Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The USA rolled past Hong Kong in Dubai on Saturday by a final score of 49-7. With Portugal thrashing Kenya 85-nil in the other World Cup Qualifying match, the Eagles and Lobos are now set to collide on Friday with the final spot at France 2023 on the line.
Four tries in the first half, all converted, gave the Eagles a commanding lead. Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz powered over first, followed by scores from Kapeli Pifeleti, Nate Augspurger, and Cam Dolan. AJ MacGinty converted each as the Dragons could not find their way on the scoreboard.
Perhaps guilty of losing concentration, the USA committed several handling errors in the second half but still managed tries from Mitch Wilson, a second from Augspurger, and finally Moni Tonga’uiha. Hong Kong were not to be shut out entirely, with winger Matt Worley scoring a try just after the hour mark.
The margin of victory for Portugal gives them the advantage in points differential should Friday’s match finish in a draw. That will have no influence on preparations. The two sides are near polar-opposites in terms of previous qualification. Portugal has only been to the World Cup once – in 2007 – while the USA has only failed to qualify once before – in 1995.
SCORING
USA 49
Tries – J. Fa’anana-Schultz (12′), K. Pifeleti (20′), N. Augspurger 2 (25′, 57′), C. Dolan (36′), M. Wilson (47′), M. Tonga’uiha (77′)
Cons – A. MacGinty 6/6 (13′, 21′, 26′, 37′, 48′, 58′), L. Carty 1/1 (78′)
HONG KONG 7
Tries – M. Worley (65′)
Cons – N. Cumming (66′)
TEAMS
USA
1 David Ainu’u (17 Chance Wenglewski 50′), 2 Kapeli Pifeleti (16 Dylan Fawsitt 50′), 3 Paul Mullen (18 Nathan Sylvia 59′), 4 Greg Peterson (19 Siaosi Mahoni 59′), 5 Cam Dolan, 6 Vili Helu, 7 Cory Daniel, 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (20 Moni Tonga’uiha 50′), 9 Ruben de Haas (21 Ryan Rees 64′), 10 AJ MacGinty (capt.) (22 Luke Carty 62′), 11 Nate Augspurger, 12 Paul Lasike (23 Bryce Campbell 59′), 13 Marcel Brache, 14 Christian Dyer, 15 Mitch Wilson
HONG KONG
1 Ben Higgins (17 Ashton Hyde 60′), 2 Alex Post (16 John McCormick-Houston 67′), 3 Zac Cinnamond (18 Faizal Solomona 63′), 4 Mark Prior (19 Jamie Pincott 64′), 5 James Cunningham, 6 Joshua Hrstich (capt.), 7 Gregor Ramage (20 Kyle Sullivan 59′), 8 Luke van der Smit, 9 Bryn Phillips (21 Jamie Lauder 70′), 10 Gregor McNeish (22 Nik Cumming 64′), 11 Sean Taylor (23 Guy Spanton 60′), 12 Tom Hill, 13 Jack Neville, 14 Matt Worley, 15 Nathan de Thierry
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistants: Damián Schneider (Argentina) & AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
