The third round of the HSBC SVNS was hosted in Perth this weekend, where the USA Men’s Sevens finished 11th in and up and down tournament for the young squad.
Pool play was highlighted by an exciting extra time win over 5th ranked Argentina, where a walk off try from Faitala Talapusi lit up HBF Park. Rookie Jake Broselle also earned his first start in the final match, his official debut on the HSBC SVNS. Despite the losses, all games were close contests with each result within seven points, showing the squad is in arms reach of the win column going forward. The USA Men now sit XX on the overall rankings in this first year of new generational players. The USA will head home to Chula Vista with a short time off and preparation for the Vancouver SNVS in late February.
Head Coach Simon Amor's comments following the weekend, "We're naturally disappointed with our final performance against Ireland, we didn't play near our capabilities, but outside of that we're really pleased with the effort the boys put in and the growth of the team. We really showed some improvements in our defensive mindset, our attacking game and our connections which has been a big focus for us. With the one score games, it shows we're in the fight, now we've got to learn to win those fights. That will be the focus over the next period of time. We're giving ourselves a chance, so it's about getting it over the line and make those better decisions in the moment."
Pool play matches included games against South Africa, Argentina and host Australia over a two day stretch, the USA went 1-2 which put them in the 9th place semifinal for the knockout rounds. South Africa, coming off a gold medal win last stop in Cape Town, got off to a quick start with two quick tries, but gritty play from Lucas Lacamp and Will Chevalier earned the USA a lead at halftime. The Eagles worked to keep possession with the lead in the last few minutes, but a dribbled ball gave South Africa a scoring opportunity and late try to win it 24-19.
Match two against Argentina was likely the best match of the weekend. The USA again conceded two early tries at the start, but worked their way back with scores from Marcus Tupuola and Jack Wendling that equalized in expired time. Faitala Talapusi set up for the winning conversion, but it sailed just wide of the posts, leading to extra time. Sturdy defense kept a few strikes from Argentina off the board, where Talapusi found a gap up the middle on his own 22 for a breakaway try and game winner, 24-19. Needing an exciting win, Talapusi’s teammates swarmed him in celebration with the door for a quarterfinal still open.
Hosts Australia were the Pool B finale, this time the USA were on the board first with a highlight play from Peter Sio Jr and Aaron Cummings. Sio reeled in the very deep kickoff on his own tryline, sprinting left and into the end goal before escaping forward a few meters and pitching out wide to Cummings. Aaron then hit the boosters on the left flank for a near 100m sprint to the try zone. Australia regained control with three tries to outpace the Eagles and secure the 19-12 win, and ticket to the Cup Quarterfinals. The USA was visibly more cohesive in the match however, confident off the big win fans could see more fluid ball movement and recycles in the loss, a sign of forward momentum for the young team.
The 9th place playoff was against Kenya, a team now back on the SVNS circuit from the Challenger series and one the USA always play physical. Adam Channel rose to the top with two tries, but Kenya’s kicking game opened up a late opportunity. The USA had Kenya pinned in their own 22 late, where Kenya repeatedly tried kicking for clearance but a few blocks kept them back. The third kick however escaped past midfield and Floyd Wabwire was able to chase down the lucky bounce and win the game 26-21 for Kenya.
Ireland matched up for the 11th place playoff, the USA took advantage of early Irish errors to put points on the board. Jack Wendling reeled in a lineout over throw to find a try. The first half was an extended one, going about 8.5 minutes with both teams trading possessions in expired time. Missed tackles hurt the USA in the second half as Ireland outscored them in the second half for a 19-17 win. Lucas Lacamp closed with a good fend and try in the last few seconds, one of 8 Lacamp had on the weekend.
Jake Broselle was also named a starter in the final match, making his HSBC SVNS debut with his brother Ben also starting alongside him.
The USA Men’s Sevens will be back on the HSBC SVNS Series February 21-23, this time closer to home in Vancouver. In a transitional year for the developing team, Vancouver offers another opportunity to earn match time on the series and target a strong finish at home in Los Angeles for the 2025 World Championship. Tickets on sale now for the USA SVNS series stop at Dignity Health Sports Park, May 3-4, 2025.
| Name | SVNS Tournaments |
|---|---|
| 1. Aaron Cummings | 25 |
| 2. Ben Broselle | 19 |
| 4. Adam Channel | 15 |
| 5. Will Chevalier (C) | 5 |
| 6. David Still III | 21 |
| 7. Peter Sio Jr. | 3 |
| 8. Lance Williams | 9 |
| 9. Stephen Tomasin | 61 |
| 10. Faitala Talapusi | 22 |
| 12. Lucas Lacamp | 23 |
| 13. Jack Wendling (C) | 8 |
| 27. Marcus Tupuola | 35 |
| 20. Jake Broselle | 1 |
Simon Amor | Head Coach
Josh Schnell | Strength & Conditioning
Colby Thompson | Athletic Trainer
Tries: W. Chavalier (2), L. Lacamp
Conv: S. Tomasin (2)
Tries: M. Tupuola, D. Still III, J. Wendling, F. Talapusi
Conv: S. Tomasin (2)
Tries: A. Cummings, J. Wendling
Conv: W. Chevalier
Tries: A. Channel (2), F. Talapusi
Conv: M. Tupuola, S. Tomasin, F. Talapusi
Tries: J. Wendling, A. Channel, L. Lacamp
Conv: P. Sio Jr
