The USA’s defense of the Americas Rugby Championship got off to a fairly comfortable start, as the Eagles torched the Condors of Chile 71-8, but it wasn’t a precise performance from the Americans by any stretch of the imagination.

The Eagles fell into some habits of playing far too loose with the ball, and even on defense - in what was overall a decent defensive effort - the USA was sometimes thinking too much about turnovers and blowing the game wide open, and not enough about patience.

Still, it was a dominant performance by a more cohesive, fitter, and more athletic USA team.

Strong early start

The Eagles got on the scoreboard early by taking the lineout on a penalty. The maul was strong and hooker Joe Taufete’e was in for his 15th test try, tying Ireland legend Keith Wood for more international tries by a front row player.

Continued pressure from the USA worked the phases, and then AJ MacGinty, back in the lineup after taking most of the last three months off with shoulder surgery, scamped through a gap.

MacGinty converted his own effort was the USA led 12-0.

Chile bounced back and was close to the USA line on several occasions. However, the Eagle defense was solid, and eventually the Condors had to settle for a penalty goal from Francisco González. At about the same time, fullback Tomás Ianiszewskiwas off the field for what appeared to be a head injury assessment. He did not return and that was a blow for Chile.

Up 12-3 the Eagles struck after Taufete’e stole the ball in the ruck. Quickly the ball was send wide where gamely captain Marcel Brache sliced through and then fed Paul Lasike for the try in the corner. Will Magie hit the conversion from the touchline to make it 19-3.

Set piece power

At this point Chile started to struggle. The scrum was under pressure - which prompted two props to be subbed off before halftime - and the USA started to take lineouts, stealing three of Chile’s seven throw-ins in the first 40.

One such steal led to the USA  back ahead with Bryce Campbell making the hard yards. Lock Nick Civetta burst through, and then picks up in a rather loose ruck and no one paid him any mind. So the Doncaster second row just took off and was in from 12 meters.

After that try, the Eagle discipline started to fade somewhat. The players began to play too fast and loose, and the hot potato game led to turnovers that a stronger team would have punished severely. As it was, the USA was up to the task of the getting the ball back. A wide ball to Campbell allowed the center to set up Lasike - the former BYU All American put in a nice sidestep and then offloaded inside to scrumhalf Shaun Davies, who galloped in.

Moments later, flanker Hanco Germishuys bowled over two Chilean defenders to take it into the corner.

That made it 38-3 at the break, and the USA in control.

Sloppy second half

The second half began sloppily as the Eagles seemed to play as it would all come easily. Several scoring opportunities were lost as players made the wrong decision, or found themselves isolated as support was slow to the ball.

However, eventually MacGinty got his second - Lasike made a break, and then MacGinty looped Campbell to take the return pass and glide in. Chile came back and Matias Dittus powered over for his team’s lone try - the USA guilty of thinking turnover before tackle on that sequence.

Late in the game, Chile began to face. Some excellent hands from Lasike and a break from Campbell set up an offload from the ground for MacGinty, and the flyhalf took his hat trick. That pass from Campbell may well have been forward, but the Eagles got away with it. MacGinty converted, giving him 25 points for the day, and then took a seat in favor of Tag Leader. 

Almost a record

For MacGinty, his 25 points was the second-most by any USA player in a test match - Chris O’Brien scored 26 in 1989 (when tries were four points - it would have been 32 by today’s values), and Mike Hercus scored 26 in 2004 and 2006. No record for MacGinty, though, as he was subbed off. 

AJ MacGinty secures the hat trick ? USA 52, Chile 8 #USAvChile pic.twitter.com/vx2mhdBR3H

— FloRugby (@FloRugby) February 2, 2019

Leader came on for his first cap and within minutes took a page out of MacGinty’s book, looping around to take a return pass and scoring a try, which he converted.

Brache then exploded down the left side, passed off to Campbell, who set up Ruben de Haas in the corner. And the game ended with Cam Dolan coming off the back of the scrum.

What will be good news is that the USA subs actually did well to right the ship and settle the game down. On set piece, the Eagles were very good, and were certainly much the fitter team. Both Gary Gold and the Sale Sharks will be happy to see MacGinty return and play well after surgery. This might have been the best game for him to do that, as Chile didn’t test him much, and he was able to work his magic.

Top players for the USA included Lasike, whose ball handling on a sweaty day was outstanding, and lock Greg Peterson, who put in some massive hits and did the rough work at the coal face.

But the USA will not succeed with such loose play next week, and will need to shore things up.

USA 71 

Tries: Taufete’e, MacGinty 3, Lasike, Civetta, Davies, Germyshuys, Leader, De Haas, Dolan

Convs: MacGinty 5, Magie, Leader 2

Chile 8

Tries: Dittus

Pens: González