In the end a comfortable win for the Wallabies but the first half was anything but: in the face of some in-your-face defence the Wallabies chose some poor options in attack and they were let down by their handling. Perhaps they were blinded by the idea of scoring lots of points against the notionally weaker USA that they forget to lay the appropriate platform.
Much better in the second half in which they scored 35 unanswered points. The introduction of Genia —and perhaps a Niagara of a half-time spray from Cheika— brought much better focus and the tries came.
That’s it from Soldier Field and the Wallabies and the USA will now travel to the Old Dart for the World Cup.
Me, I’m outta here. Thanks for reading. And happy Father’s Day.
Full-time: USA 10-47 Australia
Where are my bikkies?
Updated
80 min: The Eagles roll it up to the 50m mark but after an advantage penalty they go left and drop it and the Aussies kick it into touch, ending the contest.
80 min: Foley misses his first conversion attempt of the evening and we’ve now gone past the 80 minute mark, the Eagles with the ball in hand after Cooper put in a wobbly downfield punt. Why wouldn’t he hold on to it and give the Wallabies a chance at one more try?
TRY! USA 10-47 Australia (Naiyaravoro 79)
Try on debut for the hulking Naiyaravoro! The Eagles won the line-out close to their line but such is American hospitality they spilled it immediately. From the right touchline the Wallabies put it through the hands. The last pass, from Foley, put Naiyaravoro on the outside of him and and he dived over inside the left corner. If the in-goal had been a pool everyone watching from the stands would have got wet. He’s a big bloke.
77 min: The USA turn it over in midfield but despite some space to work in Genia finds touch a few metres out.
CONVERSION! USA 10-42 Australia (Foley)
Another successful kick from wide out. He’s enjoying his night with the boot, is Foley. Not a bad thing ahead of the big show where the Wallabies will need his radar to be close to perfect.
TRY! USA 10-40 Australia (Cooper 74)
And another one! From a scrum Genia goes to the short side and a snappy pass puts Tomane into a tight spot but he pirouettes in the tackle and emerges out the other side. Cooper receives the ball 15 out, puts in a big left foot step and despite being sandwiched between fullback Fry and Durutalo and shows good strength to score on the chalk.
CONVERSION! USA 10-35 Australia (Foley)
Foley nails the extras from the touchline.
TRY! USA 10-33 Australia (Beale 70)
The Wallabies go coast to coast! After the Eagles turn it over on Australia’s line some quick hands by Genia puts the Aussies on the attack. It goes through a few sets of hands before Speight finds Beale on his left and Beale streaks away from 40m to dive over in the left corner!
67 min: Six phases from the Wallabies who make no impression on the USA left-side defence. But on the seventh phase Wyles intercepts and is in a foot race with Joe Tomane, who’s two metres back. Tomane slowly reels him in, enough to get a fist of Wyles’ jumper and he hauls him down just 10m out. The USA gets bodies to the ball but some strong Wallabies defence keeps them out.
Great chase and tackle by Tomane.
65 min: Foley finds touch after a penalty and the Wallabies will have the ball 30m out from the US line. Bloody hell, the Wallabies drop the ball cold. Another turn over. And now the USA lose the ball, Seamus Kelly spilling a MacGinty pass when he had a little open space in front of him. The game they made in heaven? Not right now.
62 min: Hello, what’s this? A melee (which is another name for pushing and shoving in lieu of punching)! At the centre of the action is Kurtley Beale and Louis Stanfill standing nose to nose whilst exchanging views on writer Cormac McCarthy. Beale reckons Blood Meridien is his best book, Stanfill opts for All The Pretty Horses. You can see why there was tension. Then again, my lip-reading may be off.
61 min: Three positive runs from the Eagles but after a good hit by Toby Smith on Palamo, I think it was, the Eagles turn it over.
60 min: Yes, the game. The USA have found touch after a penalty and they’ll have possession from 10m out.
58 min: Toby Smith is on for the Wallabies, making his Test debut. Quade Cooper is also on. Genia’s arrival seems to have coincided with better direction. Some nice snappy passing.
An update on facial air: Chris Baumann is on for the Eagles with a fat slug of a mo. Very Ron Swanson. Genia has a goatee, the kind that looks like you’ve been eating Vegemite straight from the jar.
CONVERSION! USA 10-28 Australia (Foley)
Another easy one for Foley who will appreciate it, such has been his fairly average kicking this season.
