Credit must go to Hong Kong China. They threw everything they had at the Eagles from start to finish.

A charged-down kick from Eagles full-back Perry Mayo was collected by Marcus Ramage, who crossed for the opening try inside five minutes. Then, shortly before half-time, Jack Bartlett picked from the base of a ruck and raced 50 metres to score.

There was nothing particularly special or creative about their approach. Just good old-fashioned efficiency and an ability to take their chances.

Exactly what the Eagles failed to do.

Possession and territory were firmly in the USA’s favor, and they certainly held the physical advantage. But to put it bluntly, the performance from head coach Scott Lawrence’s men was not up to standard, particularly against a side ranked 24th in the world.

It doesn’t need me to say it. The players will be thinking exactly the same.

I’ve been in dressing rooms after games, win or lose, feeling that no matter how hard we tried, things simply didn’t click and our plans weren’t executed.

USA debutant scrum-half, Oscar Lennon, summed it up in his post-match pitchside comments on the Eagles’ social media channels: “It was stressful at times…we have lots to work on.”

Let’s start with some positives.

The USA have now won four from four in the Nations Cup, and Geiger’s late try ensured the Eagles walked away with the full five competition points, maintaining their position at the top of their pool.

Physically, the Eagles showed what they are capable of.

Mayo’s try inside the opening ten minutes came from a successful set piece, followed by strong, cohesive carrying around the corner that looked both organised and dominant.

There were glimpses of attacking variation in the opening quarter, with forwards and backs working in tandem. Hilsenbeck even produced a dangerous cross-field kick into space for Rufus McLean, which came close to painting a perfect attacking picture.

The Eagles demonstrated their power in the carrying game, and that physicality was equally evident in their driving maul.

Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz crashed over following a well-organised push, while the maul consistently looked like one of the Eagles’ strongest weapons. The scrum also asserted its dominance, eventually forcing a penalty try in the 59th minute.