The USA men's sevens team took a big step toward securing fifth in the Sevens World Series after the Eagles made the top eight in Paris while sixth-place Australia failed to reach the quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Eagles got an unimpeachably consistent day at the Stade Jean Bouin from Perry Baker, who went into the tournament leading the World Series in tries and scored two tries in each of the USA's three games. Baker showcased exactly why he is a constant try-scoring threat. He is so light on his feet and in control that he is able to make an inside move and pause for just a split second to see if his defender bites on the fake. If the defender doesn't, Baker stays on the inside line and cuts through the middle. If the defender covers the inside, Baker goes outside and, usually, is too fast to be caught.

With Baker scoring six tries on the day and Martin Iosefo contributing on the scoresheet, the USA defeated Argentina 26-19, and thumped Wales 38-14. Hit with a couple of errors that undercut their chances against New Zealand, the Eagles fell to the All Blacks 27-14 to finish the day 2-1. 

That was good enough for second in the pool. Meanwhile, the team they want to stay ahead of, Australia, lost to Samoa and Fiji and finished 1-2 and will play in the consolation bracket.

Preview of Paris 7s and a Look at the USA's Stats

Scotland topped its pool for the second time this season as it shocked South Africa, while Samoa upset its Pacific rival Fiji and Australia. New Zealand and England also went unbeaten on Saturday as the penultimate round of the series saw some thrilling matches. With South Africa still on course to secure the series win, the quarterfinals on day two will see Scotland play Fiji and England take on the USA. Meanwhile, Samoa was rewarded for its efforts with a clash against South Africa, and New Zealand plays the hosts. 

Elsewhere, day one also saw Canada, Argentina, and Scotland cement their places at next year's Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco with just one qualifying spot left from the series, which looks likely to be filled by Samoa. The tournament also saw New Zealand legend DJ Forbes mark his 150th series try while England's Dan Norton, who has scored more tries than anyone else in sevens history, reached 250.

Baker's six tries lead the tournament and put him at 47 for the season, as he extends his lead over Dan Norton (Baker has 47, Norton 41). Madison Hughes has gained some ground on the Series points chase. He scored 18 points on Saturday to put him at 228, just seven behind England's Tom Mitchell at 235. Baker also has 235, and they are all chasing Welshman Ethan Davies at 241.