TRY! USA 10-26 Australia (Munn 55)
That’s better, from the Wallabies. Commitment at the breakdown and some well-constructed phases.. after hard runs by McCalman and Slipper, Genia smuggles Munn over the line with a lovely short-ball.
54 min: Penalty Australia, and the camera pans out to show lots of empty seats in the stadium. Remember the All Blacks game here last year was a 61,000 sell-out.
51 min: The commentators are slagging Australia’s kicking game. Of the 10 kicks the Wallabies have made not one has been contested by the Aussies. Perhaps they think we’re playing forcings back?
CONVERSION! USA 10-21 (Foley)
Two more points for Foley, piloting the ball over from 10m to the right of the posts.
TRY! USA 10-19 Australia (McMahon 49)
From the line-out the Wallabies get in tight, like they’re exchanging secrets, and they roll a maul to the USA line with McMahon touching down for the try.
47 min: Speight is picked up and tries to offload as he’s on the way to the turf. He turns it over trying, which sums up the Wallabies’ loose approach to this game. Fortunately for Speight we’ve gone back for an advantage penalty and now the Wallabies have possession from a line-up a few metres out...
45 min: But they turn it over, and the Wallabies get a relieving scrum penalty. A USA try there would have been interesting.
And here’s a change for the Wallabies: Phipps off, Munn on. And Genia is also on the pitch. So someone else has come off. I’ll try and find out who.
44 min: MacGinty (synthetic) leathers a mighty touch-finder after a penalty and the USA have a line-out just 5m out from the Wallabies’ line!
42 min: Now it’s the Eagles on the attack and after a couple of surging runs MacGinty kicks for his winger but there’s a man in gold under it and he claims the mark under a lot of pressure.
Peeep!
Foley gets us going and after the Eagles return the kick it’s the Wallabies on the early attack. Will they construct a few phases? Nope. Palu drops the ball and the Aussies give away a penalty trying to get it back.
We’re about to start the second 40... surely the Wallabies will step it up.
In case you’re curious I’ve just been given my Father’s Day presents. A mug with soccer motifs and some biscuits. Not exactly a glittering horde but there were hugs and kisses and that’s all you want anyway.
Wonder how many hugs and kisses Michael Cheika has been dishing out in the sheds? Not many after that. Expect some changes to the Wallabies line-up.
Half-time: USA 10-14 Australia
Not the best half of rugby from the visitors and coach Chieka may be running his pen through a few names on his squad list for the World Cup. Perhaps it’s the enticement of points but the Wallabies have been impatient and, pressured by some hard-hitting Eagles defence, they’ve dropped too much ball. The USA have recovered very well from a wobbly start in which they were shoved off two scrums and gave up two tries with exceeding generosity. This is much closer than anyone would have expected.
Cheik googling if capital punishment is legal in the State of Illinois; ominous signs for the halftime talk. #USAvAUS
— NSW Horrotahs (@NSW_Horrotahs) September 6, 2015
40 min: Speight drops the ball after the hooter sounds, spoiling a right-side shift by the Wallabies. And that’s oranges.
39 min: A stoppage here as McFarland gets treated then leaves the pitch for Danny Barrett, sporting the kind of beard that one associates with Grizzly Adams artisan coffee.
39 min: But from that possession Beale kicks out on the full to give the USA a sniff of more points in the shadows of half-time.
38 min: MacGinty puts up a midfield Garry Owen but it skews off his boot and almost goes backwards, gifting possession to the Wallabies.
36 min: Well, well, and, yes, well. That’ll fire up the Eagles and surely remove any complacency from the Wallabies who have been in second gear all game, sometimes forcing the issue instead of taking a more patient approach.
CONVERSION! USA 10-14 (MacGinty)
From an angle MacGinty converts to push the USA within a try.
TRY! USA 8-14 (Petri 32)
Oh yes! From midfield, with nothing much on, the Eagles spin it right before Seamus Kelly puts the flyer Ngwenya into a bit of space. Tomane misses an early chance to collar him and Ngwenya sets off for the line. Some 20m later Tomane pulls him down but he can’t stop the offload, and Petri catches and dives over.
30 min: The USA toe through after Phipps is collared by a player in what looked like an offside position and Polota-Nau cleans up at the back but is bundled into touch.
28 min: Giteau scythes through the USA backline but Mike Petri hits Giteau amidships causing the Australian to spill the ball a few metres out.
