The USA senior men's rugby teams' combined success over the weekend was unprecedented.
Sure, the Eagles Sevens have won a World Series tournament before, but that happened May 17, 2015, and the 15s team wasn't playing.
Sure, the USA 15s won the Americas Rugby Championship last year, too, but the Eagles did it with a 4-0-1 record. The sevens team did very, very well at the USA Sevens the same weekend, finishing third.
But this weekend, there was nothing but dominance: a second straight ARC title for the 15s squad and a first-ever Las Vegas Sevens crown for the Eagles Sevens.
The sevens team was only tested once, against England, and from the second half of the semifinal with Fiji through Sunday's final against Argentina, scored 47 points and gave up... zero.
Three USA players made the tournament Dream Team (which takes some doing).
Seven stars make up your #HSBC7s Dream Team after a fantastic #USA7s tournament pic.twitter.com/MUt8d70nd3
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) March 5, 2018
Although, one of those Eagles who received the honor thought maybe the choices should have been different.
Folau Niua not making this team is a crime. What does the man have to do https://t.co/yDTPYrfMYw
— Ben Pinkelman (@benpinkelman2) March 5, 2018
The USA was brilliant, played with power and pace, was fun to watch, was precise, brutal, and ... what is the word? Right. Fast. Very fast.
Like this...
Runs 126m, past 4 Fiji defenders to score ONE incredible try. @SpeedSt11ck take a bow, you are next level. #USA7s pic.twitter.com/XcM0UH7C38
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) March 4, 2018
And at the same time, the Eagles 15s team went to Uruguay on Saturday expecting a very rough reception by the host nation, which was on a long winning streak. Los Teros had somehow managed to get ranked above the USA, and everyone, it seemed, was worried.
Everyone except the players. Mike Te'o was superb, the chopped and changed forward pack controlled the pace, and the decision to put the imposing Paul Lasike in the midfield paid off.
The Eagles were done by halftime, 40-0, on toward a 61-19 victory and a perfect 5-0 run in this year's ARC.
42' Second half underway and Te'o picking up right where he left off. TRY TIME USA! ??????
— 2018 USA 7s Champs (@USARugby) March 3, 2018
USA 47-0 URU#ARC2018 #USAvURU pic.twitter.com/HABFc6G3IE
It was monumental: two championships in emphatic fashion on the same weekend. A series of basically blowout victories accomplished with a different set of players, and with several overseas pros unavailable.
The victory in Las Vegas moved the Eagles up to sixth in the Sevens World Series standings, which is a nice post-weekend benefit. And to add to that, the USA 15s team moved from 17th to 15th in the world rankings with that single victory.
Nothing compares.