Italy edges USA in San Jose

Italy held on for a narrow 24-20 win over the USA in a feisty clash at the Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California. The first of two home tests for the USA this June, the Eagles failed to overturn a vulnerable Italian side that could have been a scalp for the Americans. The scoreline looks solid on paper, but Eagle Head Coach John Mitchell will regret not posting a big win in the Eagles’ first test match of the Summer and the first with his hand chosen wards. Boasting a match day roster with all but two players plying their trade professionally, Mitchell’s Eagles looked ready to make history, but lacked precision against Italy.

It didn’t take the two sides long to show their intent. Both Italy and the USA opted early and often to kick the ball, often aimlessly and without chase. The match was brought to a halt in the 4th minute with a scary collision between Eagle wing Taku Ngwenya and Italian wing Leonardo Sarto. The impact of which left both players down on the pitch and with Ngwenya clearly losing consciousness. Thankfully, both players were assisted from the field under their own power, but the loss of Ngwenya was a blow to the USA as the veteran wing remains one of their best finishers.

The USA opened the scoring account shortly after with a penalty goal from AJ MacGinty. Italy reciprocated with a penalty goal in the 15th minute from Carlo Canna to tie the score at 3-3.

Both sides struggled to put together productive attacks and the USA appeared content to kick away possession. Eagle fullback Will Holder took a golden opportunity to counter attack after a round of volleys and found room to run. Holder put the USA in a 2 on 1 situation and what appeared to be the first try of the match, but the sweeping Italian Canna knocked on the pass from Holder that would have been a sure score. Referee Marius van der Westhuizen wasted little time in giving a yellow card to Canna and awarding the USA was a penalty try.

MacGinty added the conversion and the USA held a 10-3 lead midway through the first half.

With a lead on the scoreboard and a man advantage, the USA missed a perfect opportunity to pad their lead over Italy. Instead, Italy mounted pressure on the USA and spent the better part of the yellow card in the Eagle half. Their pressure was rewarded as Ornel Gega scored off of a driving maul just meters away from the USA goal line. The try went unconverted leaving the score at 10-8 with the USA in the lead.

Italy took their first lead of the match just before halftime when Canna slotted a penalty to put his side in front 11-10. The USA was in attack at the first half hooter blew and the half fittingly ended with scrumhalf Nate Augspurger putting the ball into touch.

Canna continued to put space between Italy and the USA on the scoreboard with a drop goal just minutes into the second half. MacGinty answered back with another penalty for the USA to cut Italy’s lead to 14-13.

Again, Italy turned towards their lineout to put pressure on the USA. With the throw in deep in the USA’s half, Italy earned a penalty from a driving maul. A penalty that gave them a man advantage when Eagle No. 8 Cam Dolan was presented with a yellow card for pulling down the maul. Italy used the man advantage to drive over another maul as Gega added his second try of the match. The conversion from Canna gave the Italians a 21-13 lead.

After spending much of the match kicking away possession and playing a safe game plan, the USA opened up their attack and began to find some space in which to work. A nice series of play ended with MacGinty stepping into a gap and offloading to Mike Te’o who found charging Tony Lamborn who finished off the movement by scoring a try on his Eagle debut. The conversion from MacGinty put the score at 21-20 with the USA only trailing by one point as the match entered the final ten minutes of play.

The USA had a few fleeting opportunities in the final ten minutes, including a nice charge down of a kick by Augspurger, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize. With less than five minutes to play, Italy tightened up their play and ground out the final minutes of play. Desperate to create an opportunity, the USA gave away a kickable penalty and Canna obliged with another penalty as Italy extended their lead to 24-20 just before time expired.

The USA will rest uneasily knowing that they had the ability to take down an Italian side not at full strength. The narrow margin of defeat will be of little comfort to the players and staff as the match was there for the taking. The Eagles need to move forward and begin to regroup for their tilt against Russia next weekend.

Italy, on the other hand, will breathe a sigh of relief as come away with a win in a match even tighter than their last trip to the USA. Italy now heads north to take on Canada next weekend.

USA 20
Tries – Penalty try, T. Lamborn
Cons – A. MacGinty 2
Pens – A. MacGinty 2
Yellow cards – C. Dolan

ITALY 24
Tries – O. Gega 2
Cons – C. Canna
Pens – C. Canna 3
Drop goals – C. Canna
Yellow cards – C. Canna

USA
1 Titi Lamositele 2 James Hilterbrand 3 Chris Baumann 4 Nate Brakeley 5 Greg Peterson 6 Andrew Durutalo 7 Todd Clever (capt.) 8 Cam Dolan 9 Nate Augspurger 10 AJ MacGinty 11 Blaine Scully 12 Shalom Suniula 13 Thretton Palamo 14 Takudzwa Ngwenya 15 Will Holder

16 Joe Taufete’e 17 Ben Tarr 18 Angus MacLellan 19 Harry Higgins 20 Tony Lamborn 21 Stephen Tomasin 22 Chad London 23 Mike Te’o

ITALY
1 Andrea Lovotti 2 Ornel Gega 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 4 Quintin Geldenhuys 5 Marco Fuser 6 Maxime Mbandà 7 Simone Favaro 8 Dries van Schalkwyk 9 Edoardo Gori (capt.) 10 Carlo Canna 11 David Odiete 12 Tommaso Castello 13 Michele Campagnaro 14 Leonardo Sarto 15 Luke McLean

16 Oliviero Fabiani 17 Sami Panico 18 Pietro Ceccarelli 19 Valerio Bernabò 20 Sebastian Negri 21 Guglielmo Palazzani 22 Tommaso Allan 23 Giovanbattista Venditti

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)