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United States at the Rugby World Cup

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The United States national rugby union team has played in all but two Rugby World Cups since the inaugural tournament in 1987. The USA is the second strongest national rugby side in North America, and the third strongest in the Americas after Argentina and Canada.

Map of nations best results, excluding nations which unsuccessfully participated in qualifying tournaments.

The U.S. has played in eight World Cups from the inaugural 1987 tournament to the 2019 tournament—all but the 1995 and 2023 World Cups. The team's best result so far has been to win one game—which they accomplished in 1987, 2003, and 2011.

The U.S. is set to host it in 2031.

Summary of results by tournament

[edit]
The United States squad ahead of the 2007 Rugby World Cup match with England at Stade Félix-Bollaert.
Rugby World Cup record
Year Round Played Won Lost PF PA PD Squad Head coach
Australia New Zealand 1987 Pool stage 3 1 2 39 99 –60 Squad G. Hook
England France Ireland Scotland Wales 1991 Pool stage 3 0 3 24 113 –89 Squad J. Perkins
South Africa 1995 Did not qualify
Wales 1999 Pool stage 3 0 3 52 135 –83 Squad J. Clark
Australia 2003 Pool stage 4 1 3 86 125 –39 Squad T. Billups
France 2007 Pool stage 4 0 4 61 142 –81 Squad P. Thorburn
New Zealand 2011 Pool stage 4 1 3 38 122 –84 Squad E. O'Sullivan
England 2015 Pool stage 4 0 4 50 156 –106 Squad M. Tolkin
Japan 2019 Pool stage 4 0 4 52 156 –104 Squad G. Gold
France 2023 Did not qualify
Australia 2027 To be determined
United States 2031 Qualified as host
Total 29 3 26 402 1,048 –646

Summary of results by opponent

[edit]
Against Played Won Lost Drawn Win %
 New Zealand 1 0 1 0 0
 Australia 3 0 3 0 0
 South Africa 2 0 2 0 0
 England 4 0 4 0 0
 France 2 0 2 0 0
 Scotland 2 0 2 0 0
 Ireland 2 0 2 0 0
 Fiji 1 0 1 0 0
 Samoa 2 0 2 0 0
 Italy 2 0 2 0 0
 Tonga 2 0 2 0 0
 Romania 1 0 1 0 0
 Japan 3 2 1 0 67
 Russia 1 1 0 0 100
 Argentina 1 0 1 0 0
Total 29 3 26 0 10.3%

Notes:

  • Results current through end of 2019 Rugby World Cup.
  • The US has never played Wales or Canada in a RWC, even though those two teams have played in every RWC.
  • Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Georgia, Uruguay, Spain, and Portugal are the other seven nations that have yet to play the US at the Rugby World Cup that have previously qualified.

Qualifying

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The U.S. has qualified for every World Cup, except for the 1995 and 2023 tournaments.

RWC Record [l 1] Defeated Lost to Qualifying method
1987 No qualifying competition; all 16 participating nations were invited.
1991 1–3 Canada (14–12) Argentina (6–13, 6–23);
Canada (3–21)
Finished third of three teams in Americas qualifying.
1995 1–2 Bermuda (60–3) Argentina (22–28, 11–16) Failed to qualify:
Lost to Argentina 44–33 in a two-game series.
1999 1–2 Uruguay (21–16) Argentina (24–52);
Canada (14–31)
Finished third in Americas qualifying by defeating Uruguay 21–16.
2003 2–4 Uruguay (28–24);
Chile (35–22)
Canada (9–26, 13–36);
Chile (13–21);
Uruguay (9–10)
Finished ahead of Chile to qualify for the repechage;
Defeated Spain 120–26 in a two-game series in the repechage.
2007 3–1 Uruguay (42–13, 33–7);
Barbados (91–0)
Canada (7–56) Defeated Uruguay 75–20 in a two-game series.
2011 3–1 Uruguay (27–22, 27–6);
Canada (12–6)
Canada (18–41) Defeated Uruguay 54–28 in a two-game series.
2015 1–2–1 Uruguay (32–13) Canada (9–27, 11–13) Defeated Uruguay 59–40 in a two-game series.
2019 1–0–1 Canada (52–16) Defeated Canada 80–44 in a two-game series.
2023 5–3–1 Failed to qualify:
Finished second in cross-regional playoff.
Results by Opponent
Opponent Played Won Lost Percent
Canada 10 2 8 20%
Uruguay 8 7 1 88%
Argentina 5 0 5 0%
Chile 2 1 1 50%
Notes
  1. ^ Format is Win-Loss, or in the case of draws, Win-Loss-Draw.

