Despite playing defense for massive portions of the game, the USA Men’s 15s team came away with a convincing victory over Canada on Saturday in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Eagles got three tries from Cam Dolan and burned the Canadians for several late scores to win 42-17, but the game was, for much of the afternoon much closer than that. 

Buoyed by a sold-out crowd at Wanderers Park, Canada put the USA under pressure from the kickoff and forced the Eagles to make tackle after tackle. The USA was up to it, and while the Americans were backed up to their line, they didn’t break. Eventually, flyhalf Shane O’Leary slotted a penalty goal for a 3-0 lead.

Deja Vu

That lead lasted about five minutes. After a period of trading kicks, USA flyhalf AJ MacGinty decided to shake it up, ran forward, and then popped a little high ball that the Canadian defense wasn’t ready for. MacGinty raced through, took the ball on the bounce, and as he was being tracked down, lofted a pass to Cam Dolan on the wing and the No. 8 did the rest.

The try was a virtual carbon copy of Hanco Germishuys’s try against Scotland a week ago.

That try made it 5-3, and after MacGinty extended the lead with a penalty, the Eagles put together their best string of play in the second half. Big carries from Dylan Fawsitt, Germishuys, and Samu Manoa sucked in defenders, and then MacGinty lofted a long pass out wide for wing Nate Augspurger.

Canada Replies

Up 13-3 at halftime, the Eagles sent Augspurger through for a break, and he set up Dolan for the No. 8’s second. But Canada replied almost immediately, with Evan Olmstead’s barreling try capping off another very long period of Canada possession. USA captain Blaine Scully had said his team wanted the ball back on defense, but in this game, the Eagles were smart not to test the rucks and just made tackle after tackle. Turnovers came not from poaches in the rucks, but instead from hard hits that forced knock-ons and from stripping the ball.

A Torrid Final 15

The game looked to still be a tight one after a second MacGinty penalty goal extended the USA's lead to 23-10. But in the end, it wasn’t. The Eagles dominated possession and the run of play in the final quarter. Eric Fry and debutant Vili Toluta’u came close to scoring—Toluta’u’s effort went to the TMO. But the Eagles did not show frustration, and Dolan eventually stretched over for his third.

Then a superb piece of rugby. Off an attacking lineout, the Eagles set up a maul, working in-field. That left some space on the right, and MacGinty raced around to the weak side, got the pass from Shaun Davies, and passed to Scully, who was in untouched.

Canada replied with a try from Jeff Hassler, but the USA finished the game off with three former USA U20s captains—Germishuys, Will Magie, and Ruben de Haas—setting up de Haas for the final try.

Strong D

The defensive effort was again strong, with the USA paying particular attention to Hassler’s hard running and scrumhalf Phil Mack’s sneak attacks. That physicality, combined with patience, won the game for the USA. MacGinty was again sublime, Manoa was brutal (in a good way), and Dolan was certainly a star for the day. Once against Nick Civetta was a force at lock.

This game makes it eight unbeaten games for the USA against Canada, with seven victories and one tie. Canada still has some soul searching to do, while the Eagles have followed up their defeat of Scotland with another victory that proves they are for real.

MacGinty was the game MVP and received congratulations from former Canada legend Al Charron after the game.

USA 42

Tries: Dolan 3, Augspurger, Scully, De Haas

Convs: MacGinty 3

Pens: MacGinty 2

Canada 17

Tries: Olmstead, Hassler

Convs: O’Leary 2

Pens: O’Leary