The USA produced a torrid second-half performance to push a young England side at Twickenham Saturday, turning a 36-3 halftime deficit into a 43-29 loss that had many thinking that the Eagles are pretty good. 

It was a good, high-level test match, and as such the England players acknowledged that with some succinct and direct comments. America, they said, "are a good side."

Simple enough. What USA fans saw on Independence Day was a team whose flag was still there at the end. They took some hits, made mistakes, and had to battle against a team much, much more familiar with itself, and came away with a very competitive scoreline.

England started controlling possession and the Eagles were on defense most of the first five minutes. But then, the Americans got a scrum penalty at midfield. Amazingly, Luke Carty nodded to Bryce Campbell the he wanted to take a shot, and he did, teeing it up and putting the kick over from 50 meters.

So, 3-0 USA, but second later it was 5-3 England. The restart sailed somewhat close to the sideline, and wing Mike Te'o made to catch the ball in such a way as to ensure the kick went into touch. Bad idea. Max Malins came streaking in, jumped to take the kick cleanly, and was gone down the sideline. USA's cover was poor and Malins popped the pass inside to England flanker Sam Underhill to carry scrumhalf Ruben de Haas over the line.

Malins was shoved into touch as he passed and, unfortunately, had to leave with an arm injury.

England continued to spin it wide and test the USA outside defense. The Eagle midfield of Calvin Whiting and Bryce Campbell was sterling, but too often the USA wings found themselves facing odd-man rushes. Why that was could partly be attributed to the late switch in positions. Will Hooley, set to start at fullback, picked up an injury late in the week. So Marcel Brache, set to start at outside center, was moved to fullback, Campbell moved to outside center from inside, and brought Whiting in to start. The USA needed Brache to fill in, but also the loose forwards to help out. 

It happened, sort of, but not enough.

England spun it wide and exposed some poor USA tackling to score in the corner. It was a bit of a funny moment as Te'o grabbed Ollie Lawrence's shorts as Lawrence made it over the line. Te'o ended up pulling Lawrence's pants down, which drew a nice laugh from the crowd at Twickenham.

That made it 12-3 England, and after that the USA had the ball in England's half for a long period. Before the game, Head Coach Gary Gold had said his team had to take their rare chances. They didn't. The Eagles were driven back in the tackle repeatedly, and they couldn't find a way through.

England made it 19-3 after a penalty opened up a quick-tap chance and a nice grubber ahead for Joe Cokanasiga to make it 19-3.

The big winger then scored his second on the outside and it was 26-3. The rout was on. The USA scrum was in a shambles. The offense couldn't break through.

Momentum Shift

Then, it all changed, and it changed on defense. With the first half ending, England was bashing against the line repeatedly. A fifth try seemed inevitable, but the USA defensive line didn't break and the players didn't fold. Finally, England got over the line but Greg Peterson and Reikert Hattingh got under the ball. Held up, end of half. That goalline stand showed some spirit from the Eagles, and it seems clear that Gold and Campbell used that to build a plan for the second half.

In the second half, the Eagles came out more physical, and also running onto the ball rather than taking passes flatfooted. Immediately England was under pressure, taking a penalty for a deliberate knock-on, and then from the ensuing lineout England was offside. Another lineout, a maul, and Jamason Fa'anana-Schilz touched it down. 26-8 and a lifeline.

Once again, though, the Eagles gave away a soft try right after. Stuck on their own goalline, the USA set a ruck, but De Haas's box kick was charged down and Jamie Blamire chase his chargedown to score and make it 31-8.

Determined the to not capitulate, the USA raised their play somewhat. Their defense was better and more organized, especially in the outside channels. Their hits were a little harder. No. 8 Cam Dolan then charged down a box kick of his own and scored. Carty converted to make it 31-15.

England scored off a scrum, produced when they forced the USA back into their in-goal, but the Eagles still had more to give. More penalties, and some improvement in the scrum, set them up for another lineout, and this time flanker Hanco Germishuys peeled off to score on the weak side. Carty curved in the difficult conversion and it was 36-22. England responded with yet another try, a superb dummy and scamper by scrumhalf Harry Randall, but then one more turning point.

