The USA won the Bowl at the Tokyo 7s, recovering from a poor opening game on Day 1 to win four of their last five, and three in a row on Sunday.

The Eagles had already defeated Portugal 39-0 and Samoa 22-5 to get to the Bowl Final against Australia. It was against Australia a week ago in the Plate Final that the USA saw victory slip through their fingers on a fumbled pass at the end of the game. Similar scenarios would rear their heads in this game.

Australia drew first blood as Be Foley cut through a gap and survived in a tackle from Carlin Isles long enough to feed Pama Fou in the corner.

The USA won the restart and sent Danny Barrett galloping upfield. A nice combination of passes from Garrett Bender, Folau Niua, and Maka Unufe got them closer to the line, and then more work from Barrett and Tai Leuta sucked in the Australia defense. That created space out wide on the left, and there Unufe took a tackle, and popped to Carlin Isles, who had three players around him but somehow squirmed over to tie the game 5-5.

Australia replied with some very good ball movement of their own to put captain Ed Jenkins over under the posts for a 12-5 lead. It was almost 17-5 right after that. Folau Niua was penalized for tackling a player while Niua was lying on the ground, and yellow carded as well. Down a man the Eagles were backed up against their goal line, but Andrew Durutalo got his man at the corner and forced a knock-on to end the half.

Still down a man in the second half, the Eagles won the kickoff and Unufe rescued something of a hospital pass to race 50 meters into Australian territory. He was brought down, but Barrett was in support and took the pop pass to go in under the sticks. Madison Hughes slotted the conversion to tie the game.

Both teams had chances to move ahead after that. The Barrett try was scored just seconds before Niua was due back on the field, and the next 3 1/2 minutes marked a desperate attempt by the USA to make the ball dead so he could return. A tackle by Isles didn’t quite get his man into touch. Bender made a superb try-saving tackle and then kicked the ball into touch, but Australia took the lineout quickly before Niua could be asked to come back. Finally, with a try beckoning for the Aussies, Hughes and Isles did enough in the tackle to force a knock-on. In that sequence, Bender was immense, making several big players and justifying his starting place.

Then with time almost up the USA had their shot. Leuta was on a break and had Nic Edwards outside him, but took contact instead. Then Zack Test had Baker seemingly free, but preferred to engage  three Australians. The USA failed to score, and on a penalty, Australia kicked to touch to force overtime.

Australia won the toss, and elected to kick. That didn’t turn out well for them. Leuta and Baker helped win the kickoff, and then it was a case of being patient. Hughes and Baker worked an attack left, and when the try wasn’t on, recovered the ball to send it right, where Leuta, Durutalo, and Edwards powered the ball into the 22. With Head Coach Mike Friday’s admonition to out-work Australia ringing in their ears, the Eagles did exactly that, getting to the breakdown early and either winning the ball or, as Friday had predicted, forcing a penalty. The ball came back to the left, and Test had Baker outside him. This time Test passed, and Baker scored to win the game 17-12.

“I am immensely proud of the guys,” said USA captain Hughes after the game. “We fought and fought and fought and fought. The guys gave absolutely everything.”

The game, and in fact the entire second day, was a lesson. It was a lesson in patience and in unselfish play. It was a lesson in selections - Friday didn’t start Test in the final two games, and did start Leuta, Bender, and Edwards through Sunday.

He rewarded good play - Bender was probably the USA’s best player on Sunday, and his minutes reflect that. Success at the restarts had a direct relation to points - when they didn’t win the restart, the USA gave up points, when they did, they scored.

USA 17

Tries: Isles, Barrett, Baker

Convs: Hughes

Australia 12

Tries: Fou, Jenkins

Convs: Lucas