Rugby World Cup hosting

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So far the USA has not hosted any Rugby World Cup games. However, the United States will host the 2031 Rugby World Cup, it will mark the first Rugby World Cup ever held in the Americas.

Team RWC records

[edit]
  • Most points scored in a single tournament: 86 (2003)
  • Most points scored in a single match: 39 (39–26 vs. Japan in 2003)
  • Largest margin of victory: 13 (39–26 vs. Japan in 2003)

Player RWC records

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Career

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Tries scored

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The following table shows all U.S. players that have scored two or more tries in their World Cup career, plus all active players who have scored at least one World Cup try.

Player Tries ’87 ’91 ’95* ’99 ’03 ’07 ’11 ’15 ’19
Chris Wyles 4 1 1 2
Taku Ngwenya 3 2 1
Kort Schubert 3 3
Ray Nelson 3 2 1
Mike Te'o 2 2
Blaine Scully 2 2
Louis Stanfill 2 2
Mike Hercus 2 2
Riaan van Zyl 2 2
Mike Purcell 2 2
Titi Lamositele 1 1
Bryce Campbell 1 1

Note: The U.S. failed to qualify for the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Single tournament

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Individual tournaments: 1987 to present

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Pool 1 games

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD T Pts Qualification
 Australia 3 3 0 0 108 41 +67 18 6 Knockout stage
 England 3 2 0 1 100 32 +68 15 4
 United States 3 1 0 2 39 99 −60 5 2
 Japan 3 0 0 3 48 123 −75 7 0
Source: [citation needed]
24 May 1987
Japan 18–21[1] United States
Try: Taumoefolau (2)
Yoshinaga
Pen: Yoshinaga
Kutsuki
Try: Nelson
Purcell
Lambert
Con: Nelson (3)
Pen: Nelson
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Guy Maurette (France)

31 May 1987
Australia 47–12[2] United States
Try: Leeds (2) 43'
Penalty try
Campese
Smith 24'
Slack 40'
Papworth
Codey
Con: Lynagh (6) 25', 41'
Pen: Lynagh 2'
Try: Nelson 53'
Con: Nelson 54'
Pen: Nelson 32'
Drop: Horton 75'
Ballymore, Brisbane
Attendance: 10,855
Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland)

3 June 1987
England 34–6[3] United States
Try: Winterbottom (2)
Harrison
Dooley
Con: Webb (3)
Pen: Webb (4)
Try: Purcell
Con: Nelson
Concord Oval, Sydney
Attendance: 8,785
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

Pool 1 games

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 New Zealand 3 3 0 0 95 39 +56 6
 England 3 2 0 1 85 33 +52 4
 Italy 3 1 0 2 57 76 −19 2
 United States 3 0 0 3 24 113 −89 0
Source: [citation needed]
1991-10-05
Italy 30–9 United States
Tries: Barba, Francescato, Vaccari, Gaetaniello
Con: Dominguez (4)
Pen: Dominguez (2)
Tries: Swords
Con: Williams
Pen: Williams
Cross Green, Otley
Referee: Owen Doyle (Ireland)

1991-10-08
New Zealand 46–6 United States
Tries: Wright (3), Earl, Purvis, Timu, Tuigamala, Innes
Con: Preston (4)
Pen: Preston (2)
Pen: Williams (2)
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Efraim Sklar (Argentina)

1991-10-11
England 37–9 United States
Tries: Underwood (2), Carling, Skinner, Heslop
Con: Hodgkinson (4)
Pen: Hodgkinson (3)
Tries: Nelson
Con: Williams
Pen: Williams
Twickenham, London
Referee: Les Peard (Wales)

Did not qualify.

The Americas were allotted only two teams for the 1995 tournament. Canada automatically qualified, by virtue of reaching the quarterfinals of the 1991 tournament. Only 1 place remained for the Americas qualifying, to be decided by the winner of the home-and-away series between the US and Argentina (the winner of the Americas South bracket) in 1994. In that series, the US lost their home match 22–28, and also lost their away match 11–16. With the 2–0 record and 44-33 aggregate score, Argentina secured the final qualifying spot for the Americas.

