made it 24-5.
But much of the match was played in the British Army half this time. While the Americans didn't kick quite as much as they might have, they were ferocious in defense and carrying the ball. They found ways to make their attack more sophisticated and were urged on by a very strong game from scrumhalf Shane Palmer.
For his part, Palmer was expecting to step aside for Castle late in the game. Castle, who started at fullback, was brilliant, but paid for it on occasion in such a physical game, and he eventually gave way to Logan Legg, who took over the flyhalf job forcing a shift in the backs.
But for Palmer this meant one thing: finish the game.
An excellent sequence featuring some impressive running from Sturdifen and with everyone contributing got the USA down to the tryline. They ran pick-and-goes for a couple of phases and then loosehead prop James "Doc" Irey (so called because he is a former Navy medic) called for a quick pass from Palmer. Army had not folded around to guard Irey in sufficient bulk, and the big man and former NOLA Gold pro player crashed over the line.
That made it 24-12 and Army was concerned. They were more concerned as the Americans got down to the line again. Here a little impatience cost them. They tapped quickly on a penalty and ran right into an Army player who had not retreated, when a lineout and drive might have sufficed. They got down to within a foot of the tryline only to lose out.
A potential try out wide for Follansbee was called back for a forward pass.
In the end, the British Army got out of it, launched a high kick that wasn't caught, and took it to the house for a bit of a soft late try.
Conversion from the touchline by Johnson was good, and the Army held on 31-12. Had the Americans scored with that last chance they ciould have made it 24-19 with a few minutes left. It could have been anyone's game.
"A couple of bounced go our way and we're winning that game," said Grosse.
All of this doesn't even begin to describe the atmosphere and intensity of this match. A record growd of almost 1,000 at the Army Rugby Stadium saw two teams put everything they had into the effort.
The physicality of the match was audible. The mud was everywhere. Clarke asked his players for everything, and he got more than that. The American team got vocal support from American rugby fans in the stands, too.
"I'm proud of them and what they accomplished," said Clarke. "We created a team here."
The tour concludes with this match. The players will return to their jobs (and remember, everyone paid for his own way to England). Most are in the military but some are veterans. They will disperse to Alaska, DC, California, and further afield than that. But what they accomplished in this game, giving a really very, very good British Army team one of the toughest tests they could ever want.
"This is what rugby and also the military camaraderie is all about," said British Army's Dawson. "You play hard and then come together at the end of it. This was a hugely tough match for us, and quite frustrating at times, and the USA guys made it really, really difficult for us. But they also played it the right way—hard, yes, and physical, but the right way."
USA Military 12 British Army 31
Man of the Match for USA Military as Awarded by British Army: Mattie Tago
Man of the Match for the Forwards as Awarded by the USA Military team staff: Doc Irey
Man of the Match for the Backs as Awarded by the USA Military team staff: Shane Palmer
USA Military lineup: 1. Doc Irey, (Navy, Ret.) 2. Kevin Harrison (Army) 3. Freddy Tafuna (Army Ret.) 4. Aaron Retter (Army Ret.) 5. Jackson Bristol (USAF) 6. Sili Masina (Army NG) 7. Nokoni Fogg (Army NG) 8. Collin Grosse (Army) (C)
9. Shane Palmer (Army) 10. Moliki Mulitalo (army) 11. Dale Sturdifen (Navy) 12. Mattie Tago (Army) 13. Dennis Munter (Navy) 14. Sam Follansbee (USMC) 15. Sam Castle (Army)
16. Ryan Leonard (UCSG) 17. Dan Gabrieli (Army) 18. Mike Fletcher (Navy Ret.) 19. Ben Haapapuro (USAF) 20. George Smith (Army NG) 21. Cliff Davidson (Army Ret.) 22. Mack Griffin (USAFA) 23. Logan Legg (Army NG)
