The USA Men's Sevens National Team finished with a big win in England. After a completely uncharacteristic showing against Ireland (0-33), the United States came back with incredible energy and a true team performance to dominate hosts Team GB (36-14).
"Today was certainly a day of two halves,' said Head Coach Mike Friday. "We can only apologize for the first game as that is just not how we go about our business and want to represent.
"Our attitude in the second game is the baseline of intent where we finally got the fruits of our physicality and ensured we looked after the ball, keeping possession errors to a minimum. That said, we recognize that from this weekend, we have a lot of work to do in the last block to ensure our accuracy in the basic components of the game are where they need to be. That was the hindrance to allowing us to get the fluidity in our attack.
"I am happy with how our evolving physical durability is tracking and we will need to keep working smartly to build on that. We'll take a week recovery and it will be very much heads down with all our focus on building towards Tokyo.'
The USA men will now look ahead to their final training event at Quest For Gold Sevens in Los Angeles from June 25-26. Fans may purchase tickets for Saturday, starting at $25 plus fees. Held at Dignity Health Sports Park, home venue for the official HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series stop, this will be the final opportunity for fans to see their men's and women's Olympic teams play before Tokyo. More information is at questforgold.usa.rugby.
USA vs Ireland | 0-33 (L)
Not much can be said about the opening match of the day. Ireland controlled possession and the USA delivered a performance completely outside of its DNA. The Eagles Sevens had one real attacking opportunity in the second half, where Ireland blocked a kick and converted it for points, ultimately tallying a 33-point lead before the end. The disappointment was evident across the U.S. camp as the entire squad acknowledged a very clear need to reset.
USA v Team GB | 36-14 (W)
The United States came alive in spectacular ways against Team GB. Taking the opening attack for the first time all weekend, the U.S. moved the ball inside five meters quickly and fought valiantly for the first try. Team GB's defense was diligent but so was the U.S. attack. For several minutes, the Eagles Sevens fought inside the GB 22 until Matai Leuta finally saw a margin of space to slam the ball down. GB responded immediately but the USA came right back for two straight by Madison Hughes, first from a well-timed offload by Martin Iosefo and next from an inside ball by Joe Schroeder. After halftime, Team GB's final try was followed by an incredible series of phases by the U.S. Martin Iosefo made a hard hit in attack for Joe Schroeder to dot down in the corner, 14-26. Harley Wheeler crashed in right after and Kevon Williams sealed the win with one final score at fulltime.
TRIES | Matai Leuta, Madison Hughes (2), Joe Schroeder, Harley Wheeler, Kevon Williams
CONS | Madison Hughes (3)
USA Men’s Sevens Roster
| PLAYER NAME | POSITION | HSBC TOURNAMENTS |
| Maceo Brown | Utility | 14 |
| Malacchi Esdale | Center / Wing | Uncapped |
| Naima Fuala’au | Halfback | 7 |
| Madison Hughes (C) | Halfback | 52 |
| Martin Iosefo | Center | 46 |
| Carlin Isles | Wing | 57 |
| Matai Leuta | Forward | 40 |
| Joe Schroeder | Forward | 12 |
| Faitala Talapusi | Halfback | 3 |
| Stephen Tomasin | Utility | 37 |
| Marcus Tupoula | Center/Wing | 8 |
| Anthony Welmers | Prop | 5 |
| Harley Wheeler | Utility | 1 |
| Kevon Williams | Halfback/Wing | 27 |
USA Men’s Sevens Traveling Staff
Head Coach | Mike Friday
Assistant Coach | Phil Greening
Performance Analyst | Dave Gardner
Athletic Trainer | Kevin Ng
Team Manager | Scott Novack
