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Nine minutes after missing a regulation goal USA fly half Will Hooley redeemed himself to land the match winner for the USA against Samoa. It came after Hooley had slipped over upon his run-up to strike the ball on a previous attempt. The result was a wayward miss which let Samoa off lightly.
Then with time up the referee awarded the USA a penalty on the 40 meter line. Hooley lined-up a kick at goal from a wide angle and, this time, he would find his target. The result was a historic victory over Samoa, the first in USA history.
For a compete match report click here.
For the USA the win was their 9th this year. The team is unbeaten in capped test rugby in 2018. Victories have come in the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC), in June against Russia, Scotland, and Canada and now against Samoa in Spain in November.
The rise of the USA has come together with a move to professionalism. The arrival of Major League Rugby (MLR) and increased talent numbers playing in Europe have combined to elevate the Eagles to never before seen heights.
In claiming a first ever win over Samoa the USA also ended a 17-game losing streak against Pacific Island opposition.
