The USA is into the Cup Semifinals after securing two crucial victories on Day Two in the USA 7s in Las Vegas.

The Eagles needed to beat France to make the Cup Quarterfinals in the first game of the day, and it wasn’t easy. After Ben Pinkelman staked his team to a 5-0 lead, and Martin Iosefo scored two quick tries early in the second half, the Eagles saw France mount a comeback and had to work to hold on 19-10.

That gave the USA a 2-1 record in the pool and set up a quarterfinal clash with South Africa, a team the USA had never beaten on US soil.

Well, it happened this time. Danny Barrett powered through four Blitzbokke to score on a quick tap. Then some static ball passed to the outside was switched around when Pinkelman moved ahead and then fed Stephen Tomasin, who put on a burst of speed and raced 80 meters to score. Before he touched down, Tomasin bounced up and down and nodded to the US-based crowd in recognition of the moment.

That made it 12-0, and then, after Barrett jarred the ball loose with two huge hits, Iosefo was in to make it 19-0.

The second half started with a really strong series from the USA in which every player touched the ball. The last one to do so was Carlin Isles, who picked up at the ruck after Iosefo surged on, and Isles went into the corner.

From the restart, Matai Leuta raced in under Folau Niua’s kick, and was in untouched. And South Africa was done. South Africa got one back, but that was it, 29-5

That result was doubly good news because it ensured that one of the teams chasing the Eagles for the top four in the World Series made no ground. And, in fact, with Samoa beating England, and New Zealand beating Fiji, three of the top five in the standings will finish behind the USA no matter what happens on Sunday.

The Eagles will play the other top four team, New Zealand, in the semis on Sunday. Samoa takes on Argentina in the other. We could see a repeat of last year’s USA-v-Argentina final.

As it is, the USA will leave Las Vegas no lower than 2nd in the World Series.