27 min: Penalty to Australia from 30m out and again the Wallabies kick for touch.
24 min: Giteau calls a mark after catching a bomb right on the juncture of the sideline and his own 22m. He’s in the action shortly after, getting monstered by Eagles centre Palamo (all 118kg of him) who drives him into the ground like hammer on nail. There could be a cartoon imprint of Giteau on the turf after that.
22 min: Now Manoa knocks down a Wallabies pass, forcing a scrum on the USA 40m line. Unlike the other scrums so far you couldn’t have ducked off to make a cuppa and been back before the ball emerges.
PENALTY GOAL! USA 3-14 (MacGinty 20)
From a slight angle MacGinty ensures the Eagles will take something out of this game. If that sounds awfully condescending it’s not meant to. Just that the Eagles have not shown any indication they’ll get close to the Wallabies tonight/today.
17 min: MacGinty dummies and almost breaks the Wallabies line, raising a cheer from the crowd. The USA have barely had the ball so far. But here’s a penalty to the USA on the 40m line. They’ll kick. Just to avoid a duck egg, I assume.
CONVERSION! USA 0-14 (Foley)
From 10m to the right of the posts Foley adds the extras
TRY! USA 0-12 Australia (Phipps 15)
Foley makes a half bust near the halfway line and finds Slipper running off his left shoulder. Slipper, in turn, finds Palu inside him and Palu dishes to Phipps backing up for a 20m run to the line.
13 min: The USA are doing all they can to slow play down here, buying time until Peterson’s return. But here’s the Wallabies spreading the ball right from inside their own half, but Eagles 10 AJ MacGinty knocks down a pass stifling a promising move.
11 min: So much space for Foley there, just one pass off the ruck. Did they forget their lock had been yellow carded and were a man down?
CONVERSION! USA 0-7 Australia (Foley)
Routine conversion.
TRY! USA 0-5 Australia (Foley 9)
And we’re off! After a scrum on the Eagles’ line Phipps picks up the crumbs after the scrum screws, and he sends it left to Foley who has acres of space and steps inside his opposite number to score under the posts.
.@Wallabies up by two trys @USARugby #usavaus https://t.co/sP5XkVpwPU
— RugbyNation.com (@RugbyNation) September 5, 2015
Updated
7 min: Beale thinks he’s scored after picking up a loose ball and cutting right through the heart of the USA defence. But play had already been pulled up for another infringement. That’s four penalties against the Eagles already. And No.5 Greg Peterson has been sent to the bin to think about things. Wallabies with a man advantage.
5 min: Seamus Kelly comes out of the line and smashes Phipps to the ground. But again we go back for an offside and the Wallabies take a line-out 5m out.
4 min: Rob Horne overruns a Giteau pass on the left wing but we’re going back for a penalty. Right in front of the posts 30m out but Giteau finds touch.
2 min: Two scrums so far and in both of them Australia have had the Eagles marching backwards at a rate of knots. After the second of these the Wallabies push deep into USA territory.
Peeeeeep!
What? We’ve suddenly crossed from the studio to Soldier Field, 17 seconds AFTER kick-off! Since the Wallabies have the ball deep in their own territory I assume the Eagles kicked us off.
I was waiting for a chance to remind you of Carl Lewis’ rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Best not waste it:
Fox Sports are getting their feed from NBC and it seems they have yet to turn their cameras on. Time-filling chat filling the airwaves like bubble-wrap.
Australia are about to play USA in Chicago. Wonder how many times Jarryd Hayne gets mentioned despite it being a different sport? #USAvAUS
— S (@TheShiftyShadow) September 5, 2015
Won’t catch me doing it... starting NOW.
Kim Beazley doing his ambassadorial duties:
The #Wallabies great campaign begins tonight. Best for a great win. KB #usavaus #meningold pic.twitter.com/KrFV7T5ZiQ
— Kim Beazley (@AusAmbUSA) September 5, 2015
As was Rusty Crowe earlier this week:
Hey @RealHughJackman the @Wallabies are playing the American Eagles at Soldier Field in Chicago Sat 5th !
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) September 3, 2015
In case you haven’t heard (how are things under that rock?) Aussie rugby LEAGUE star Jarryd Hayne’s efforts to win a place on the San Francisco ’49ers roster for the coming NFL season have borne fruit (i.e. he’s in) and it’s safe to say that Australian rugby players of both codes are behind his efforts. For one thing, it highlights the all-round athleticism of league and union players (not including rugby props, of course); speed, strength, agility and good hands.
