USA Gets by Japan Thanks to Strong Second Half

10.15.2022

The USA beat Japan 30-17 in the Rugby World Cup, overcoming a pretty poor first half to finally find their scoring touch.

Japan scored early on a smart kick-and-chase, followed by a weakside lineout move.

Up 5-0 the Japanese used their strong technique in contact and their speed to fluster the Americans. The Eagles, for their part, remained a little tentative on D, committed some silly penalties, and, despite having the wind at their backs, didn’t really kick.

They went down a player thanks to a deliberate knock-on by flanker Kathryn Johnson, and were lucky not to get a penalty try.

Japan almost scored a second try in the first half but were stymied by scrumhalf Olivia Ortiz and wing Tess Feury. Finally, near the end of the first hlf Hope Rogers burst through the line for a long run. From there Gabby Cantorna popped a kick that was chased by Jennine Detiveaux, who tackled her opposite number into in-goal. That set up a scrum for the USA, and while they couldn’t get the try, they did get a penalty to mke it 5-3.

The first half ended with the USA driving to the line. But they were woefully high in contact and held up relatively easily by Japan.

Finally Some Offense

The second half was much better from a USA team that had looked offensively moribund for some time. Another good kick ahead was chased down by Detiveaux and from there the Eagles swung it wide in a not-so-predictable way to hooker Joanna Kitlinski. Astonishingly, the #2 took off down the sideline and no one was able to catch her, showing once again how getting the ball to players in space can help.

Still, Japan came right back to score out wide—the work inside doing a good job of clustering the USA defense.

But from the restart, Johnson forced a holding-on penalty that led to a lineout. The forwards got close and then Ortiz fed Alev Kelter, who twisted her way over the line for a 13-10 lead.

The Eagles actually still had more to give. Detiveaux went on another rampage, flattening a would-be tackler before Kelter followed on with run of her own. Cantorna sent a grubber to the corner and Elizabeth Cairns, on the field only a moment before, gathered it beautifully to score.

It was, really, almost a perfect attack. Kelter slotted the difficult conversion to make it 20-10.

Soon it was 27-10 as the Eagles ran Detiveaux off an inside pass from scrumhalf Carly Waters, and she was in from long range.

That gave the USA the bonus point for four tries, but again the USA showed little weaknesses. The try from Komachi Imakagi was a counter-attack that should have been shut down, and it seemed like only Kate Zackary wanted to do what was necessarily to stop her.

A Kelter penalty ended it was 30-17, and gave the USA a bonus-point victory. But was it enough for them to get a quarterfinal spot? Currently the Eagles are probably in a competition with two other third-place teams. That could be Wales or Australia in Pool A and South Africa or Fiji in Pool C. Right now the USA’s points difference is such that they will likely get in … but it will be tight.

(This assuming their lose to Canada, who beat Italy today.)

The Eagles did get some big performances. Zackary was strong again, as was Rogers. Cantorna seemed to have found a way to get her backs going forward, and Kelter looked much happier at inside center than at fullback.

Over and above everyone, however, was Detiveaux. The purpose and power with which she ran, and her dedication on defense was just a cut above. Her maturity of play was a big part of why the USA won.

USA 30
Tries: Kitlinski, Kelter, Cairns, Detiveaux
Convs: Kelter 2
Pens: Cantorna

Japan 17
Tries: Abe, Nagura, Imakugi
Convs: Imakugi