The USA Men’s 7s team went 3-0 in pool play in London, landing them on top of their pool and squarely in the quarterfinals with a date with rivals Canada set for Sunday morning.

The Eagles played much more consistent rugby and enjoyed very strong performances by several players, notably the bash brothers due of Danny Barrett and Garrett Bender. Playing without the injured Zack Test, the USA brought in Thretton Palamo to bolster their squad, but he was not used, as Coach Mike Friday went with his regulars - and it seemed that just about every player has earned that moniker.

 

USA 24 France 19

The Eagles started the last two tournaments very poorly, and were clearly determined to start London off right. And they did that, using their big men to challenge the French defenders and then find speed. A run by Barrett set up nicely Carlin Isles for a relatively easy run for the first try. Then Maka Unufe just cut through the defense for another.

Right off the restart, Bender took the kick in the air and charged untoward the line. He was caught, but captain Madison Hughes was right behind him, and a nice pass to Hughes led to the try and a 17-0 lead.

At halftime USA Coach Mike Friday told his players to keep it simple and keep the ball and not let France get a sniff. They did none of those things. A failure to secure the kickoff led to a quick try for France, and then running away from support in their 22 led to a penalty, a turnover, and another French try. Just like that it was 17-14. But Bender, who was guilty of that aforementioned penalty, than won the restart and got the USA on the front foot. Some good teamwork led to Andrew Durutalo going forward and setting up Hughes for the captain’s second. France scored another one, but the USA held on 24-19. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough.

 

USA 24 France 19

Tries: Hughes 2, Isles, Unufe

Convs: Hughes 2

 

 

USA 28 Portugal 12

Next up was Portugal, and the USA took a while to figure out what they were doing. Too many penalties put them on their line, but then Perry Baker got the ball a meter inside his in-goal and he had space and raced all the way in under the posts - 101 meters.

After that Portugal had the run of play, recycling well and forcing the USA to commit penalties. They tied it 7-7 at halftime. Portugal did the game to take the lead 12-7 right after halftime. But the Eagles regained the lead when Barrett scored after a long, and patient attacking sequence. More patience led to a penalty in the Portugal 22, and a nice switch move with Unufe put him under the posts.

Now at 21-12, the USA put it away with an attack begun by Martin Iosefo, who linked with Bender, who then flipped a nice backhanded pass to Hughes in support.

 

USA 28 Portugal 12

Tries: Baker, Barrett, Unufe, Hughes

Convs: Hughes 4

 

 

USA 21 South Africa 12

So now 2-0 USA against 2-0 South Africa. Despite some making the point that South Africa might have wanted to lose that game because then they’d get Fiji in the quarterfinals, and a chance for South Africa to win that game and maybe win the Series as a result, both of these teams clearly wanted to win.

South Africa went into the game leading the all-time series 31-2-1, and started very nicely. A series of borderline penalties and infractions by the USA led to two tries for South Africa and a 12-0 lead. But at the end of the first half, South Africa received a yellow card. The Eagles didn’t do anything much with the penalty right then, but they retained the man advantage into the second period, and they made it pay off.

South Africa’s kickoff in the second half was out on the full, and from the free kick the Eagles tested South Africa on the left, and then worked a pass-and-loop between Bender and Barrett (complete with a bone-jarring hit) for a try for Bender. Moments later, smart hands, including a lovely catch-and-pass from Barrett, put Baker away from long range and with the Hughes conversion, the USA led 14-12.

The USA defended their line after that, and a key turnover by Barrett led to a USA attack. With the ball in a ruck in the South Africa 22, Carlin Isles was set to send it out. At the last second he saw that South Africa had left the tiny blind side open, and he faked to the open side and then ran around the edge to seal the game at 21-12.

 

USA 21 South Africa 12

Tries: Bender, Baker, Isles

Convs: Hughes

 

It was a really nice performance by the USA, with Barrett involved in virtually every good thing the Eagles did. Starting as a forward instead of Test, Bender unleashed his power, and that gave room for both fast guys - Baker and Isles - to work their magic. Hughes, Durutalo, and Unufe all payed well. Folau Niua was quiet, but in the smart way that a good playmaker can be - content to distribute and let the others get the glory.

With the victory the USA has virtually guaranteed to stay in 6th in the standings. The only team that can catch the Eagles now is Scotland, and to do that the Scots would have to win the tournament, and the Eagles would have to lose two in a row on Sunday.

But the Eagles are looking at getting to the semis, matched up, as they are, with a Canada team that embarrassed them 40-0 a week ago.

If they play on Sunday the way they played on Saturday, they will get there, and possibly do better than that.