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Mon 5 Mar 2018 | 07:43
USA reach another level with thrilling Las Vegas 7s Cup Final victory

26
Comments

The USA beat Argentina 28-0 in the Cup Final of the Las Vegas 7s to take their first Cup final of the season, with thrilling tries from Perry Baker, Danny Barrett and Carlin Isles. Fiji took third place, while South Africa still lead the series overall.

The victory at home, in Las Vegas's Sam Boyd Stadium, was just their second ever Cup final win, their first being in 2015 in London. This one was as deserved as ever, with the likes of Baker, in particular, doing the seemingly impossible on the way to victory.

They were unbeaten all tournament, and while they never faced series leaders South Africa, they did make light work of the team that knocked the Blitzboks out of the semi final, Argentina. The USA also upset Olympic champions Fiji 19-7.

Last year the USA came third at home, but this year they corrected that with a dominant final performance that saw Player of the Final Danny Barrett picking up a brace of tries.

"Credit to the men in the arena they were outstanding, they went out there and executed," said head coach Mike Friday. "They’ve executed all three days but especially today. This is a total squad effort and I’m lucky to have such a great bunch of players and support staff.

"We want to show the sporting landscape in the USA what rugby can be and how it can fit within the American landscape. Hopefully, today will touch and reach a lot of sports fans who realise they’ve got another national team that they can be proud of and that they can support."

After five rounds South Africa remain top of HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 standings, New Zealand stay in second place, 10 points behind the Blitzboks, and Fiji hold onto third place.

They teams now head to Vancouver for the sixth round of the series on 10-11 March.

The Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 is under six months away, in San Francisco, so this year's series has added significance, with seeding points up for grabs, determining the draw for the July tournament.

On the same weekend, the USA Eagles fifteens team were crowned Americas Rugby Championship champions after a convincing 61-19 victory over Uruguay in Montevideo.

Posted By: Grant Constable

26 Comments

  • rugbydump
    10:53 AM 13/03/2018

    Looooved that try, and I had a similar reaction. So glad his left ankle survived it.

  • danknapp
    2:56 PM 12/03/2018

    Their couscous is out of this world.

  • tphillipsstl
    7:27 PM 07/03/2018

    As an american who came up through the age grade levels here, I can tell you exactly why we can be successful in 7s but will still fail to do so in 15s. Knowing the game, growing up in the game, understanding positioning (especially defensively), rugby tackling technique, and in tight ball handling skills. These are things that pure athleticism can overshadow in 7s. So converts from football, soccer, basketball, etc have to potential to be very successful. In 15s, those skills become much more important and a lack of them can be easily exposed. Hency why Carlin Isles didn't make it in the 15 a side game. I think to be successful in 15s you need to be in the game from a younger age, learning these skills and having them become second nature. And our elite athletes just don't do that; they play the other sports mentioned here.

    All that said, you'd think our soccer team could compete at the highest level. I just don't get that at all.

  • moo
    4:33 PM 07/03/2018

    And Jason Robinson
    *thread ends*

  • wolonel
    2:28 AM 07/03/2018

    Yeah maybe they are 3rd rate American Ballers, but the top level that have given it a go have walked away after disasters, it's not a comparable sport. 7's success for the states proves that even more, as even great 15's players flop at 7's. Am footy is nothing like rugby in my view..

  • wolonel
    2:25 AM 07/03/2018

    I agree it's exciting/horrifying!! Nah though, they'll get to the top of 7's but getting the 15 game is gonna be so hard for these athletes. The set piece players need to come on. But yeah, USA as a world force, that would make rugby the best sport on the planet..

  • 10stonenumber10
    12:15 AM 07/03/2018

    They have the players, they just need to train them. 6'10'' basketball players would make awesome 2nd rows, linemen as front row etc.

  • drg
    8:48 PM 06/03/2018

    That's sort of not my point.... I was talking about the US transferring to 15's and being greatly competitive...

  • 10stonenumber10
    5:25 PM 06/03/2018

    it's simple.

    7s is a game for speed athletes. Speed is number one above all else. You can teach someone to pass. You cannot teach someone to go 80 metres if their wheels are square.

    15s is a game for athletic bodybuilders.

    The average 7s player is about 6'1'' and 90kg. The average human is about 5'10'' and 85kg. The average 15s player is 6'2'' 105kg.

  • jimmy23
    5:07 PM 06/03/2018

    Also, Aphiwe Dyantyi from the Lions. That dude is ridiculously quick.

