Zack Test scored at the end of the first game of the Cape Town 7s to beat Wales and essentially ensure that the USA would get to the Cup Quarterfinals.

Wales were a tough test to start the entire tournament and led early 12-0. But Carlin Isles put in one of his all-too-familiar long-range tries to close the gap and then Brett Thompson went over just before halftime to tie the game.

A try from Test put the USA up 19-12 before Wales tied it up. Test then got his second with about a minute to go to win it 26-19.

 

USA 26

Tries: Test 2, Thompson, Isles 

Convs: Hughes 3

 

Wales 19

Tries: Cross, Knight, Treharne

Convs: O’Brien, Treharne

 

So next up on Day One in Cape Town was Portugal, a team the USA expected to beat. 

“We dominated possession early,” said USA captain Madison Hughes, who scored three tries. “That allowed us to keep scoring. It wasn’t until the end that they were able to get any possession at all, and they were able to hit back at us. 

But by that point the Eagles had the game well in hand. Folau Niua also scored three while Isles and Perry Baker added tries for a 52-7 rout.

 

USA 52

Tries: Hughes 3, Niua 3, Baker, Isles

Convs: Hughes 5, Holder

 

Portugal 7

Tries: Leal

Convs: Leal

 

 

So that set up a clash with Australia for the top spot in the pool, and here the Eagles faltered a little. It was Australia, not the USA, that finished with the late try, with Henry Hutchison scoring well past the hooter to win the game 26-21.

 

USA 21

Tries: Swiryn, Hughes, Isles

Convs: Hughes 3

 

Australia 26

Tries: Jeloudev 2, Fa’alava’au, Hutchison

Convs: Stannard 3

 

 

Notes: The Eagles finish 2nd in Pool C with a 2-1 record and make the Cup Quarterfinals for the fourth time in a row and eighth time in the last nine tournaments. 

Madison Hughes has passed Jone Naqica for 2nd all-time in World Series points for a USA player - he now has 464 in 14 1/2 tournaments - amazing how quickly a player can get there when a team is winning and, therefore, scoring. Hughes trails Zack Test (636), who isn’t done scoring tries, but doesn’t take the kicks, and therefore could be caught eventually. 

Thretton Palamo replaced Nate Augspurger in the squad for this tournament. Palamo has been playing for London Welsh but was released for this weekend. Augspurger returned to the USA to attend a family wedding.

The Eagles play Kenya in the Cup Quarterfinals at 1:10pm Sunday local time, which is 6:10am ET, 3:10 PT.