A kick ahead by England resulted in a turnover, and quick ball put them under the posts. Try to make it 48-22 right? Maybe not. Campbell quickly informed the referee, politely, that maybe when he was fielding the kick, Te'o was hit in the air. Replay showed this to be true. No try, penalty USA. From there the Eagles finally got a chance to attack wide. Te'o found some space and then fed Mike Kruse.

The wing made a move, and then passed inside to sub scrumhalf and debutant Michael Daska. The ball rolled forward but, as replay would show, it was knocked back by an England hand. No knock-on, Baska played the whistle and passed off the sub wing and debutant Christian Dyer, and the Jesuit/Cal product was in under the posts. It was perhaps the most exciting score of the day.

The Eagles continued to play and didn't allow England a chance to score 50, instead the game ended 43-29, with the USA attacking. So often the team that sees Tier 1 teams make adjustments in the second half to pull away, it was the USA team that made the adjustments, fixed their defensive issues, and earned every hand-clap they received.

Players, Injuries, and Adjustments

Marcel Brache collided with Lawrence and both ended up having to be taken off for head injury assessment. Neither returned. It's worth noting that because of that the USA had, yet again, to change their fullback configuration.

The influx of subs in the second half made an impact. Joe Taufete'e was very good both with the ball in hand—he refused to be stopped before the gain line—and in set piece. Dino Waldren's arrival at prop coincided with some better scrum work. Germishuys, whose form had been up and down in 2019, was his old (good) self. Gold's choice of three big, physical back-rowers may not have worked out, with Hattingh being a force in the lineout and in tight, but not able to cover the distance to those wide gaps in time.

De Haas made a couple of mistakes but, overall, was very good and sometimes brilliant. Once he started sending leading passes to his runners the Eagles were much better. Te'o struggled at wing and looked a little less fast than he has been, but he took on the fullback role with no complaint and made some plays. Carty was good, and his kicking was excellent.  Despite the scrum issues, David Ainu'u put in a full day's work throughout.

Remember—this was a team that had spent less than a week together and had not played together for 19 months. The pieces of play that really need players to be together (aheam, the scrum) suffered. The England team, with as many debutants as it had, had been training together longer and knew each other and had been playing a full Premiership season. Dismissing this England team as weak would be opaque thinking, and acknowledging the USA's heart and ability to adjust and play at this level is the right thing.

England 43
Tries: Underhill, Lawrence, Cokanisaga 2, Blamire, Smith, Randall
Convs: Smith 4

USA 29
Tries: Fa'ana-Schulz, Dolan, Germishuys, Dyer
Convs: Carty 3
Pens: Carty

USA Lineup: 1. David Ainu'u; 2. Mikey Sosene-Feagai; 3. Paul Mullen; 4. Gregory Peterson; 5. Nick Civetta; 6. Jamason Fa'anana-Schultz; 7. Riekert Hattingh*; 8. Cam Dolan; 9. Ruben de Haas; 10. Luke Carty*; 11. Mika Kruse*; 12. Bryce Campbell (C); 13. Calvin Whiting; 14. Mikey Te'o; 15. Marcel Brache

Reserves: 16. Joe Taufete'e; 17. Matt Harmon*; 18. Dino Waldren; 19. Nate Brakeley; 20. Psalm Wooching; 21. Hanco Germishuys; 22. Michael Baska*; 23. Christian Dyer*

England Lineup: 1. Ellis Genge; 2. Curtis Langdon*; 3. Joe Heyes*; 4. Josh McNally*; 5. Charlie Ewels; 6. Lewis Ludlow (C)*; 7. Sam Underhill; 8. Callum Chick*; 9. Harry Randall*; 10. Marcus Smith*; 11. Max Malins; 12. Ollie Lawrence; 13. Henry Slade; 14. Joe Cokanasiga; 15. Freddie Stewar*

Reserves: 16. Jamie Blamire*; 17. Beno Obano; 18. Trevor Davison*; 19. Ted Hill; 20. Ben Curry*; 21. Lewis Ludlam; 22. Dan Robson; 23. Jacob Umaga*