SEATTLE, WA. - What started concerning, concluded as a thriller. In their final match of the Americas Rugby Championship 2019, the USA Men's Eagles (15s) outlasted rival-Canada 30-25 thanks to a line break by Mike Te'o and a match-winning try by scrumhalf Ruben de Haas on the final play.
This was by no means a perfect game, however, as the United States fell prey to numerous penalties which flooded the first half and allowed Canada to keep the score close.
"We always expect an arm wrestle, because it is Canada. We're pretty frustrated with the opportunities we did create but didn't take advantage of. It's kind of been the theme of this whole ARC and a huge learning experience for us,' said Captain Blaine Scully. "When you get those opportunities in test match rugby, you have to take them. And, luckily we were able to grind it out and it was a tough finish for us and I'm proud of the group and our effort in that way.'
The Eagles were first on the board on a penalty kick after Canada was caught offside and Will Magie slotted a beauty through the posts.
But consecutive penalties for not rolling away and knocking the ball on gave Canada a lineout inside five-meters. And with prime position, the Canadians pushed vigorously against the USA defense to find a margin of space to dot down, 3-7.
The United States attack came back fast and hard, moving inside Canada's half until the referee called a knock on. A few phases passed and a penalty went against Canada setting up Joe Taufete'e to cruise around a running maul and score, 8-7.
Both teams spent much of their time mid-field, tossing possession back and forth as penalties threw the game into a whirlwind of set pieces. On a lineout just outside the 22, the United States committed another penalty and Canada was away with the try, 8-12.
Despite the challenges through the first half of play, the USA attack showed a unique grit that continued to fight for both space and opportunities.
With a short run from Hanco Germishuys and a high tackle against Canada, the Eagles were back inside the 22. Another Canadian penalty and a USA lineout at five-meters set off a string of resilient phases where the Americans pushed for every inch until Cam Dolan scored near the right flank.
The try led into halftime where the Eagles emerged twice as physical and even more precise for Joe Taufete'e to bully his way around another maul and make it 20-12.
Canada were right back at it when a not releasing penalty gave them space and positioning to cut the deficit 20-19. With only one point between them and a vibrant crowd behind them, the United States and Canada had ignited an intensity fitting of their notorious rivalry.
Masterful passing initiated by Captain Blaine Scully initiated a string of perfectly managed passes but after a penalty against Canada, the Eagles wasted no time increasing their lead with a kick, 23-19.
The Canadians came right back with two consecutive penalty kicks of their own, stealing the lead 23-25 in the most electrifying part of the match. Within that, two considerable line breaks by Hanco Germishusys weren't enough to keep the North American rivals at bay and the Eagles were faced with just minutes on the clock to make magic.
It was after a yellow card on Canada and a missed penalty kick by USA that the Eagles got the ball back and Mike Te'o made all the difference.
A massive clean break had Te'o run 60-meters down the pitch to get the Americans within five meters of a try. Into the zone with a USA crowd going wild, the Canadians managed to hold up the try sending both teams into a scrum.
There, scrumhalf Ruben de Haas made a quick dummy to the right for space on the left that helped him dance over the line for the match-winning points, 30-25.
Completely buzzing from the magnitude of the moment, the Eagles embraced de Haas and celebrated the bright conclusion to a tournament filled with adversity.
The U.S. Men's National Team will now rest for several months before returning in July for the Pacific Nations Cup. From there, the squad will be into the final stretch as Rugby World Cup Japan 2019 kicks off in September.
USA Men's Eagles Staff
Head Coach | Gary Gold
Assistant Coach, Backs & Attack | Greg McWilliams
Assistant Coach, Forwards | Shawn Pittman
Defense Coach | Jaque Fourie
Strength & Conditioning Coach | Huw Bevan
Performance Analyst | Jimmy Harrison
Team Doctor | Mark Sakr (Chile, Argentina Uruguay, Canada)
Head Athletic Trainer | Kevin Ng
Assistant Athletic Trainer | Kristen Douhan
Team Manager | Chris Hanson
Americas Rugby Championship 2019 Schedule & Results
LIVE on FloRugby in the United States
vs Chile | 71-8 (W)
vs Argentina XV | 45-14 (L)
vs Brazil | 33-28 (W)
vs Uruguay | 25-32 (L)
vs Canada | 30-25 (W)
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About the Americas Rugby Championship
The Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) is an international, round-robin competition at the test level which features six competing teams from North and South America including Argentina XV, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Uruguay and USA. All matches contested in the ARC count for rankings points and test caps with the exception of those played against Argentina XV who compete as a secondary national team. Originally introduced as a development tournament, the Americas Rugby Championship began operating at the senior international level in 2016 where Argentina XV (who remained as part of the setup) claimed the inaugural championship and USA took runners-up. USA are currently reigning champions having won both the 2017 and 2018 ARC with Argentina XV runners-up in both years.
ARC Points Structure
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Loss - 0 points
Bonus
Scoring 4+ tries - 1 point
Losing by 7 or fewer points - 1 point
