A Simple Reason Tonga WonSo what do we want to say about the USA’s 40-12 loss to Tonga? Easy - don’t turn the ball over. That’s it. Yes the USA scrum was shoved around by Tonga’s scrum, which isn’t that good. Yes the Eagles had the ball in the Tonga 22 for long periods and didn’t score.
Tonga Punishes USA Turnovers
The USA Men’s National Team book-ended the first 40 minutes of their match against Tonga at Kingsholm Stadium Saturday with tries, but conceded four in the second frame of a 40-12 loss.
Plagued by frustrating turnovers in the second half, the Eagles saw a series of knock-ons and errors turned quickly into tries by the Sea Eagles.
Eagles in Camp for Dubai 7s
CHULA VISTA, Calif. – As the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens nears, Men’s Eagles Sevens Head Coach Mike Friday has called upon 29 athletes to fight for roster spots for the second leg of the 2014-15 IRB HSBC Sevens World Series.
USA v Tonga Live WebstreamThe USA plays Tonga Saturday at Kingholm Stadium in Gloucester, England. The game is streamed live by the IRB. Below is the link to the video. Here, also, are the lineups. Kickoff is 11:45am ET, 8:45am PT.
Why This Eagles LineupBefore we look at why Mike Tolkin picked the team he did, a little note about Tonga. The Eagles are 1-5 against Tonga, and it’s kind of hard to see why. They have had a better team on paper in most of those games, but somehow didn’t get the victory. Most recently in 2013 in Carson, Calif., they just played badly. Almost everyone played badly.
