NEWS

USA Eagles Pacific Nations Cup Recap

Written by Will Hooley

Eagles Settle For 4th Place After Late Samoa Try

Coming off a 22-3 defeat to Fiji in the Asahi Pacific Nations Cup semifinals, the USA Men’s Eagles finished their PNC campaign in the third-place final against Samoa last Saturday in Osaka.

Two penalties from Chicago Hounds fly half, Luke Carty, and a memorable try by New England Free Jacks speedster, Toby Fricker, wasn’t quite enough to defeat the Pacific Islanders who went on to win 18-13 and grab PNC bronze.

With a 10-6 lead at halftime, the Eagles went into the locker room in relatively good spirits, as only the boot of NOLA Gold’s fly-half, Rodney Iona, kept the Samoans within touching distance. The second half began with an influx of pressure from Samoa and some defensive mistakes by the US, resulting in Samoa’s number eight, Iakopo Petelo-Mapu, to burst through the line off a lineout attack to go under the posts and give his side a 13-10 lead. The Eagles fought back, and Carty leveled things up with a penalty soon after, but the remainder of the second half played into the Samoans’ hands. The Pacific islanders continued to build pressure, gaining the upper-hand in the set piece and causing turnovers in the contact area, allowing Samoa some easy territory and possession. After having a try disallowed, eventually, they took advantage of the opportunities they were creating, with Melani Nanai scoring in the corner right near the end of the game. With the score 18-13, the Eagles couldn’t find the time to fight back, and Samoa took the victory and PNC third-place.

Eagles To Take Positives From PNC

Although the Eagles gained just one victory against Canada in Round 1, there were still positive takeaways from the tournament, even with the losses to Japan, Fiji and Samoa. The deliberate decision by Head Coach Scott Lawrence to select a young and relatively inexperienced squad, rose to the challenge and will no doubt pay dividends moving forward. MLR standouts during the season for their franchises in Sean McNulty, Pono Davis, Toby Fricker and young Payton Talea, all got their first caps during the PNC campaign and showed their hand with their strong performances. Even more impressive was the blending in of college rugby talents Rand Santos, from Cal Berkeley, who made his international debut, and St Mary’s College star Dominic Besag who made his first Eagles start during the tournament. The games and the weeks spent within the Eagles squad will be invaluable experiences for these young men and a fresh sense of competition from young American players who have shined a light on the pathway system.

Eagles sail into PNC Semifinals as Pono Davis and @seanmcnulty5 earn first Eagles caps

Read the match review: https://t.co/Zy6DJJqvTs

🖊️ @will_hooley | 📷 Alex Ho | @USARugby pic.twitter.com/3JN10CsEtQ

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) September 3, 2024

The Eagles style of play definitely developed, looking to pack a punch with physicality and tempo. To have consistently been in the fight against the big Pacific Islander nations and to have kept up to speed with the Japanese in large parts of the game, shows the Eagles were not far away. Some quality tries were scored throughout the competition and there were definitely further opportunities that could have been taken. The likes of Luke Carty and JP Smith showed really strong kicking games and tactical awareness. There were plenty of standout defensive performances and at times the Eagles’ defense on the whole looked like a weapon. That all being said, the wish for improvement will undoubtedly be around the ability to be more consistent as the USA Eagles aim to gain winning results. Basic errors in attack and defense, coupled with some set piece trouble at times cost the Eagles. These are fixes that are achievable and will no doubt be focused on heading into the November Tests. 

Reaction From Eagles’ Captain, Greg Peterson

What were the learnings you took away as a group from the PNC?

“I think our biggest learning as a group was probably the importance of consistency, especially when playing against these top quality Tier 2 nations. At times we struggled with the consistency of skill and execution, which allowed the opposition to bounce on our mistakes and make us pay. It can be those small moments and lapses in concentration that can make such a difference. We know we need to operate at a high-end and execute when playing against some of these quality teams.”

What were the successes that the Eagles can take away from the PNC campaign?

“There was definitely a further development in the American game, whether that was blooding in new talent or just playing the way we wanted to play in the wish to inspire future generations going forward. I think we definitely played a good, fast, physical game of rugby, but we were just let down on occasions by that consistency that I’ve mentioned. We pushed really hard to be better at our game plan and game style and I think we certainly became more comfortable and competent as a group each week.”

What’s the plan for the Eagles group moving forward?

“We always talk about our motto of ‘Eagle 365’, which involves being a USA Eagle every single day of the year. The boys will go away, and definitely take some downtime with family and friends back home. It won’t be too long though until everyone will get back to meet up with the respective players, potentially in the same towns they live in, as we look to make some shifts and become definitely a fitter and stronger team. We’ll then meet up in the Fall as the focus turns to the November Tests and the aim to finish the calendar year on a high!”

Elsewhere In The PNC

The Final of the PNC was decided by Japan and Fiji following the Eagles game in Osaka last Saturday. After an enthralling high tempo game, the Flying Fijians ran rampant in the last 20 minutes defeating the Brave Blossoms 41-17 and securing their sixth PNC title since 2018.

The week before saw the fifth-place final take place in Tokyo between Tonga and Canada. The Togans ran away after a powerful first half performance, taking down the Canadians 30-17. The Canucks were made to settle with the PNC sixth-place.