Pool E games

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 Australia 3 3 0 0 135 31 +104 9
 Ireland 3 2 0 1 100 45 +55 7
 Romania 3 1 0 2 50 126 −76 5
 United States 3 0 0 3 52 135 −83 3
Source: [citation needed]
1999-10-02
Ireland 53–8 United States
Tries: Keith Wood (4), Brian O'Driscoll, Justin Bishop, Penalty try
Con: David Humphreys (4)
Eric Elwood (2)
Pen: David Humphreys (2)
ReportTries: Kevin Dalzell
Pen: Kevin Dalzell
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Joel Dume (France)


2003 Rugby World Cup

[edit]
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts Qualification
 France 4 4 0 0 204 70 +134 4 20 Quarter-finals
 Scotland 4 3 0 1 102 97 +5 2 14
 Fiji 4 2 0 2 98 114 −16 2 10
 United States 4 1 0 3 86 125 −39 2 6
 Japan 4 0 0 4 79 163 −84 0 0
Source: [citation needed]
2003-10-15
Fiji 19–18 United States
Tries: Naevo
Con: Little
Pen: Little (4)
Tries: van Zyl, Schubert
Con: Hercus
Pen: Hercus (2)
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 30,990
Referee: Joël Jutge (France)

2003-10-20
Scotland 39–15 United States
Tries: Danielli (2), Kerr, Townsend, Paterson
Con: Paterson (4)
Pen: Paterson (2)
Pen: Hercus (5)
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 46,796
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

2003-10-27
Japan 26–39 United States
Tries: Kurihara, Ohata
Con: Kurihara (2)
Pen: Kurihara (4)
Tries: Hercus, Eloff, Schubert, van Zyl, Khasigian
Con: Hercus (4)
Pen: Hercus (2)
Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Attendance: 19,653
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

2003-10-31
France 41–14 United States
Tries: Liebenberg (3), Poux, Bru
Con: Merceron (2)
Pen: Merceron (3)
Drop: Yachvili
Tries: Hercus, Schubert
Con: Hercus (2)
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Attendance: 17,833
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

Mike Hercus was the leading points scorer for the United States - and 7th leading scorer among all players - with 51 points (2 tries, 9 penalties, 7 conversions).

2007 Rugby World Cup

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD B Pts Qualification
1  South Africa 4 4 0 0 189 47 +142 3 19 Advanced to the quarter-finals and qualified for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2  England 4 3 0 1 108 88 +20 2 14
3  Tonga 4 2 0 2 89 96 −7 1 9 Eliminated, automatic qualification for 2011 Rugby World Cup
4  Samoa 4 1 0 3 69 143 −74 1 5
5  United States 4 0 0 4 61 142 −81 1 1
Source: [citation needed]
8 September 2007
18:00
England 28–10 United States
Tries: Robinson 35' m
Barkley 40+' c
Rees 49' c
Con: Barkley (2/3)
Pen: Barkley (3/3) 7', 22', 31'
ReportTries: Moeakiola 74' c
Con: Hercus (1/1)
Pen: Hercus (1/1) 9'
Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens
Attendance: 36,755
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
12 September 2007
14:00
United States 15 – 25 Tonga
Tries: MacDonald 47' m
Stanfill 67' c
Con: Hercus (1/2)
Pen: Hercus (1/2) 33'
ReportTries: Maka 2' c
Vaka 59' m
Vaki 70' c
Con: Hola (2/3)
Pen: Hola (2/2) 7', 26'
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
26 September 2007
20:00
Samoa 25–21 United States
Tries: Fa'atau 5' m
Tuilagi 9' c
Thompson 37' c
Con: Crichton (2/3)
Pen: Crichton (2/2) 30', 72'
ReportTries: Ngwenya 53' c
Stanfill 79' m
Con: Hercus (1/2)
Pen: Hercus (3/4) 32', 65', 75'
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne
Attendance: 34,124
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
30 September 2007
20:00
South Africa 64–15 United States
Tries: Burger 10' c
Steyn 28' c
Habana (2) 35' c, 42' m
van der Linde 48' c
du Preez 54' c
Fourie (2) 64' c, 73' c
Smith 77' c
Con: Montgomery (6/7)
James (2/2)
Pen: Montgomery (1/1) 17'
ReportTries: Ngwenya 39' c
Wyles 51' m
Con: Hercus (1/2)
Pen: Hercus (1/1) 20'
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
Attendance: 28,750
Referee: Tony Spreadbury (England)

