USA vs Uruguay

[Melhor Time]

First of all you can watch the game live and for free here:<a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/usa-rugby" target="_blank">
</a><span style="font-family:Arial">
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/usa-rugby</span>

The USA have named the same team that won last Saturday in Montevideo, Uruguay.

USA

15 Chris Wyles (Saracens, England)
14 Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz, France)
13 Paul Emerick (Parma, Italy)
12 Junior Sifa (Middleton, England)
11 Kevin Swiryn (Old Puget Sound Beach RFC, USA)
10 Mike Hercus (Sunshine Coast Stingrays, Australia)
9 Tim Usasz (Nottingham RFC, England)
8 Nic Johnson (Denver Barbarians, USA)
7 Todd Clever (Golden Lions, South Africa)
6 Louis Stanfill (New York Athletic Club, USA)
5 Hayden Smith (Saracens, England)
4 John Van der Giessen (Albi, France)
3 Will Johnson (Oxford University, England)
2 Phil Thiel (Life University, USA)
1 Mate Moeakiola (Pearl City RFC, USA)

Replacements: 16 Brian McClenahan (Olympic Club), 17 Jacob Sprague (Mystic River RFC), 18 Alec Parker (Gentlemen of Aspen), 19 Jonathan 'JJ' Gagiano (FC Roma), 20 Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club), 21 Nese Malifa (Belmont Shore RFC), 22 Pate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers)

The USA will qualify for the World Cup unless Uruguay win by 6 or more points. The North Americans will want to play a good 80 game after letting thir big lead slip with some lazy play in the final 5 or so minuites of the first match. Uruguay are yet to announce their team but it is evidently clear that they are going to stick to their game plan of using their outstanding front row and keeping the ball tight. Some of their backs did do well in the first match but overall they were outmatched and will be more so in the Fort Lauderdale match. The USA backline is very good. The back three are all good players who are significantly better than their opposition. Emerick and Sifa are great centres and Usasz has the makings of b eing a top scrumhalf. It is therefore, surprizing to say so but the weakest back is Mike Hercus who has long been considered a good flyhalf. He was poor vs Uruguay. Poor goalkicking, silly mistakes, average passing and a shocking hair cut!

Uruguay will do well, but the USA will get a 15 or more point win. This will not eliminate Uruguay from a place at the World Cup. Instead they would enter the World Cup playoff for the fight for the 20th place in which they would initiailly meet the second placed side from the 2010 Asian 5 Nations (Korea / Kazakhstan) and logically win this before playing the winner of the Africa 2 (probably Tunisia, but maybe Namibia) and Europe 3 (likely to be Portugal, maybe Romania). A tough challenge but I would any of these teams will be thinking Uruguay are weak, esp their pack. They could well qualify for the World Cup afterall. The state of Romania suggests Uruguay are in better shape. It would be good to see Argentina vs Uruguay at the World Cup, much like South Africa vs Namibia. Something fantastic for the players of the weaker sides.

 

[Rafa_1984]

I still think there are chances. Anyway, same old problem here. Good pack, lame backs (with the exception of Etcheverry).

Either way well done by us. Still an amateur country who is eable to challenge some professional sides.


We will get better within a few years.

 

[Melhor Time]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rafa_1984 @ Nov 20 2009, 01:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I still think there are chances. Anyway, same old problem here. Good pack, lame backs (with the exception of Etcheverry).

Either way well done by us. Still an amateur country who is eable to challenge some professional sides.


We will get better within a few years.[/b]

Hola Rafa

Etcheverry is very promissing on attack. He would be a very good sevens player. On defence, however, he looks very limited. He was unable to stop Kevin Swiryn from scoring a try. It was a basic fullback's tackle really. He also made errors under the highball. I thought he looks more like a flyhalf than a fullback. He could be a good one but he needs to get out of Uruguay and play in a more advanced environment.

But, yes, Uruguay does certainly have chances. They are not a bad team at all. The USA, on the other hand, are a much improved side. If we go back the the World Cup qualification for the 2003 World Cup the difference today is immense. The number of quality players has increased immenely. Back then Hercus was the best back. Today he is the worst. Todd Clever is the best North American forward today which is something new too as Canada always have superb players, esp in the second row.

Bueno Suerte por los Teros!

 

[Rafa_1984]

Agree in terms of defence on etcheverry. But i just can´t denie that he is the only back able to create something. I have to say i´m very dissapointed with the backs performance. As with some mistakes done by the forwards in deffence that - having made all that effort - seemed unfair even for them.

Anyway, we didn´t get a good lineout. Our back row was laim. Even Capo who is obviusly the most powerfull men we have couldn´t show it. But again to the same stuff, sending him 2 meters from the ruck like a raging elephant it´s obvius he´s gonna have to men waiting him with a fork and a napkin.

We can´t create good game from the 9 to the wing.


I just hope (if we are just 5 points below) that with SOME (i´m not asking a lot) well played balls we can do some more damage.


I don´t care if we don´t win, well i do, but it´s ok if we loose trying to open some balls and play good fluent rugby at times.

 

[shtove]

COME ON URUGUAY!

Has the kicking game infected this far down? I imagine Uru would take a lot of pointers from Argentina.

 

[Rafa_1984]

We don´t have the kickers to play like that. We bassically play with the forwards.

 

[Olyy]

Come on Uruguay!
Realistically, they're not going to win, but I'd love them to beat the yanks

When is the match?

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rafa_1984 @ Nov 21 2009, 07:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

We don´t have the kickers to play like that. We bassically play with the forwards.[/b]

Like Georgia? I hope Ireland don't meet you in the world cup.

 

[Rafa_1984]

Realistically we do have chances to win.


I hope we get in the world cup. Then we can discuss wether we play against the irish or not.


I´d like to see that forwards clash :lol:

 

[Woldog]

Lol was gunna watch this cause it was on a bit after the wallabies game, but I fell asleep.

 

[Rafa_1984]

27 - 6 to USA


Crappy game. Couldn´t see it very good anyway becouse it was via internet.


We´ll see if we can get into the WC anyway.