USA in Cup QFs After 2-1 Day
USA in Cup QFs After 2-1 Day
The USA Men’s 7s team is into the Cup Quarterfinals in the Nelson Mandela Bay 7s in Port Elizabeth, South Africa after two impressive victories to cap off Day One.
After losing 26-0 to South Africa in their opener, the Eagles shocked Wales 38-12 and then defeated a fairly pedestrian Kenyan side 33-5.
The Wales game was closer than the score made it look, at least for the first ten minutes. Wales struck first and led well into the first half. But the USA sent Perry Baker on the run. He was caught but the Eagles kept the pressure up and after a few miscues, got a five-meter scrum. With a Welshman on the sideline with a yellow card for delaying the game, it was all simply a case of winning the scrum and passing out to Baker for the try.
The USA then took the lead when they turned Welsh ball over in their own 22 and Madison Hughes sidestepped his way clear and put on the gas. But at 12-5 it was still very close.
The Eagles won the second half kickoff and quickly moved the ball to Maka Unufe for a speedy try.
Wales replied with a somewhat soft try that needed Baker to make his tackle on the wing. That put the score at 19-12, USA. Andrew Durutalo almost made it 24-12 after a sidestep defeated his defender and he was off to the corner, but a replay showed Durutalo’s foot his the touch-in-goal line before he grounded it.
But moments later Martin Iosefo intercepted a Welsh pass and some superb support running and offloads allowed Folau Niua to score. That made it 26-12, and when Danny Barrett nabbed the restart and galloped in untouched the ballgame was over. This was where Wales essentially lost the plot. They allowed that try, and then hands out to Carlin Isles put the wing in as time expired, making the score 38-12. Those 12 points made it virtually impossible for Wales to contemplate a spot in the quarters.
So the Eagles entered their third game of the day at 1-1 and a points different of 0. Wales, at 1-1 and -2, had South Africa to face after that.
In their game, the USA benefitted from Kenya just not playing well. Their long, loopy passes allowed the Eagles defense to contain nicely, and in fact they offered the Lions almost no options on attack.
The USA scored early, winning the restart through Barrett, sending it left, and then back right for Barrett to steamroll his tacklers into the corner. Niua then set up Unufe on a perfectly-times switch move and Unufe than beat his man to score - the former United HS star out of Utah is starting to take on more responsibility within the team and looks mature and dangerous.
With time up in the first half, and the score 12-0, Kenya opted to keep the play going on a penalty. It backfired as they lost their lineout throw and the ball was spun to Isles for the try in the corner. The try was the least of Isles’s accomplishments on the day, as his passing, work in the interior of the field, and ability to retain possession were all much improved.
In the second half the Eagles played excellent defense, waited for the moment to steal the ball, and then Hughes set up Zack Test for a long run in. That made it 26-0, and some good support running from Hughes saw him on the end of a Niua offload for the last USA try.
At that point, the Eagles had the game, and they let in a soft try to Kenya at the hooter. But the damage had been sone. With a +28 points difference they had guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals - if Wales were to win the game against South Africa, they would have to do so by 31 to pass the USA. But if they did that, South Africa would then have dropped to 2-1 and +26, third place.
It didn’t matter, as South Africa crouched a demoralized Wales 36-0.
In the end the USA took advantage of an advantageous pool. But they also played very well on defense, with Test, returning from an ankle injury, in the middle of it all. What’s more almost all of the teams near the USA in the World Series standings finished in the bottom two of their pool. Only Scotland and Argentina join the USA in the top eight.
So the Eagles, who face New Zealand in the QFs on Sunday, can make up some ground in the Series.
Notes: Madison Hughes was accurate with his kicking and scored two tries to notch 24 points, good for 4th-best on Day One. Unufe had a very good day to follow on a solid Dubai effort. Isles, as stated, did some of his best work off the ball.
Scores:
USA 0 South Africa 26
USA 38 Wales 12
Tries: Baker, Hughes, Isles, Niua, Unufe, Barrett
Convs: Hughes 4
USA 33 Kenya 5
Tries: Barrett, Unufe, Isles, Test, Hughes
Convs: Hughes 3, Niua
Next Game:
USA v New Zealand, Cup Quarterfinals 13:03 South Africa time, 6:03am Sunday Eastern Time