2007 Squad:

Forwards: Blake Burdette, Owen Lentz, Mike MacDonald, Matekitonga Moeakiola, Chris Osentowski, Jonathan Vitale, Luke Gross, Mike Mangan, Hayden Mexted, Alec Parker, Mark Aylor, Inaki Basauri, Todd Clever, Fifita Mounga, Louis Stanfill, Henry Bloomfield, Dan Payne

Backs: Chad Erskine, Mike Petri, Mike Hercus (C), Nese Malifa, Philip Eloff, Vahafolau Esikia, Thretton Palamo, Albert Tuipulotu, Paul Emerick, Takudzwa Ngwenya, Salesi Sika, Francois Viljoen, Chris Wyles

Head Coach: Peter Thorburn

In the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the US joined England, Samoa, South Africa and Tonga in Pool A. The Eagles, ranked 13th in the world standings, lost all 4 games in Pool A, scoring 1 bonus point in the game against Samoa. Coached by New Zealander Peter Thorburn, the Eagles started off with tough match against the defending world champions England, losing 28–10. The US was then beaten by Tonga 25–15, lost to Samoa 25 – 21, and lost their final match to highly favored South Africa 64 – 15. The Eagles, however, had a major highlight in the South Africa match. After an interception and a pair of passes, Takudzwa Ngwenya sped down the sideline and outran Bryan Habana, arguably the fastest man in world rugby, to score a try that received Try of the Year honors at the 2007 IRB Awards.

2011 Rugby World Cup

[edit]
Australia vs USA at the Regional Stadium, Wellington. Australia won 67–5.
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD T B Pts Qualification
1  Ireland 4 4 0 0 135 34 +101 15 1 17 Advanced to the quarter-finals and
qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup
2  Australia 4 3 0 1 173 48 +125 25 3 15
3  Italy 4 2 0 2 92 95 −3 13 2 10 Eliminated but qualified for 2015 Rugby World Cup
4  United States 4 1 0 3 38 122 −84 4 0 4
5  Russia 4 0 0 4 57 196 −139 8 1 1
Source: [citation needed]
11 September 2011 Ireland  22–10  United States Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth
15 September 2011 Russia  6–13  United States Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth
23 September 2011 Australia  67–5  United States Regional Stadium, Wellington
27 September 2011 Italy  27–10  United States Trafalgar Park, Nelson

Chris Wyles was the USA's leading scorer of the 2011 tournament with 18 points (1 try, 3 penalties, 2 conversions).

Mike Petri, Paul Emerick, and JJ Gagiano each scored 5 points (1 try) for the US.

30 Man Squad:

  • Hooker: Chris Biller, Phil Thiel, Brian McClenahan
  • Prop: Mike MacDonald, Mate Moeakiola, Shawn Pittman, Eric Fry
  • Lock: Hayden Smith, John van der Giessen
  • Loose: Todd Clever (c), Louis Stanfill, Nic Johnson, Scott LaValla, Patrick Danahy, JJ Gagiano, Inaki Basauri
  • Scrumhalf: Mike Petri, Tim Usasz
  • Flyhalf: Roland Suniula, Nese Malifa
  • Center: Andrew Suniula, Paul Emerick, Tai Enosa, Junior Sifa
  • Wing: Takudzwa Ngwyenya, James Paterson, Kevin Swiryn, Colin Hawley
  • Fullback: Chris Wyles, Blaine Scully

The Eagles showed tremendous fight and power in their World Cup opening match against Ireland emotionally charged as the game coincided with the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Irish came out strong but the Eagles were stiff in defense. The Irish suffered from poor goal kicking and were only able to gain a 3–0 lead before finally scoring their first try at the 39' mark to take a 10-0 half-time lead. The Irish came out more ready to play in the second half but still ran into stiff Eagles defense. Ultimately the Irish scored two more tries to give a final tally of 22 points. The Eagles succeeded in frustrating Irish expectations to gain a bonus point with a full strength squad and managed to post 10 points led by an interception try on full-time by Paul Emerick.[4]

