Tonga 25 United States 15 (halftime: Tonga 13-3)

Finau Maka’s first-minute try and a pair of opening-quarter penalty goals paced Tonga to a 25-15 World Cup victory over the United States.

Tailing 13-0 after 20 minutes, the US fought back to 18-15 in the second half, before Viliami Vaki’s five-pointer settled the match. Mike MacDonand and Louis Stanfill crossed the line for the Eagles, who were outscored 3 tries to 2.

MacDonald was named man of the match in the losing effort, shading another strong outing from fullback Chris Wyles and backrowers Todd Clever and Stanfill.

Numerous errors offset the US advantage in possession and field territory, particularly in the second half. The Mike Hercus-led side lost 5 lineouts as well as a tighthead, gave up 6 turnovers in the tackle/at the ruck, and made 9 handling errors, according to official match statistics. Support play also appeared a step slower than the Tongans.

‘We had territorial domination, more possession, but were unable to score. We had the same problem against England – good situations but too many mistakes,’ Hercus told the World Cup press service.

The flyhalf was 2 of 4 kicking at goal, yet seemed to prefer sending penalties to touch, one of which led to MacDonald’s try at 44 minutes. But lineout possession rarely produced real offensive initiative in the backline.

The 0-2 US next faces 0-1 Samoa on September 26 in St. Etienne, in another matchup of old Pacific Rim foes.

In other action, Fiji downed Japan 35-31 and Italy just edged Romania 24-18, another very good result for a ‘Tier 2’ country.

Final: Tonga 25 United States 15 (halftime: Tonga 13-3)

United States
Tries: Mike MacDonald, Louis Stanfill
Conversion: Mike Hercus
Penalty goal: Mike Hercus

Chris Wyles; Salesi Sika, Albert Tuipulotu, Vaha Esikia (Phil Eloff), Takudzwa Ngwenya; Mike Hercus (captain), Chad Erskine; Mike MacDonald (Mate Moeakiola), Owen Lentz (Blake Burdette), Chris Osentowski, Alec Parker, Mike Mangan, Louis Stanfill, Todd Clever, Henry Bloomfield (Inaki Basauri)

Tonga
Tries: Finau Maka, Joseph Vaka, Viliami Vaki
Conversions: Pierre Hola (2)
Penalty goals: Pierre Hola (2)

Vungakoto Lilo; Tevita Tu'ifua, Sukanaivalu Hufanga, Epeli Taione, Joseph Vaka; Pierre Hola, Soane Havea; Soane Tonga'uiha, Aleki Lutui, Kisi Pulu, Lisiate Fa'aoso, Paino Hehea, Hale T Pole, Nili Latu (captain), Finau Maka
Reserves: not available

Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Attendance: not available

Comments

[tony v]

Interesting story about rugby on NPR linked below;

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14272741

[performance]

but it's ok, right? we lose to Tonga but it's ok because we kept the score down against England.

Record will be 0-4 but it will "be ok because we're amateurs, we shouldn't be judged by our W/L record but by our performances" ... oh sure

[JAEF]

THAT NPR STORY IS GARBAGE.

[Ron]

XENOPHOBES! XENOPHOBES all of you! How dare you judge our coaching staff! Why? Whhhhhhyyyyy? Can't you see they are suffering? WHHhhhhhhhhyyyy?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LWSjUe0FyxQ

[Old Boy]

You what part I hated most? The part where the Eagles lost. I hated that part.

[CW]

Ron,

That isn't funny posting TJ's 'You Tube' video. Who said he only cares about U23 rugby, he cares about about a bunch of stuff and get off Britney's back!

[Davie]

It would really be a damn shame if the Eagles don't win a game this year. Not sure that this would be as successful our our last RWC year......

Maybe Thorbs can throw this halftime talk in against the Samoans to fire up the boys!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oVub6EDYovg

[TJ]

Poor Tackling - 70.37% vs 89.655%
Turnovers at Ruck or Maul - 6 v 1

Poor ball presentation and clean out in rucks, poor mauling, poor vision and exploiting of space, poor player management (starting tired players), poor use of reserves (not using Mexted when you had him on the bench, or not putting 5 forwards in the reserves when playing a physical side like Tonga) and just very amateur decision making on the field.

I think it is safe to say that USA will most likely not win a match in the 2007 World Cup, and it is a very good chance that we are going to find out that the England side is in a state of despair thus slightly tarnishing the USA v England performance. If Samoa and not England gets to the quarterfinals, what can be taken away from our our England match? Does it say more about the decline of England, or the improvement of the Eagles?

We have some big physical players getting long in the tooth and some young raw talent, but none do not do the basics particularly well. They are surrounded by some professional rugby players with good skills, and if that is where we are still at by the 2011 WC we are going to have the same poor results there. That is if we can qualify!

[cw]

We better use that team talk at the pre-game Davie, we don't get a better start there won't be much to say by halftime.

If Samoa is defeated by England they may mail it in vs the US with only 4 days rest. BTW, I can't believe the Eagle fans crying about our lack of rest prior to the Tonga match. Many teams, some higher ranked, have it worse than the Eagles.

