The USA defeated Canada 30-22 in the Americas Rugby Championship Saturday night just outside of Austin, Texas.

The Eagles put aside a series of set-piece errors and penal tie that saw them behind in the first half, and exploded for 20 points in the second half, including three tries from flanker and captain Todd Clever.

The game started fairly inauspiciously for the Eagles, as they struggled to keep possession and found themselves defending for most of the first 15 minutes.

An early penalty from Gordon McRorie was repeated after the USA lost their own put-in n the scrum. That was a worry for the Eagles all through the first half. Once the Americans got the ball moving they asked questions of the Canadians defense, using the backs, but also slotting Clever and No. 8 David Tameilau among those backs. Both loose forwards showed themselves to be able to pass nicely.

That pressure produced a penalty attempt for flyhalf James Bird, and he knocked it over. But the USA gave those points right back. Unable to secure the restart they were on the back foot once again and McRorie hit another penalty for a 9-3 lead.

Then came the first try. It was a try that had a bit of everything. The Eagles spun it wide where Chad London made a small break and unleashed wing Luke Hume - who was at his havoc-producing best. The USA kept up the pressure and ran the forwards hard at the Canada line. The Canadians held, but then scrumhalf Mke Te’o sent it wide, and Moto Filikitonga split two defenders and popped a backhanded pass to London for the try.

Bird kicked the conversion for a 10-9, but that lead didn’t last long. Canada’s restart went out on the full, and captain Clever wisely opted for the lineout at midfield because his team wasn’t winning its scrums. But they lost that lineout, and that allowed Canada to surge on and get another penalty and a 12-10 halftime lead.

In the second half it seemed to be more of the same, as the Eagles started to push the tempo, perhaps a little bit too much, and McRorie hit another penalty for a 15-10 lead. 

At 45 minutes Canada’s Mozac Samson was injured, and during the stoppage, Clever could be seen talking to the players, and he might have been telling them they had plenty of time and not much of a deficit. Since the USA had almost given up a try trying to run out of their own 22, it was a point worth taking.

Certainly a little patience goes a long way. So does winning your set pieces, and with Joseph Taufete’e in at hooker both the scrums and lineouts started to function better.

Jake Anderson and Luke Hume worked a break, and that led to a penalty. The Eagles kicked for the corner, and Clever was the guy with the ball and the maul was working. It was, in the end, a pretty easy try for the captain. That made it 15-15, and soon after that they were back, getting a penalty, working the maul, and putting Clever over again. It didn’t hurt that Canada had suffered a yellow card for a professional foul.

Up 20-15, the Eagle pressed their advantage. Up two men with a Canadian injured on the ground, they ran one more maul, and this time Clever peeled off to go soaring over the line for a 27-15 lead.

The USA defense had been fairly strong throughout the game, using a blitz in the outer channels, sometimes from two players, to keep Canada worried. That works, unless it doesn’t, and sub back Duncan Maguire got around a couple of blitzing defenders to go in front long range to make it 27-22.

One more break from Hume, which almost set up Niku Kruger for a try, sealed it. Canada infringed on their tryline, and Kruger put the kick over to confirm the victory.

The game turned on the USA’s ability to win lineouts and scrums. That ability coincided with the arrival of Joseph Taufete’e, who was effective in most aspects of play. David Tameilau was again a force at No. 8 and Brodie Orth continued his good run of form. Starting at scrumhalf, Mike Te’o might have been a little slow in his service, but he understood the value of quick ball and was unfazed by he Canadian defenders. Hume was a terror on attack, and Kingsley McGowan made some big players. Jake Anderson was outstanding at fullback, especially with his kicking from the hand.

All but one of the subs were used, and showed fairly well.

The sad news is that Lemoto Flilikitonga was helped from the field 35 minutes in with a very worrying leg injury. He had played very well until then.

The Eagles are now 1-0-1 in the Americas Rugby Championship, while Canada drops to 1-1.

 

USA 30

Tries: Clever 3, London

Convs: Bird, Kruger

Pens: Bird, Kruger

 

Canada 22

Tries: Maquire

Convs: Ferguson

Pens: McRorie 5

 

Men's Eagles | v. Canada
1. Eric Fry
2. Mike Sosene-Feagai
3. Chris Baumann
4. Brodie Orth
5. Ben Landry
6. Nate Brakeley
7. Todd Clever (C)
8. David Tameilau
9. Mike Te'o
10. James Bird
11. Kingsley McGowan
12. Lemoto Filikitonga
13. Chad London
14. Luke Hume
15. Jake Anderson

Men's Eagles | Reserves
16. Joseph Taufete'e for Sosene-Feagai at 40
17. Olive Kilifi for Baumann at 65
18. James Hilterbrand for Kilifi at 70
19. Patrick Blair DNP
20. Alec Gletzer for Brakeley at 70
21. Niku Kruger for Te’o at 65
22. JP Eloff for Bird at 40
23. Mike Garrity for Filikitonga at 35

Canada | v. USA
1. Hubert Buydens (C)
2. Ray Barkwill
3. Jake Ilnicki
4. Paul Ciulini
5. Callum Morrison
6. Lucas Rumball
7. Alistair Clark
8. Clay Panga
9. Gordon McRorie
10. Gradyn Bowd
11. Dan Moor
12. Nick Blevins
13. Mozac Samson
14. Phil Mackenzie
15. Pat Parfrey

Canada | Reserves
16. Eric Howard
17. Djustice Sears-Duru
18. Rob Brouwer
19. Kyle Baillie
20. Liam Chisholm
21. Michael Hamson
22. Andrew Ferguson
23. Duncan Maguire

 

Played at Dell Diamond, Red Rock, Texas. Attendance 7,145