The Eagles came into the World Cup with their measuring mark for success as being a win over Russia. The Eagles did not disappoint. Russia leaped out to an early 3–0 lead after a penalty goal from inside the 22 set up by a block on a Mike Petri box kick. The Americans took a 10–3 lead into the half after a break by Andrew Suniula set up a try for Mike Petri. The kicking duty fell upon Chris Wyles who capitalized on his first kick, a deep strike in poor conditions from the 10 meter line. Wyles was also successful on a conversion and with his last attempt at goal. He did, however, miss 3 kicks at goal and a drop goal. Russia would land once more on the board to snatch a bonus point from the match but fell to the final tally of USA 13–6 Russia.[5] Both Wyles and Mike MacDonald had amazing matches as McDonald scooped up the man of the match accolades.[6] The Eagles were absolutely dominant at the lineout winning 7 of Russia's 13 throws and winning all 12 of their own throws.[7] The win elevated the Eagles back up to 17th in the IRB rankings and dropped Russia one spot to 21st.

For their third match the Eagles trotted out a squad with 14 changes from the one that met Russia, ensuring that each player on the roster received a cap in the tournament. Australia got on the board early with tries at the 7- and 10-minute marks, but the Eagles answered with a JJ Gagiano try at the 22nd minute that cut the deficit to 10–5. Australia quickly responded with two more tries to take a 22–5 lead into the half along with clinching a bonus point. In the second half the Wallabies jumped on the Eagles leading to the final result of 67–5. This was the worst defeat a US team has ever suffered to Australia.[8]

The final match saw the Eagles playing for a 3rd-place finish in Pool C and an automatic qualification into the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The Eagles faced Italy (the Azzurri) and the scoring began early by the Azzurri, but the Eagles struck back with a Chris Wyles try and conversion to level the match 7-7. The Italians struck quickly with their second try, and scored their third try on the stroke of halftime to lead 20–10 at the half. Italy focused their second-half efforts on scoring a fourth try and the bonus point. The US second-half defense held for 25 minutes, but after tremendous pressure by the Italian scrum - which Italy dominated all match - the Azzurri got their fourth try and the bonus point in the 65th minute. That try and conversion were the only points for the Azzurri in the second half.[9] The defeat marked the end of the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the 2011 season for the Eagles.

2015 Rugby World Cup

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U.S. summer preparations for the World Cup included four matches at the 2015 Pacific Nations Cup plus two additional World Cup warm-up matches. The U.S. earned three wins and three losses over these matches, with wins against Canada (twice) and Japan.

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD T B Pts Qualification
1  South Africa 4 3 0 1 176 56 +120 23 4 16 Advanced to the quarter-finals and
qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup
2  Scotland 4 3 0 1 136 93 +43 14 2 14
3  Japan 4 3 0 1 98 100 −2 9 0 12 Eliminated but qualified for 2019 Rugby World Cup
4  Samoa 4 1 0 3 69 124 −55 7 2 6
5  United States 4 0 0 4 50 156 −106 5 0 0
Source: [citation needed]
20 September 2015 Samoa  25–16  United States Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton
27 September 2015 Scotland  39–16  United States Elland Road, Leeds
7 October 2015 South Africa  64–0  United States Olympic Stadium, London
11 October 2015 United States  18–28  Japan Kingsholm, Gloucester
World Rugby Rankings
Rankings 10–20 as of 7 September 2015[10]
Rank Change* Team Points
10 Steady  Scotland 75.88
11 Steady  Tonga 75.69
12 Steady  Samoa 75.14
13 Increase1  Japan 72.06
14 Increase1  Italy 70.53
15 Increase1  United States 70.36
16 Decrease3  Georgia 69.36
17 Steady  Romania 66.28
18 Steady  Canada 65.17
19 Steady  Uruguay 62.11
20 Steady  Namibia 61.85
The U.S. reached as high as 15th in the rankings
in the buildup to the 2015 World Cup.

