The USA The Eagles opened theirs Nations Rugby World Cup campaign well, stringing together 3 straight wins to jump to the top of their pool. However, after consecutive defeats to Japan and Canada in Pacific Nations Cup and a cumulative loss of 113-13 to Australia After more than two matches, it’s safe to say that whatever momentum Scott Lawrence’s men had in the November Test period has been halted.
With three Test matches remaining before entering the World Cup year, Lawrence will need to quickly change the mentality in camp to find a way to finish the calendar year strongly. Despite the heavy defeats against Stephen Larkham’s men, there were some positive developments for the Eagles to hang their hat on.
Most importantly, Lawrence has used two matches against elite-level opposition to continue to add depth to the U.S. squad and prepare it for the grueling nature of the Rugby World Cup.
“I think if you look at the roster and the way we’ve been going through these 3 months, there would be 12 players that wouldn’t even be in camp with us that have been in camp with us for the last 2 months,” Lawrence told the media after the second game. “That’s always been a gap for us.”
The second match was a “catch match” for both full-back David Coetzer and replacement full-back Dan Kriel, meaning they, as well as Wayne van der Bank, will be available for the Eagles in Test matches next year.
Even in defeat, Lawrence felt that many of his new additions showed what they were capable of. “I think we saw a little glimpse of what’s possible next year when you look at how Wayne (van der Bank) and David Coetzer played tonight,” Lawrence said after the match. “I thought they made an impact. So it’s a little window into what’s possible for us to go next year.”
Combining veteran players with youngsters is no easy task even when results are in your way, but there seems to be excitement in the group and a growing understanding on the pitch.
“When you’re on the field with the boys, we trust each other, we believe in each other,” said Marno Redelinghuys, captain of the game against Australia A in New Jersey.
Eagles fans can expect to continue to see some of the new faces step up. When asked who will be given opportunities based on their performances in the past two matches, Lawrence said:
“We’ll see Cash. He gave us a really solid 40 minutes. He still brings a bit more robustness to the game, so I thought he put his hand up. Connor Mooneyham was energetic and stepped forward. He’s physical tonight, so I thought he did well.”
I think Willi (Helu) will now go back to Japan to finish the season there. I thought Willie came in and had a shift for us tonight, which was probably his best game for us. And Oscar Lennon will get some opportunities.”
Two additional matches against the Wallabies A team also served to improve the Eagles’ fitness. One consequence of Major League Rugby’s 10-game season is that the US-based Eagles don’t have enough time for competitive games. In the Southern Hemisphere, Super Rugby players play 14 regular season games before the postseason. In England, that number is 18, and in France It’s 26.
Lawrence acknowledged the difficulty of getting the players’ fitness to the levels needed to compete at Level 1. “We called guys who came in without a game, or maybe they were training in the park, running. We took a group of players; we added 12 more to the mix, and they all got minutes over time.”
What remains clear after two losses to Australia A, is that the USA lacks consistency in attack and set-up.
Although their matchup was mostly steady, the Eagles really struggled in the second half. Starting point guard Kaleb Geiger played just 46 minutes but failed to connect with his jumpers on multiple occasions, squandering at least three good chances inside the Australian 22-metre line.
“You’ve got to win the set, you’ve got to get your scoring opportunities right,” Lawrence said after the match. “If you give them the ball enough times, they will score.”
The mistakes were both technical and tactical. While Geiger can be accused of some wayward throws, the Aussies knew exactly where the ball was going and when to jump. USA will have to change their line calls and perform better in attacking positions if they want to compete with Georgia and Romania, let alone France next year.
Lawrence was particularly annoyed by the lack of progress on offense and on the line. When asked about them after the match, he bluntly replied: “Well, they haven’t gotten better.”
Patience and a deeper understanding of the game’s momentum and potential flaws can be the key to finding consistency on offense. “I think from the point of view of our offensive continuity, we have to be patient,” Lawrence said in the post-match press conference. “When we started playing through and not around (the defensive line) in the second half, and going forward, our drivers have to stay in it and not get too excited and try to pull the trigger when it’s not on.
It’s understanding the game, how to keep pressing, going forward, building continuity in the game. I thought our forwards in that second half in particular played very well, they gave us a very good lead, but we have to keep the ball and we have to go for those opportunities.”
Despite being outscored by 113 points in two games, the Eagles’ defensive effort remains unquestioned. Time after time, the Eagles changed their line and came back to make tackles and limit the breakthrough of Australia’s lines.
Early in the second half, replacement scrumhalf Oscar Lennon came back after being beaten to help Luke Carty hold on for a potential try. In the closing minutes of the game, Wayne van der Bank found a charging Joe Brial and slotted the ball inside his own 5m line to prevent a safe try.
“We stayed in the fight,” Scott Lawrence said. “So if you look at how much time we defended and how we defended, I think there were really nice patches there. There were no quits. I mean, if you want to know the character of the team, look at the 30-yard line break and Tonga Kofe is the first guy back at tight end. That tells you a lot about where they are.”
Lawrence believes the team’s defensive efforts will translate well to the Eagles’ next match against Hong Kong China. “I think if you look at Hong Kong, they have the most phases and make the most passes of any team in the Cup of Nations. They like to hold the ball and play. We defended a lot. Now we’re comfortable defending for a long time. I think it bodes well.”
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