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The USA got the Pacific Nations Cup off to the best possible start as they put Canada to the sword by a score of 47-19 at Infinity Park on Saturday. A dominant lineout set the platform with two late scores flattering an otherwise muted Canadian performance. The win came at a cost for the Eagles, however, with key second row Nick Civetta suffering a serious ankle injury that puts his World Cup participation in considerable doubt.
Civetta was a towering presence before the cruel second half blow. He plucked the ball from the sky to set up an early lineout drive. Dylan Fawsitt found his target and peeled around the back, steering the maul until it worked its way over the line. AJ MacGinty made it a full seven.
A bit of fortune resulted in the second try. Will Hooley took a gamble with a chip kick into the corner. It paid off, the ball bouncing off the corner flag back into play, with Blaine Scully on hand to accept the gift. MacGinty nailed the sideline extras to add to Canada’s frustration.
The Eagles flyhalf landed a penalty to stretch the lead and then an unusual play gave him a second chance. Ben LeSage ripped the ball from Martin Iosefo’s arms and Conor Trainor sprinted clear, but the replay showed the ball had come forward off LeSage and instead of a Canadian try it was a penalty and another three points from MacGinty.
Canada finally got a break early in the second half. Hooley’s flat pass was picked off by Tyler Adron, the captain galloping in under the posts from 75 meters out. Peter Nelson stepped up to kick the conversion and breathe some life into the men in red.
The Eagles had no interest in allowing their neighbors to gain further ground. MacGinty knocked over his third penalty goal and after earning a scrum penalty, the lineout went back to work. Canada managed to stall the drive this time but Ben Landry put his head down and hammered straight through two defenders to score. Just a couple minutes later Hooley spun out of a tackle and put replacement winger Gannon Moore into the corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Kapeli Pifeleti muscled his way over from the back of a lineout drive to bring up 40 points before disaster struck for Civetta. An awkward landing at a lineout resulted in a dislocated ankle. At the same time Pifeleti was binned for unceremoniously slamming Evan Olmstead into the ground. With all replacements used up, the Eagles were reduced to only 13 players for the last eight minutes.
A penalty try against the shorthanded scrum gave Canada seven points but it was given back immediately when Ruben de Haas picked off Shane O’Leary’s offload. An set move at a scrum exploited the missing bodies with Trainor weaving into the corner to bring up full-time.
Both sides pack their bags for Fiji with the USA taking on Samoa in a neutral-venue clash in Suva on Saturday. Canada will face the Flying Fijians fresh off their disappointing loss in Kamaishi, and will need a mighty effort after a disappointing effort in Colorado.
SCORING
USA 47
Tries – D. Fawsitt (9′), B. Scully (23′), B. Landry (60′), G. Moore (63′), K. Pifeleti (69′), R. de Haas (78′)
Cons – A. MacGinty 3/4 (10′, 24′, 61′), W. Hooley 1/2 (79′)
Pens – A. MacGinty 3/4 (36′, 40′, 46′)
Yellow cards – K. Pifeleti (72′)
CANADA 19
Tries – T. Ardron (42′), Penalty try (76′), C. Trainor (80′)
Cons – P. Nelson 1/2 (43′)
TEAMS
USA
1 Chance Wenglewski (17 David Ainu’u 65′), 2 Dylan Fawsitt ( 16 Kapeli Pifeleti 58′), 3 Paul Mullen (18 Paddy Ryan 65′), 4 Ben Landry (19 Greg Peterson 44′-52′, 65′), 5 Nick Civetta, 6 Malon Al-Jiboori, 7 John Quill (20 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz 65′), 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Shaun Davies (21 Ruben de Haas 58′), 10 AJ MacGinty (23 Madison Hughes 65′), 11 Martin Iosefo, 12 Bryce Campbell, 13 Marcel Brache (22 Gannon Moore HT), 14 Blaine Scully (capt.) (2 Dylan Fawsitt 72′), 15 Will Hooley
*Nick Civetta came off at 72 minutes with no replacement
CANADA
1 Hubert Buydens (17 Rob Brouwer 58′), 2 Benoît Pifféro (16 Andrew Quattrin 58′), 3 Cole Keith (18 Jake Ilnicki 58′), 4 Evan Olmstead, 5 Conor Keys (20 Luke Campbell 65′), 6 Kyle Baillie (19 Justin Blanchet HT), 7 Matt Heaton (19 Justin Blanchet 36′-40′), 8 Tyler Ardron (capt.), 9 Phil Mack (21 Gordon McRorie 68′), 10 Peter Nelson, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 12 Ciaran Hearn, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Conor Trainor, 15 Patrick Parfrey (22 Shane O’Leary 62′)
Not used: 23 Nick Blevins
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistants: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) & Ludovic Cayre (FFR)
TMO: David Grashoff (RFU)