At the World Cup, the U.S. lost its first match against Samoa 16–25. The Eagles suffered from ill discipline, committing 14 penalties (compared to 7 for Samoa); and from poor tackling, with a 79% tackle success rate and 29 missed tackles, (compared to Samoa's 86% tackle rate and 19 missed tackles).[11]

The team entered World Cup play with the highest hopes in years.[citation needed] The pool draw placed the Eagles alongside Japan, a team they had beaten earlier in the summer, Samoa, a team they've played well in the past, and Scotland. Scotland, though a tier 1 nation, had struggled in recent years. The last team was South Africa, a team that lost its first match of the World Cup to Japan. In their opening match against Samoa, the United States trailed 14–8 at the half, and ultimately fell 25–16, after finding tremendous difficulties at the lineout and in the scrum.[12]

Carrying a tough 0–1 start into the team's second match, the Eagles made history by claiming a first ever halftime lead over a tier 1 nation (13–6),[13] on the back of a strong showing in the scrum. The second half was less kind, as Scotland quickly overcame the deficit and pushed the final score well out of reach: Scotland 39, USA 16.[14]

With a winless campaign becoming a real possibility, the coaching staff chose a roster that drastically differed from the starters in the first two matches.[15][16] Against South Africa, the Eagles struggled early and were dominated in the scrum, but kept the match close at the break with South Africa holding a 14-point lead. In the second half, the Springboks blew the match open, running the match to 64–0. The defeat is the fifth largest in USA Rugby history and the largest in a World Cup.[17]

2015 RWC: U.S. statistical leaders
Category Player Total Rank
Carries Samu Manoa 57 2nd
Carries over the gain line Samu Manoa 26 4th
Turnovers made Andrew Durutalo 6 8th
Penalties scored AJ MacGinty 7 9th
Points scored AJ MacGinty 25 17th
Tackles made Alastair McFarland 37

Source: World Rugby Rank is as of the end of the pool stages, and does not include the knockout rounds.

2019 Rugby World Cup

[edit]
26 September 2019
19:45 JST (UTC+09)
(1 BP) England 45–7 United States
Try: Ford 6' c
Vunipola 25' c
Cowan-Dickie 33' m
Cokanasiga (2) 48' m, 76' c
McConnochie 58' c
Ludlam 67' c
Con: Ford (5/7) 7', 26', 60', 68', 77'
ReportTry: Campbell 80+1' c
Con: MacGinty (1/1) 80+2'
Kobe Misaki Stadium, Kobe
Attendance: 27,194
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
2 October 2019
16:45 JST (UTC+09)
(1 BP) France 33–9 United States
Try: Huget 6' c
Raka 24' m
Fickou 67' c
Serin 70' c
Poirot 79' c
Con: Ramos (1/2) 8'
Lopez (3/3) 68', 71', 80'+1
ReportPen: MacGinty (3/3) 19', 31', 65'
Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium, Fukuoka
Attendance: 17,660
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

Did not qualify.

Finished second to Portugal in the cross-regional playoff.

See also

[edit]
  • Davies, Gerald (2004) The History of the Rugby World Cup, Sanctuary Publishing Ltd, (ISBN 1-86074-602-0)
  • Farr-Jones, Nick, (2003). Story of the Rugby World Cup, Australian Post Corporation, (ISBN 0-642-36811-2)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Japan vs United States 1987 World Rugby
  2. ^ Australia vs United States RWC 1987 World Rugby
  3. ^ England vs United States 1987 World Rugby
  4. ^ "Irish in Battle with Eagles, but Win". Rugbymag.com. September 11, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  5. ^ "USA Edges Russia in World Cup". Rugbymag.com. September 15, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  6. ^ "More than One Hero". Rugbymag.com. September 15, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  7. ^ "Rugby Union – ESPN Scrum – Russia v United States of America at New Plymouth, Sep 15, 2011". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  8. ^ "Wallabies Much Too Much for Eagles". Rugbymag.com. September 23, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  9. ^ "USA Brave in 27–10 Loss to Italy". Rugbymag.com. September 27, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  10. ^ "World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  11. ^ Samoa vs United States, ESPN Scrum. Accessed 20 September 2015.
  12. ^ "USA come up just short against Samoa", ESPN UK, September 20, 2015.
  13. ^ "Scotland beat the USA 39–16 to go top of Pool B", SkySports.net, September 27, 2015.
  14. ^ "Scotland find second wind to down Eagles", ESPN UK, September 27, 2015.
  15. ^ "Green Lineup Selected for Springboks", RugbyToday.com, October 5, 2015.
  16. ^ "Cliff Notes: Digesting the Shutout", Pat Clifton, October 8, 2015.
  17. ^ "Second Half Sees USA to Historic Loss", Pat Clifton, October 7, 2015.