So what do we want to say about the USA’s 40-12 loss to Tonga?

 

Easy - don’t turn the ball over.

 

That’s it. Yes the USA scrum was shoved around by Tonga’s scrum, which isn’t that good. Yes the Eagles had the ball in the Tonga 22 for long periods and didn’t score. But, also, barring some bad errors, the USA defense held up; their lineout functions well, and they scored two good tries.

 

The difference in the game, completely and utterly, was failure to secure the ball at critical moments. Here’s a look at the tries the USA gave up. You’ll see a trend.

 

USA lineout not straight.

Scrum Tonga

Penalty at scrum

Lineout at USA 10-meter line

Excellent backline move by Tonga leads to try against out-of-position USA defense.

 

Long kick to touch by USA leads to quick llineout by Tonga

Good broken field running and offloading by Tonga.

(Referee misses obvious holding-on by Tonga)

Tonga held up in-goal.

Scrum 

Tonga scores on weak side.

 

USA has ball goes through several phases.

Tim Stanfill on long run. Risky offload consolidated. 

Greg Peterson runs ahead and loses ball in tackle

Tonga returns for 80 meters for a try.
 

 

USA has ball just outside their own 22. 

A bad pass to Stanfill, who send s a risky high pass to Shalom Suniula.

Suniula drops it and stops playing, expecting a whistle.

Tonga recovers and runs in easily.

 

USA go on a break with Palamo and Niua

They lose the ball in a ruck. Tonga kicks deep.

Suniula sends bad pass to Stanfill. He passes to Thretton Palamo, who dodges around a while before sending a kick downfield.

Tonga counters, gets an offside penalty (John Cullen), kicks to the corner, mauls over a try.

 

 

Five tries. Every single one due, at the beginning, to USA mistakes. Either it was a mistake of execution, or sloppiness in securing the ball, or panicking. It got contagious, and experienced players started making rookie mistakes. Not playing the whistle is inexcusable for an international rugby player. Failing to keep the ball when you’re on a break - fractured play all around, remember - is also inexcusable. 

 

But … had the Eagles avoided these silly errors and been more patient, they could well have won the game. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve written this. And while the players and the coaches aren’t free from fault - they all have to do better on this - the main problem remains the fact that players who are brought from domestic rugby up to the international game just have to make too big a jump. Controlling the ball when taking big hits, and making secure passes under pressure are two of the skills that don’t get truly tested in the USA. Heck, even overseas prop Greg Peterson had issues.

 

The USA lost because they were sloppy with the ball against a team that punishes sloppiness harshly. Against Fiji in a week it won’t get any easier.