Repechage

[Mr Mwenda]

Usa v Portugal is looking tasty for the final deciding clash. Portugal have been the more impressive based on the highlights.

Poor Kenya look like a sevens programme moonlighting in xvs, sadly.

[Which Tyler]

Poor Kenya look like a sevens programme moonlighting in xvs, sadly.

There might be a reason why (34th ranked) Kenya XVs looks like (15th ranked) Kenya 7s

[Mr Mwenda]

Wolf beats an eagle it seems. 16-all but the points difference was in Portugal's favour i assume.

Great news, love Portugal. It also feels like the us has a million chances to qualify but I imagine they must be appalled at us rugby and world rugby!

[Puja]

Wolf beats an eagle it seems. 16-all but the points difference was in Portugal's favour i assume.

Great news, love Portugal. It also feels like the us has a million chances to qualify but I imagine they must be appalled at us rugby and world rugby!

Wow. I was not expecting that - US have got some very talented players at the moment and I had thought that, with them having a long build-up and two to build chemistry, they would comfortably have too much for Portugal. Fantastic work by Portugal and it'll be great to have them in France.

I'd assume Gary Gold's not going to have a job for much longer though. USA should be doing so much better with what they've got.

ETA. Just found the highlights.



At 77.10, USA have a scrum on Portugal's 5m line, winning 16-13, and needing only to hold onto the ball for the next three minutes to qualify. Absolute heartbreaker if you're a US fan - must've thought it was all done bar the shouting.

Puja

[Cameo]

Wolf beats an eagle it seems. 16-all but the points difference was in Portugal's favour i assume.

Great news, love Portugal. It also feels like the us has a million chances to qualify but I imagine they must be appalled at us rugby and world rugby!

Wow. I was not expecting that - US have got some very talented players at the moment and I had thought that, with them having a long build-up and two to build chemistry, they would comfortably have too much for Portugal. Fantastic work by Portugal and it'll be great to have them in France.

I'd assume Gary Gold's not going to have a job for much longer though. USA should be doing so much better with what they've got.

ETA. Just found the highlights.



At 77.10, USA have a scrum on Portugal's 5m line, winning 16-13, and needing only to hold onto the ball for the next three minutes to qualify. Absolute heartbreaker if you're a US fan - must've thought it was all done bar the shouting.

Puja

I've always thought of the USA as a rung above the likes of Portugal - closer to Georgia. But they never seem to have really improved.

Looks like Portugal played some nice running rugby.

[Which Tyler]

I've always thought of the USA as a rung above the likes of Portugal - closer to Georgia. But they never seem to have really improved.

Looks like Portugal played some nice running rugby.

Same, and I was expecting the MLR and their 7s programme to push them above the likes of Georgia. Both of which shouldnhave been going long enough to be pushing the national team up a bit.

Are Portugal just better than we thought? Or are USA (and Gary Gold) really that much of a mess (and I know there's been a lot of unhappiness already)

[cashead]

I've always thought of the USA as a rung above the likes of Portugal - closer to Georgia. But they never seem to have really improved.

Looks like Portugal played some nice running rugby.

Same, and I was expecting the MLR and their 7s programme to push them above the likes of Georgia. Both of which shouldnhave been going long enough to be pushing the national team up a bit.

Are Portugal just better than we thought? Or are USA (and Gary Gold) really that much of a mess (and I know there's been a lot of unhappiness already)

From an outsider's perspective, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that because of the relative niche-ness of the sport in the USA, USA Rugby probably had to prioritise parts of the game over others.

The full 15s men's rugby is a more crowded field, and they're in an awkward spot where the guys they can get the most out of are a former world power that never really quite made it, now in terminal decline to the north of their border, and the Americas' equivalent of Japan:Rest of Asia in Argentina. Like yeah, they're a cut or two above, say, Brazil or, uh, Venezuela (do they even play rugby?) but there's only so much they can do having a throw-around with Uruguay and Canada. They might get the odd fixture against one of the 6 Nations sides, or the OG SANZAR teams wanting that sweet, sweet USA money (or hey, even host random fixtures between them, like that Wales v. Boks game from, like 2016 or 2017 or whenever it was).

Compared to that, the women's game has a lower bar. NZ, England and France are obviously a cut above most, but fielding a team that can at least be regularly competitive and occasionally trip one of them up is far more do-able, while the 7s programme can get high performance funding via the Olympics.