[TJ]

What are you talking about CW?

The big 8 nations all play primarily on the weekends to maximize TV viewers and revenue, and the minnows are the only teams that play mid-week matches and end up scenarios where they must play 2 matches in 5 days.

You may not think 2 international matches in 5 days is an issue, but All Black great and Japan coach John Kirwin does and has been very vocal about it to the media and the IRB. He also decided to managed his team accordingly by playing the Japan 2nd 15 in their match against Australia, and playing his 1st 15 four days later against Fiji. The plan nearly worked as Japan just missed getting a historic World Cup. If the USA camp had Tonga circled as their best chance for a win, as Japan had Fiji circled, perhaps Thornburn should have taken the same tact instead of playing 14 guys (would have been 15 with Emerick) twice in 5 days.

[doug lyons]

The Eagles had three days rest between matches. They are not using it as an excuse. They then get two weeks off then three days rest afterthe Samoa game.

TV ratings are important of course but somehow things have to be balanced a bit better.

For what it is worth the Eagles were working the ball down field when Parker tried to roll off the maul the ball was stolen and the try came off that one mistake.

Had the ball not been lost we might be talking about the guts the Eagles had in making a strong come back.

WS will be tough but we do have the same advantage Tonga had over us as WS will be playing on 3 days rest and they will be playing all out to beat England.

Should be interesting.

[Goeagles]

The performance by the Eagles against Tonga was certainly subpar, but where were you Thorburn haters after the England match? The fact that you seem to take glee in the Eagles losing is quite pathetic.

As for our current players, we have the makings of a very good back row for 2011. Clever and Stanfill should be getting offers from pro clubs on the basis of their performances. MacDonald is progressing nicely and Chris Wyles has had a very good RWC. The biggest problem in 2011 will be at flyhalf. Hercus will be 32 by then and I haven't been all that convinced by Malifa. Perhaps Viljoen would be a solution if he is still playing. Otherwise, the 10 jersey is going to be a big problem. Elsewhere, things are much more promising and hopefully the IRB will retain the 20 team format for 2011 based on the performances of the minnows at this RWC.

[TJ]

Where is the hate? I like Thorburn, but I question some of his decisions about managing players in the tourney and the reserves in games. A number of teams had 5 or their 7 reserves as forwards, and I think against Tonga that tactic would have served the Eagles well considering the entire pack was on only 3 days rest. A couple of fresh forwards after the score in the second half could have been the difference.

If you don't agree with me that is fine, please discuss your reasons why. Or should we just make this board about blind optimism for the Eagles?

[Ron]

TJ,

You don't get it. Even if you are a loyal supporter of the Eagles as a team, criticism of their management, or their coach in paticular, makes you a xenophobe.

'By the way, here's a portrait of me and ma gun collection. Them stinkin foreigners betta not take our jobs!'

http://greatlakesimages.net/db4/00356/greatlakesimages.net/_uimages/mijr101-070205-web.jpg

[JD]

I'm afraid that I don't share the anguish, excitement or over-reaction of the posters here.

The 2007 Eagles are what they are and no-one can change that.

Look at what we know. USA Rugby imploded a year ago. We have a new board, a new CEO as of 1/1/07 and so far they have implemented very few major changes. Don't worry, they'll come I'm sure as I'm a Melville believer even if this board seems to be missing in action.

We also know that Thorburn was originally appointed by the IRB. By the time Melville came along it was too late to make a change and what would it have gained anyway? If Melville hired his own guy for this RWC he was setting someone up to fail. Melville simply played the hand that was already dealt. It was too late to put a high performance program in place and thereby change the make-up of the player pool. It was too late to put programs in place that would drastically improve the skills of the existing player pool. If Thorburn was fired and we bought in someone of the caliber of Robbie Deans I don't think the results would be much different. Maybe we get that win over Tonga but big deal. Melville has to be thinking a little bigger than that. He's got to be working out how we emulate Argentina not the Pacific Island nations.

So the high performance money was thrown at the Eagles pre-World Cup build-up. Fair enough but that has to be the last time that happens.

Melville now has 4 years to put his own plan in action. He needs to put a high performance program in place, find a way to fund it, bring a pool of players through the program, hire a long-term coach of his own choosing and set some real goals for the 2011 and 2015 RWC's.

This World Cup is what it is. Sit back and enjoy but relax a little. This World Cup became an orphan a year ago when Billups bailed. Lets be honest with ourselves, the current administration has no personal ownership of the product on the field. Perhaps a little harsh but that's the reality.

As stakeholders we need to demand that the preparation for the next World Cup starts in November of this year. Melville only has a two year contract so he needs to make things happen.

No pressure Nigel. The youth folks want a plan, the collegiate folks want a plan, adult rugby wants a plan, Super League needs to evolve, the political structure needs to be overhauled so we can finally kiss goodbye to the old boy network holding us back at the TU level - oh and by the way, that team you put on the field in 2011 better be the real deal.

