Record-setting win for USA over Canada

The US Eagles set a new record for tries and points scored as they romped to a 51-34 win over Canada at Swangard Stadium on Saturday. It tops the 41-23 mark set in Ottawa in 2015 and extends their winning streak to five tests against the Canucks, their best ever run of games against their northern neighbors. While it’s presumptuous to use the match as a barometer ahead of the World Cup qualifiers given the number of top players absent from both sides, the result does give the Eagles bragging rights and great confidence heading into the final rounds of the Americas Rugby Championship.

It was the worst possible start for Canada, who trailed by 12 points before the clock had even ticked over five minutes. The first sequence of attack saw Bryce Campbell burst through a tackle and put Ryan Matyas into space barely a minute into the game. A lineout steal from Nate Brakeley caught the Canadians unawares and quick hands found Mike Te’o free and into the corner.

Will Magie landed a penalty goal to make it 15-0 but then Taylor Paris injected some life into the Canadian side. Robbie Povey found a gap in the line and found his left wing on his shoulder, and Paris showed a clean pair of heels to the cover defense to get one back for his country. Phil Mack was next in on the act, tearing away from a scrum at close range to escape the outstretched arms of Tony Lamborn and scamper in under the posts.

An exchange of penalty goals between Shaun Davies and Povey left the scores 18-15 but then came a pivotal moment when skipper Ray Barkwill was sent to the sin bin after what was ruled a dangerous tackle. The Eagles lineout proved a major source of strength all game and it paid dividends when Anthony Purpura was driven over in the maul to make it a 10-point gap at the break.

With Canada still a man short Te’o grabbed his second. A cross-kick from Magie was tapped back by a leaping Nate Augspurger to his fullback for the score. The driving maul again proved unstoppable with Todd Clever doing the honors soon after, but again it was Paris who came to Canada’s rescue. This time he popped up as the extra man on a set move from a scrum, and again his pace proved too much for the Eagles defense.

Gaps began to open with tired bodies and discipline becoming a factor. A multi-phase attack on the Canadian line yielded a score for replacement flanker John Quill, and then a response with Povey’s chip kick landing in George Barton’s hands for the teenager’s second try of the tournament. Te’o won the race to a well-weighted stab through from Magie to record his hat-trick. The crowd were given a final moment to cheer when home-town favorite Admir Cejvanovic crossed from a scrum to close out the scoring.

While Canada will be pleased with their scrum performance, their lineout was dismantled by USA second rows Brakeley and Nick Civetta, and both the defense and discipline left much to be desired. The Eagles looked the better side throughout though they themselves will unsatisfied with the number of tries and penalties conceded.

The final two rounds of the ARC will have a different meaning for each. While not mathematically eliminated, Canada are now level with Uruguay on 6 points and it’s the Teros who they will now face in their first match of their South American trip. The Eagles face maligned Chile in Santiago with their sights firmly set on the Argentina XV and an ARC title in two weeks’ time.

 

SCORING

CANADA 34
Tries – T. Paris 2 (14’, 56’), P. Mack (20’), G. Barton (68’), A. Cejvanovic (77’)
Cons – R. Povey (21’), G. McRorie 2 (69’, 78’)
Pens – R. Povey (36’)
Yellow cards – R. Barkwill (38’)

USA 51
Tries – R. Matyas (2’), M. Te’o 3 (4’, 45’, 71’), A. Purpura (39’), T. Clever (53’), J. Quill (64’)
Cons – S. Davies 5 (3’, 40’, 54’, 65’, 72’)
Pens – W. Magie (11’), S. Davies (31’)

 

TEAMS

CANADA
1 Rob Brouwer (17 Djustice Sears-Duru 50’), 2 Ray Barkwill (capt.) (16 Benoît Pifféro 58’), 3 Matt Tierney (18 Cole Keith 66’), 4 Conor Keys, 5 Reegan O’Gorman, 6 Lucas Rumball, 7 Ollie Nott (16 Benoît Pifféro 44’-47’) (20 Lucas Albornoz 58’), 8 Admir Cejvanovic, 9 Phil Mack (21 Gordon McRorie 55’), 10 Robbie Povey, 11 Taylor Paris (23 George Barton HT-44’, 66’), 12 Guiseppe du Toit, 13 Nick Blevins (22 Gradyn Bowd HT), 14 Dan Moor, 15 Brock Staller

Not used: 19 Liam Chisholm

USA
1 Anthony Purpura (18 Ben Tarr 56’), 2 Peter Malcolm (16 James Hilterbrand 50’), 3 Chris Baumann (17 Dino Waldren 50’), 4 Nate Brakeley, 5 Nick Civetta (19 Siaosi Mahoni 66’), 6 Todd Clever (capt.) (21 David Tameilau 56’), 7 Tony Lamborn (20 John Quill 61’), 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Shaun Davies (23 Spike Davis 72’), 10 Will Magie, 11 Nate Augspurger, 12 JP Eloff, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Ryan Matyas (22 Ben Cima 50’), 15 Mike Te’o

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Damián Schneider (UAR)
Assistants: David Smortchevsky (RC) & David Crisp (RC)

 

Attendance: 3,416