    I almost spat my drink out when I saw 2:47.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=R9ckKhKuFeM

  • foxtrot
    4:43 PM 06/03/2018

    Hmm, well the current WR holder for the 400m is South African so...

  • drg
    3:59 PM 06/03/2018

    Lawes vs Parra
    Lacroix out for the season
    Halfpenny has had a lot of injuries due to his tackling technique - however he's a pretty solid little bloke.

    To be fair, you were right to mention the names above, however they have fallen foul to injuries which who knows, could be down to their smaller sizes, vs some much bigger guys.. but you are 100% correct that these are small guys who have gone through all the lower levels of rugby and made it to the pinnacle of their respective countries. I don't see an size equivalent of Baker failing at 15's if he ever decided to try it out, but I guess the argument of the speed of these guys hitting 15's and having a big impact, is somewhat countered by their size, or lack of. Take Teddy Thomas for example, same height as Baker, very quick himself, but is carrying an extra 8kg's which could make all the difference when faced with some of the bigger wingers of the game.

    Just to add to the smaller player list some of the older names:
    Troncon
    Stringer
    and the magician Dominici for one!!!

  • oliver
    3:02 PM 06/03/2018

    I'm not so sure. There are still small guys playing 15 and doing really well at the highest level: Parra, Lacroix or Halfpenny, for instance, are probably smaller than Baker. There's probably others but those were the first names that popped into my head.

  • drg
    2:20 PM 06/03/2018

    Lol

    Yeh good one, needed that giggle!

  • drg
    2:19 PM 06/03/2018

    * at rugby that is....

  • finedisregard
    11:31 AM 06/03/2018

    Guys with attributes like Perry Baker are not hard to find in the USA. He and Carlin Isles are third rate American football players (no disrespect).

    Give any SEC football team the best coaches and motivation and within two years they could beat the AB's.

    Ever see the medal round of Olympic sprinting? Not a Welshman, Afrikaner, or Frenchman in sight.

  • katman
    10:43 AM 06/03/2018

    will break *him*

  • katman
    10:41 AM 06/03/2018

    Perry Baker is a joy to watch in a game of sevens, but one hit from someone like Eben Etzebeth or Billy Vunipola will break in into four pieces.

  • drg
    9:24 AM 06/03/2018

    Americans do; on a whole, tend to be just that little bit louder and unnecessary than most.. but I guess each nation has its quirks.

    Kiwis tend to be unnecessarily better than everyone else, which is a bit BS too...

  • drg
    9:23 AM 06/03/2018

    As much as I love and respect 7's, I don't believe these sorts of players would bode well in 15's, not in this professional day and age...

    Every player on the pitch really has to.be able to carry their own and guys like Isles just don't have decent defence.

    Looking at a lot of wide receivers they are often all whippety sort of folks, agile, fast but generally not the biggest guys around..and whilst that doesn't mean you can't play 15's if you're not bit, you have to be able to back up your own size - whatever it is, and make the tackles where it counts.

    I think they're a little while off yet.

  • 10stonenumber10
    7:52 PM 05/03/2018

    I feared this day. Many thought I was a naysayer, a mystic, a false prophet... but they have arrived.

    The average wide receiver who DOESN'T get drafted is still in the top 0.1% of athletes globally. The College level sprinter who misses out by 0.1 seconds is still faster than 99.9% on earth.

    WHO THE FUCK TAUGHT AMERICA TO PLAY RUGBY?

    The rugby universe is done for. A player base potentially greater than the populations of NZ and 'Straya combined?

  • alasdairduncan3
    7:11 PM 05/03/2018

    ...Just ship it to PB and watch the magic.

  • flanker2712
    6:38 PM 05/03/2018

    They are on a different planet in terms of gas, but the rest of the team doesn't seem to be lacking either!

  • tphillipsstl
    6:14 PM 05/03/2018

    I guess from a defensive standpoint you can't have Perry Baker and Carlin Isles on the field at the same time very often. But man, that's a lot of gas to defend when they are.

  • bokskick
    2:57 PM 05/03/2018

    There was and it was in pretty poor taste. I get it, you're fired up and that's part of the process for some players but it's a long series and players have good memories. Good job by the eagles though, they showed up ready to work and went straight for the jugular and never let up.

  • flanker2712
    2:37 PM 05/03/2018

    Was there some niggle in the final? On both tries scored by Danny Barrett, he seems to engage in a bit of needless provocation.

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