Good luck!

[historian]

JD,

Great post. Violent agreement with you except for the characterization that Tom Billups bailed. Had Billups not resigned when he did, exposing the Doug Arnot farce in the process, god only knows the state we would be in.

As is, (along with a truck load of IRB funding) the executive, board and much of our USAR policies have undergone significant change and hopefully improvement. Certainly in the form of Nigel Melville we all have a new sense of comfort and hope.

Finally, although your time stamping of Nigel's tenure is correct, Billups resigned in April of 2006, which was two Eagle seasons, two NA4's, two Peter Thorburn seasons ago.

History will judge if two seasons, a board of the good and great and a couple million plus dollars should have gotten us more results. For now, I'm with you JD, lets root the boys on and have high hopes for the future.

Keep in mind that the Eagles gateway to RWC 2011, will be the IRB Trophy Tournament in 2009, thats right, once again just two season away. If we don't use the IRB grants for the Eagles as you correctly hope, how is it that we will mount a serious campaign to not get locked out? If there is millions in sponsorship dollars on the way for the Eagles, our new board has kept it well under wraps.

[armchairbomber]

JB,

Best post in a while on this forum although Chuck Norris is hilarious (and has Christie).

Billups was correct when he used to say that the Eagles had to play out of their skins to compete. It is evident that when we have the very amatuer looking pass go to ground or knock on during one of our 3 line breaks a game we are done. Professional sides will create more opportunities to redeem their mistakes. When we make ours we cannot. In the professional sides there are 2 to 3 players at each position within a hair of the talent occupying the jumper.

So what we have on the pitch is the best we have. Robbie Deans, David Nucifora, or the best talisman in the world could not have changed our current situation one year out. Hats off to the guys that made the squad and keep giving it your best.

[Liam]

Peter Thorburn has had two seasons and lots of IRB and Union support, remember those dues increases, leading up to the WC.

The next coach will have two seasons and possibly less IRB support leading up to WC qualification.

What are you saying it can't be done ? I refuse to accept that with the right national team coaching staff, schedule and selections America can't achieve at the international level. Achieve at least as well as Canada.

I have been pro Peter Thorburn, but I find it interesting now that the team is struggling and winless, yanks are throwing their hands in the air and proclaiming it can't be done by anybody. Not even Robbie Deans, huh. I bet he could, not that the US is going to land him, but he would have beaten Tonga. I would also bet he would play more warm up matches.

This team as gone backwards, you guys should get it going forwards before deciding your level.

[Chuck Norris]

Chuck say Christie want to see Eagles beast WS while she riding her stepper.

[TJ]

Basic skills are the foundation of any legitimate rugby team, and I don't think the Eagles basic skills are there to compete on the international level. Not until high performance rugby academies exist in the USA and are full of young players, coaching methods are standardized and implemented by coaches nationally (especially youth programs) and a highly competitive territorial league exists will any coach be able to step in and manage the team to a quarter-final appearance in the world cup.

Hopefully, Melville is working on one of these things in France. IRB support for a territorial competition in North America or the Americas, or the inclusion of a couple North American and Argentine territories in the Super 14 competition, which has been publicly written about by Kevin Roberts.

I think that we are heading to a 4 territory set-up, and hopefully one of the selling points of that change is the creation of 4 high performance rugby academies. From these academies we can begin to standardize the coaching methods so that young players are on the right track from the get go and not being presented multiple methods for each basic skill.

You need the foundation of thge basic skills and then a competition to hone them and challenge players and coaches. Without these two things it is going to be more of the same regardless of who the coach is, or nation of origin.

[Chuck Norris]

Chuck Norris says - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, now take your spell check and go to bed before I whip out Jack and Sledge and hammer your @ss!

Christie doesn't do stair-stepper, she runs to get Chuck coffee.

[DB]

Having been at the game, and several others this week, it was very clear from the stands that although the Eagles maintained the majority of possession they were the inferior team on the day.

The backs never looked dangerous, Phillip Elloff was the only threat and he only played 15 minutes. The passing and catching was poor at best. The young wing, Ngwenya, may be too small or too inexperienced to play at this level. Even though he has great speed, he loses the ball in nearly every contact situation.

The forwards did a good job for the most part offesively, but support was slow in getting to the ball carrier frequently.

Defensively the Eagles were horrible. Nearly every time Tonga touched the ball they had a massive overlap and in most cases were able to exploit them, just as England did the weekend previously.

Everyone around me agreed that Tonga was the best shot that the US had at winning in this world cup and poof it gone.

[common sense]

what is it with you? Are you not watching the same games as the rest of us? I believe the Eagles played as best as they could against professional teams with much more resources.

This has to be the most negatve, pompous site -you don't promote American rugby you stifle it.
I'm Kiwi and am inspired by the Eagles- that try today was the best of the tournament -funny how you didn't mention how impressive it was -by the way what credentials do you have ???? cause you sound like you don't know what the hell you are talking about.I bet you don't post this comment - because it would shed light on how off the mark you are!