GRR: National Teams
Does it all come down to just 14 minutes?
Portugal slice up the USA to the tune of 46-20 Saturday in Algarve, and it was a scoreline that could have been even worse had the final try not been called back.
One week removed from a convincing win over Romania in Bucharest, the USA Men’s Eagles have landed off the beaches of Algarve, by way of a short stay in Lisbon, for their Saturday match against Portugal.
Nine players got their first USA Men’s 15s caps last weekend, and it’s always nice to combine a debut with a victory.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. While Chris Mattina has been on the world sevens circuit and Tomamso Boni has played 11 times for Italy, so they understand what it takes to play internationally, it’s a wakeup call for most.
Following their convincing victory over Romania, the USA Men’s 15s team has come in for some enthusiastic kudos … but how do the players feel about it?
The first part of that is the fact that the Eagles were more fun to watch—more direct, more committed to continuity. It’s also fun to play.