Day Two of the NZ 7s in Wellington was a rough day for the USA as they lost two close games and bowed out early as Plate Semifinalists. The USA earned 10 points in the Sevens World Series and moved up a spot in the standings, but were within a few points and a few decisions from being higher. Reports from USA Rugby.

Cup QFs

Scotland took advantage of a late yellow card to end the Men’s Eagles Sevens’ Cup hopes with a 19-15 defeat of Mike Friday’s team Saturday in the Wellington Sevens Cup Quarterfinal.

Scotland began the match with ball in hand thanks to a long kickoff by Folau Niua, and the defense that kept both Japan and France to a try apiece turned over possession. A penalty against Scotland near its own 22 gave captain Madison Hughes the chance to set up his team’s attack, and a switch between Niua and Maka Unufe set the captain away on the wing for the match’s first try.

Niua played a big part in the next scoring play with an interception on a Scotland pass just outside the Eagles’ try line. The Eagles knew exactly what to do with the ball: get it to the wing. The ball moved through hands to Zack Test in the middle of the pitch, and Carlin Isles showed off his speed by rounding the Scotland winger for a 70-meter try and a 10-0 Eagles’ lead four minutes into the match.

The Eagles did not put up as many points on the scoreboard as they did on day one at Westpac Stadium, but they kept Scotland from threatening their try zone in the first half. Test chased down Damien Hoyland the full length of the pitch after a turnover on the wing to keep Scotland from getting one back on the eve of halftime.

Each of the 12 players wearing red, white, and blue knew a 10-0 lead was not going to be enough, and Andrew Durutalo did his part to see the Eagles extend the lead in the early minutes of the second half. Unufe’s looping pass lined up Durutalo with a defender, who stood no chance of making a wrap tackle; instead, he felt the brute force of the six-foot-two, 245-pound Eagle. The Eagles were awarded a penalty and a pass from Niua found Danny Barrett waiting on the wing for the try and 15-0 lead.

Four minutes is a long time in the game of rugby sevens, and Scotland proved no lead is safe. After losing a scoring opportunity with a foot in touch meters from the try line and a penalty against the Eagles for disciplinary reasons on the touch line on Scotland’s end, James Johnstone dotted down to cut the lead to 15-5.

The Eagles attempted to hold on to the ball with two minutes remaining, and Test was shown a yellow in the 13th minute for doing exactly that in the breakdown. James Fleming scored immediately to make the score 15-12.

Again, the game was in the Eagles’ hands with a won restart, but Martin Iosefo lost the ball forward in a tackle and Scotland took advantage of the extra space on the pitch. Hughes could not make the tackle through Fleming’s fend and gave up the match-winning try.

USA 15 
Tries: Hughes, Isles, Barrett 

Scotland 19 
Tries: Johnstone, Fleming (2) 
Conversions: Wight (2)

Plate SFs

The Men’s Eagles Sevens’ Wellington Sevens campaign was cut short in the Plate Semifinal Saturday as Fiji snatched a 12-10 victory at Westpac Stadium.

Andrew Durutalo and Folau Niua scored tries in the loss, which earned the Eagles 10 points in the 2014-15 World Rugby HSBC Sevens World Series standings.

Coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Scotland in the Cup Quarterfinal, the Eagles conceded the first try of the match in front of a pro-U.S. crowd. The hard-working Eagles had congested space throughout the weekend but Fiji’s style of play forced through a score in the first minute. Samisoni Viriviri finished off the attack, which saw well-timed support play from half of the Fijian team down the touch line.

Down, 7-0, the Eagles regained the confidence they had exuded in wins against Japan and France on day one. Maka Unufe’s flashes of brilliance and Danny Barrett’s brute strength drove the Eagles down the field, and Durutalo played the part of an out-and-out winger with his own unique flair inside Fiji’s 22. Folau Niua broke the gain line five meters out in the fifth minute before being taken down, but let go of the ball to pick it right back up and dot down on the other side of the try line.

The Eagles were not able to convert their score, keeping Fiji in the lead at 7-5 at halftime.

A complete team try saw the Eagles move into Fiji’s half in the ninth minute, with Zack Test and Barrett doing the dirty work along the wing. Durutalo supported the play and fended off a wannabe tackler to dot down and give the Eagles a 10-7 lead.

Vatemo Ravouvou took the ball down the wing in the 11th minute and Niua could not reach out to stop him. Test forced the Fijian’s try outside the posts, and the ensuing conversion ended up hitting one of the uprights to keep the deficit at two points with a 12-10 scoreline.

Possession came to the Eagles deep in their half and Unufe did well to keep the ball in his team’s hands. Hughes raced down the wing before offloading to Test, who ran one-on-one against the final Fijian defender. He waited until the perfect moment to pass to an in-stride Barrett, but the pass to set up a sure try was called forward.

Fiji lost the ball forward just before the horn sounded inside Westpac Stadium and the Eagles grabbed the ball quickly to set up the scrum, but the referee signaled full time, ending the U.S.’s weekend early.

There were plenty of positive to take away from Wellington Sevens for the Eagles, whose strong performances against perennial contenders South Africa and Fiji made an impression on rugby sevens fans around the world, including those traveling to Las Vegas for next weekend’s USA Sevens.

USA 10 
Tries: Niua, Durutalo 
 

Fiji | 12 
Tries: Viriviri, Ravouvou 
Conversions: Mulevoro

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