As Mike Tolkin prepared his US Eagles for their last warm-up match for the Rugby World Cup, he spoke about the visit by Australia as being the second shot of a one-two punch.
The Eagles hosted World Cup-champions New Zealand in November last year to attract new American fans, and the All Blacks provided all the entertainment. Back at Soldier Field in Chicago this month, the Eagles lost heavily to the No. 2-ranked Wallabies, but not until after putting a little scare in the visitors in the first half. The second could not conceal the kind of team deficiencies that trouble Tolkin.
The lapses and basic handling errors were costly.
Photo: AFP
So after a preparation that included back-to-back wins over Canada, a drought-breaking victory over Japan, and losses to Samoa and Tonga, the Eagles need to regroup ahead of their World Cup Group B opener against Samoa on Sunday next week.
The US have qualified for all but one Rugby World Cup, but have never seriously threatened to advance beyond the pool stage. Reaching the knockout rounds is Tolkin’s goal this time.
To achieve that in England, the Eagles will have to beat either Scotland or Samoa for the first time to have any chance of progressing out of a group that is expected to be topped by two-time champions South Africa.
While the US have improved significantly in the high-speed sevens rugby — the format to be played at next year’s Olympics — they are still very much second-tier in the traditional 15-a-side game.
The early physical intensity and some of the bone-jarring hits were impressive from the US, but the tactical errors and lack of professionalism were costly against Australia.
“The fact we’re talking about this game getting away from us, being in a position to either win or bring it down to the wire, is a positive sign,” Tolkin said. “The fact we were doing things to put ourselves in a position to be within reach at the end is a good thing.”
“That’s a good sign of the progress we’ve made,” he said.
Progress was also seen when Tolkin would not tolerate disruption, and stripped flanker Todd Clever of the captaincy then dropped him altogether in June for missing consecutive training sessions.
The popular face of US rugby for most of the past decade, Clever’s penalty galvanized the side.
The captaincy passed to Chris Wyles, who earned his 50th cap against Australia, and is to lead a 31-man squad containing 21 World Cup rookies. He will be relying on support from experienced scrumhalf Mike Petri, winger Taku Ngwenya, Mate Moeakiola and Louis Stanfill, who will be involved in their third World Cup campaigns.
The US have lost all five matches they have played against pool opponents Scotland, all four against Samoa and all three against South Africa, leaving Japan as the only team in the group the Eagles have beaten in a Test.
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