Mistakes, Penalties Hurt USA U23s Against Canada
Mistakes, Penalties Hurt USA U23s Against Canada
Canada’s U23s defeated the USA U23s 24-5 Wednesday night in Quincy, Mass. in a game that was certainly not particularly precise and leaves both teams with much to work on for this weekend’s finale.
The USA had much to be happy about. Despite the scoreline their defense was, for the most part, strong. The Americans hit very hard and made impressive tackles. The big breaks they did give up were more along the lines of a mis-alignment rather than a missed tackle.
Canada’s tries generally came from penalties and mistakes more than anything else.
The USA started the game mostly on the front food and with Freda Tafuna and Su Adegoke asking questions of the Canadian defense, they pressured the Canada line. Scrumhalf Taina Tukuafu was quick to the breakdowns and working to get the ball out snappily. All of this set up a penalty right in front of the posts and the Junior Eagles … opted for a scrum.
It didn’t work. Kapoina Bailey’s offload went wide and Canada cleared. This decision not to go for posts was a bad one and it bit the USA pretty quickly. Fullback Alex Wanton struggled to control the kick and Canada was on the front foot.
Eventually a missed tackle set up Canada’s first try.
And as we’ve seen quite a bit this year in many USA national teams, missing a chance to score moved players into impatience. Penalties started to creep into the USA performance, and then mistakes. A poor pass inside the USA 22 landed around Eti Haungatau’s feet. Canada got the ball, attacked wide and Maelle Reed just barely stayed away from the touchline and scored in the corner to make it 12-0.
Back came Canada and a perfect grubber set up their third try and a 17-0 lead.
The USA had chances to get into scoring position as the half came to a close but too many passing errors killed their chances.
Canada started the second half with a long kick that rolled dead. But they stole the ball from the scrum and went right down to the USA trying. Somehow the Junior Eagles held on.
The USA, shorthanded thanks to a yellow card, unleashed some impressive pressure defense that drove Canada back about 35 meters. They then forced a turnover and worked through a sequence of 15-20 phases. But the continuity couldn’t produce much territory, however.
Finally Canada scored their fourth try, punishing a series of USA penalties and making it 24-0.
The USA finally hit the scoreboard as the game wrapped up. The movement started when the USA U23s were defending in their 22. Reserve scrum half Autumn Locicero (who also slotted in at the wing) counter-rucked to force a turnover. The USA worked through the Canadian defense, offloading and finding some territory. Haungatau and Locicero, along with Adegoke, Alyssa Cunningham, and Tessa Hann, worked their way into the Canadian half.
Then Adegoke was unleashed down the sideline and she blazed almost to the line. She was able to stay on her feet and turned to locate reserve hooker Lauren Ferridge, who had mounted her horse when she saw Adegoke break through. The wing’s offload was perfect and Ferridge got just reward for her work.
That’s how it ended, 24-5.
For the USA, there were far too many passing mistakes. Wantlin will want another shot at playing a game as she struggled in the kicking game, both catching and sending them out. Some of the players on defense seemed to be playing 7s not 15s, waiting to make tackles when it would have been better to just get in the way.
Tukuafu was active and brave but will find her passes need to be more consistent at the international level. Several forwards were guilty of poor ball presentation when tackled—this led to some tackles and holding-on penalties, and trouble.
Tafuna and Haungatau and captain Mae Sagapolu (before she succumbed to a cramp) were outstanding. Cunningham impressed in the final 30 minutes, and on attack Adegoke caused Canada all sorts of problems. Sereana Volaono and Leila Opeti laid in some teeth-rattling tackles.
But there is more to do. The USA scrum gave up too many penalties—it was a little harsh, as Canada repeatedly bailed on their binds but, since they stayed on their feet, heard no whistle. Canada’s habit of not rolling away was punished late in the game, but the USA will have to work harder to get those limp bodies out of the ruck or at least appeal for help from the referee.
