Down only four at the halftime whistle it looked like the Eagles were about to push Australia in search of a famous win. Unfortunately for them the experience and depth of Australia showed through in the second have to secure a 47-10 win for the visitors. While the final score may look like a wide gap it doesn't tell the story of how the Eagles held their own against Australia for most of the match and late in the match even had an opportunity to push for a possible win. However, mistakes in the line out and untimely penalties killed key opportunities and allowed Australia to rack up the points.
Heading into the match the Eagles likely knew they were going to be on the negative side of the result but would have been happy if they played well in key aspects of the game. The line out wasn't working and the scrum was outmatched against a top notch Wallabies side but the U.S. defense was by and large solid with several thundering hits. They also were able to score an electric try and overall gained confidence against a great Australian team. With no major apparent injuries from the match the Eagles have to feel good about the way they are playing as the head into their World Cup opener against Samoa later in the month.
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It wasn't a great start for the Eagles despite the first of their thunderous hits. They were penalized early and often throughout the match for being offside and Australia used that to their advantage. Australia pushed down the field early and soon were up a man as Greg Peterson, possibly amped up from facing the country he grew up in, was sent to the bin for intentionally killing the ball. Off a scrum the ball was quickly swung out to Bernard Foley who beat the defense for the easy try and a 7-0 lead. Try number two only came about five minutes later as a 22 meter clearance kick was quickly turned into a run from Wycliff Palu. He found the supporting Nick Phipps for the try.
Up 14-0 Australia looked firmly in control but the Eagles rebounded after the try and with the return of Peterson finally found some possession. Working their way down the pitch they gained a penalty on Australia which AJ MacGinty stepped up to hit to make the score 14-3 with roughly twenty minutes gone.
The Eagles then owned the next quarter in what was some of their best rugby of the summer. It began with defense as the Eagles began to be the equal of the Wallabies and prevent them from breaking out. One moment of note had Matt Giteau streaking for what was nearly a certain try only to have Mike Petri jar the ball loose and allow the Eagles to clear.
The U.S. nearly had a breakaway as Samu Manoa couldn't collect the intercept pass but that only set the stage for what was to be the highlight of the night. Andrew Durutalo poached the ball out of the ruck at midfield and then passed to Eric Fry who made a run. With his teammates in support the ball was quickly swung out to Taku Ngwenya who carried a few defenders with him before offloaded to Petri for the try. It was reminiscent of the Ngwenya's try in the 2007 World Cup and completely shifted the momentum the way of the Eagles.
The Eagles almost took the lead heading into the half but off the attacking line out the U.S. tried the maul only to turn it over. Still, the match was 14-10 at the break with the Eagles feeling good. Heading into the match you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who thought the Eagles would trail only by four at halftime. They showed a lot of confidence and generally looked like a team that could make a difference at the World Cup.
Australia started the second half much like the first pushing the Eagles on to their back heels. However, the U.S. defense held and when Australia committed a couple of penalties the U.S. were able to push forward. Unfortunately it wouldn't last. Using their own attacking line out Australia used their maul to see Sean McMahon score to give the Wallabies a 21-10 win. The maul defense was a problem again for the Eagles and will need to be addressed before they play Samoa.
The match then slowed down over the next few minutes as Australia looked to grind the U.S. down. A try from Dean Mumm to put Australia up 28-10 looked to have nearly settled the match before the Eagles put in one last push. On a couple of occasions the Eagles choose to go for the attacking line out rather than the easy points. It was clear they thought they could win the game and it's hard to not like that attitude.
By and large the match was a temperate affair until John Quill and Lou Stanfill made their way onto the pitch. Needing the Eagles to get a sense of urgency they both ended up in a bit of fisticuffs against their counterparts. No cards but it first up the Eagles and led to some strong play.
The best sequence for the Eagles in the second half came just after the 60 minute mark. Stanfill kicked the ball out of the ruck into the hands of Chris Wyles who broke down the pitch. About 15 meters short of the line he was caught up Joe Tomane. The Eagles kept possession and went through the phases. Eventually they earned a penalty and choose to go for the line out. That's when things fell apart. The line out was overthrown and Australia executed a great counterattack that saw them go 90 meters and have Kurtley Beale score the try. The match went from potentially being 28-17 and a two possession match to a 35-10 certain win for Australia.
The Wallabies were able to grab two last tries in the final few minutes, the first through Quade Cooper and the second through Taqele Naiyaravoro, to make the final 47-10. Overall it was a solid match from the Eagles. They weren't expected to win but they did do a lot of things well. With more matches like this the Eagles could grow by leaps and bounds.
The attention will now turn to the World Cup where the Eagles will look to get out of their pool. If they continue to play the way they did this summer they could potentially cause a few upsets.
U.S.
Tries: Petri
Conversion: MacGinty
Penalties: MacGinty
Australia
Tries: Foley, Phipps, McMahon, Mumm, Beale, Cooper, Naiyaravoro
Conversions: Foley (6)
