In front of a vocal and, apparently, record crowd the USA women's 15s team dropped a 39-33 decision to Japan Saturday night on the campus of UCLA.
The Eagles will rue some key errors, especially in set piece, in this game.
Some defensive breakdowns led to Japan's first try, which they scored nicely in the backs. But after that the USA looked in control and scored three tries in fairly quick succession.
From the restart after Japan's opening try, the Eagles seemed to take the game in their grasp. Smart kicking put them in the Japan 22 and a long series of phases ended with Alev Kelter fighting her way over. McKenzie Hawkins converted to tie it up at 7-7
Soon after the Eagles worked to get the ball wide to Erica Coulibaly and she started to look dangerous. Twice, however, the USA earned penalties only to see Hawkins miss touch. The first time Erica Jarrell hustled to chase down the ball and re-win it. The second time Japan kicked back and the Eagles sent it wide to Bulou Mataitoga, who fed Coulibaly. The wing then broke through for a very picturesque try.
That made it 14-7. Japan then helped the USA with a series of penalties, which made it easier for the Eagles to get into the Japanese 22. From there Hawkins launched a nifty chip that Mataitoga chased down. Try good, conversion good, again, and it was 21-7.
That was the high water mark for the USA. They started making silly errors inside their 22. Japan almost scored off a grubber up the middle but were offside. However, from a scrum inside the USA half they ran a nifty weakside wing insertion that put their openside wing, Rinka Matsuda, over. And then, with time essentially up in the first half, a series penalties from the USA backed them up. Ulimately center Mana Furuta was put through, but Rachel Johnson got a yellow card for the latest in a series of infractions, and the teams went into the break with the USA up 21-19, but down a player.
Desperate to regain the momentum the USA marched down to the Japan line, worked the forwards close, and then sent it out to center Emily Henrich, who fought hard to touch it down. That made it 26-19, but after that it was Japan on the front foot.
The Sakura ran the phases superbly and finally crashed over. With the game tied 26-26 the Eagles were working their way through and looked good to score, thanks in large part to a massive carry from Hope Rogers. But with the score at 26-26 and the clock at 52:52, the sprinklers came on. Both teams had to wait for the sprinklers to exhaust themselves. After that, despite a screwup in the lineout, the Americans were able to get close and put Keia Mae Sagapolu over. Hawkins converted nicely and it was 33-26.
But set piece mistakes, especially in the lineout, and touchfinders off penalties, were a problem for the USA. The Eagles missed touch three times, and kicked it dead another time. All of that was probably due to players (Hawkins and Kelter) trying to slice off the best yardage when a shorter, surer could would have done.
Japan got a try off a rather dubious call, when an offside player grabbed scrumhalf Olivia Ortiz (when the new law says a halfback picking up the ball should be left alone). The Sakura got the turnover and raced into the corner.
Down 33-31 Japan took a penalty goal to take a 34-33 lead, and then the kick dead, followed by a pass to no one on a counter-attack, gave Japan the initiative. Finally, after a long period in the USA 22, during which Kelter saved a try with a tackle in the corner, Japan finally went over.
