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USA Rugby plunges into despair after World Cup defeat, but Eagles claim silver lining | USA Rugby Union Team

Men In a frenetic last-minute ruck in Dubai on Friday night, US prop Jacques Iscaro concedes a penalty kicked by Portugal 16-16 drawenough to secure a place at the Rugby World Cup in France and condemn the Eagles to watching from home.

The Americans were in the final qualifying tournament as they lost in Colorado in July equally tight game to Chile. A last-minute penalty that could have saved the game was then undone as prop Chance Wengerski made an illegal clear-out.

Wenglewski, 25, is from Lindenwood University in Missouri. For New York, Major League Rugby Champion.Iscaro, 22, used to play for California Berkeley and now plays for Props Former Glory DCBoth have gone through top college programs and are paying to play at home. Neither have any experience in Test rugby, Wenglewski with 10 caps and Iscaro with only 2 caps.

It’s probably the darkest time for them, but such bad luck can befall any player and they should learn from it. Could be a key member of the Eagles team. takes place on American soilAt 33 and 30, he could be in prop prime, injury and form permitting. There is no one in the world of rugby who has not experienced something terrifying. That’s the point. they like it

Another Eagles prop, David Ainu, told reporters after the Portugal game. , have seen more of the world.

Ainu said: But now that I think about it, it’s just a game. It came down to a small decision and I can’t blame the boys.

Giant rock Greg Peterson, who plays for Newcastle, complained a little about the penalty against the Eagles in an aggressive 5-metre scrum at 16-13, allowing Portugal to race upfield. .

“I think they blended our scrum and maul very well, so it’s all thanks to them,” he said. “They really took a leap from the previous game. Except maybe the last 20 minutes, they were pretty good in terms of penalty counts. You gave it to the other side in Scrum 5, but it’s just a sport, isn’t it?

It’s also sports where Eagles coaching could change. Gary Gold was once a South African assistant and later assistant to London Irish, Newcastle and Worcester, overseeing results such as: First win against a first-class team, Scotland in 2018. Lost to Uruguay and Chile in the qualifiers. 100 point retreat from New Zealand And in Dubai, there was a sense of team that couldn’t escape doom.

In Dubai, former Argentinian hooker and head coach Mario Ledesma, more recently All Blacks staffer John Plumtree and seasoned New Zealander Stephen Brett assisted for the gold. Despite all that experience, it wasn’t.

Congrats Gold said of the “well fought” game against Portugal. Both teams played his 80 minutes with high emotion and intensity. This did not fall our way.

“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of my players and staff, regardless of the results. .

Portugal’s Rafael Simoes takes on the tackle of American hooker Capelli Pifereti. Photo: Martin Dokoupil/World Rugby/Getty Images

“This final tour has been special as many new players have raised their hands, making their debuts on the world stage and offering promise for the future. We definitely have some points on the field tonight. But you can walk away knowing you gave it your all because you put in the effort.”

winning team rugby world cup Of course, it’s a completely different order than this American team watching France 2023 on TV. But they have something in common. Beating disappointments often precedes success.

Many of the England players who won the Webb Ellis Cup in Sydney in 2003 lost to South Africa in the quarter-finals four years earlier. Many New Zealanders who won Auckland (and London four years after him) in 2011 were in Cardiff in 2007 when France got away with the game. Many Springboks, who won the final in Tokyo four years ago, lost in the semi-finals to New Zealand in 2015.

Undoubtedly, American rugby faces dark days. MLRs are to be decided, overseas contracts are hard to find and hard to maintain. The road to 2031 will be very tough. But shortly after the fatal draw in Dubai, Eagles captain and Bristol fly-half AJ McGinty suggested that all was not necessarily lost.

“It was seconds away from us,” he said. “It’s his second time to suffer a loss like that. It hurts but I did my best…I’m really proud of the team, the group and all the coaches. It was almost there.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/nov/19/us-rugby-in-despair-after-world-cup-flop-but-eagles-insist-on-signs-of-hope USA Rugby plunges into despair after World Cup defeat, but Eagles claim silver lining | USA Rugby Union Team

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