The USA men's 7s team won their Challenge Quarterfinal game at the Rugby World Cup 7s, overcoming a rather iffy first six minutes to pull away from Wales 33-5.
This puts the Eagles in the Challenge semifinal—this is the consolation bracket for teams that lost in the Round of 16 and the winner of this bracket finishes 9th. Yesterday USA captain Stephen Tomasin said that finishing 9th wasn't really the accolade the team was shooting for, and now they were playing for pride and their country, which was much greater motivation.
In the game against Wales the Eagles started a little tentatively. They had a solid chance for a try after Welsh player Luke Treharne was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on. But Tomasin could not control the ball off a flat pass as he dove over and knocked it on. Moments later, however, the Americans found some space, and found Perry Baker was there to exploit it, and the all-time USA great made no mistake.
Back at full strength Wales attacked off a midfield scrum (restart error by USA) and some good teamwork put Morgan Williams in at the corner to tie the game 5-5. It stayed that way as the USA was excruciatingly frantic on attack. They seemed to have recognized they were more athletic and stronger, and yet couldn't put the pieces together. Finally, with the first half hooter gone, they attacked off a scrum and Aaron Cummings just split two defenders to go in untouched. Tomasin converted and the half ended 12-5 USA. But until that play the Eagles had looked a bit at sea.