To illustrate, here’s a short clip of the Wallabies auditioning for any NFL scouts looking their way. Or is it an out-take from Top Gun?
The teams:
USA (1-15): Eric Fry, Zach Fenoglio, Titi Lamositele, Cameron Dolan, Greg Peterson, Al McFarland, Andrew Durutalo, Samu Manoa, Mike Petri, AJ MacGinty, Chris Wyles (c), Thretton Palamo, Seamus Kelly, Takudzwa Ngwenya, Blaine Scully
Reserves: Phil Thiel, Olive Kilifi, Chris Baumann, Louis Stanfill, John Quill, Danny Barrett, Shalom Suniula, Folau Niua
Wallabies (1-15): James Slipper (c), Tatafu Polota-Nau, Greg Holmes, Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman, Sean McMahon, Wycliff Palu, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Rob Horne, Matt Giteau, Henry Speight, Joe Tomane, Kurtley Beale
Reserves: James Hanson, Scott Sio, Toby Smith, Dean Mumm, Sam Carter, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Taqele Naiyaravoro
“The atmosphere is building” ... more like degenerating, if you ask me. This photo has couples counselling written all over it:
The atmosphere is building outside @soldierfield! Just over an hour until kick off! #USAvAUS pic.twitter.com/LMCoZZANJU
— Wallabies (@Wallabies) September 5, 2015
Here’s a handy graphic which suggests which way this game is going to go:
Here's our Head-to-Head preview for the @Wallabies match against @USARugby from Soldier Field, Chicago. #USAvAUS pic.twitter.com/xpZndyI0Xf
— Fox Sports Lab (@FoxSportsLab) September 4, 2015
Captaining the Eagles tonight will be winger Chris Wyles playing his 50th Test. It’s not often a winger captains a rugby team so Wyles, who plays for Saracens, has already earned our admiration. Vice-captain will fullback Blaine Scully who has 25 Test caps but is not a regular No.15. He should have a busy night.
Here’s a little of what USA coach Mike Tolkin had to say this week:
To play at this level and get ready to walk into a World Cup you can’t be intimidated… Our guys won’t be, with all due respect to the Wallabies.
We have kind of taken big strokes from the Wallabies – the main themes and stuff. It is a fast-paced game. They are going to play up-tempo. They are good in the air. We have to be up for it and do what we can to come out with some impact and physicality. Every time we get on the field we want to play our game, we want to dictate terms.
Once you don’t, you start chasing the game, and you never want to be in a position to chase games.
Skippering the Wallabies today, as said, is James Slipper, deputising for Stephen Moore who, like Michael Hooper, David Pocock and Adam Ashley-Cooper is being rested. As such it’s clear that the team we see tonight may only bear a resemblace to the one that runs out for Australia’s opening World Cup fixture against Fiji on September 23.
More on that, on other team news, here:
An exception may be the inside back grouping of Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley and Matt Giteau, who start against the USA Eagles, perhaps to give them more time to gel in those all-important spots for the big games ahead.
But [coach Michael] Cheika gives little away and could still be planning to go with the 2011 World Cup halves pair of Will Genia and Quade Cooper who are on the bench this week.
“We have had a plan from a while back as to what we think we are going to be doing (against Fiji to open the World Cup campaign),” Cheika said.
“Anything could happen but we are pretty comfortable with the plan we’ve got and what that first team looks like and our reasons for playing certain players in this game.
“Is there a player playing for his position? No.
“There is no guarantee that your plan is going to work but we definitely have one, contrary to popular opinion, and what we are following it pretty much to the letter so far.”
While spots might not necessarily be on the line the Wallabies mentor stopped short of calling the game a training exercise. He still expects the highest standards from the squad and won’t be satisfied with anything less.
“It is a Test match. It’s all about match decisions and getting experience in really making good decisions in matches because in tournament play at the World Cup that will be critical,” he said. “This is the national team and when you play in the national jersey there are expectations on your performance.
“We have had a few really clear focus points on what we want to and what we have been improving as a constant throughout since we first came together on the spring tour of last year.
“I will be looking for those things on the field.
Speaking of the rugby, which seems only fitting, this will be the seventh meeting between these two teams, the first of which was way back in 1912 when the Wallabies won an exhibition match 12-8 in Berkeley (California, not Wollongong). It wasn’t until 1976 that the teams met again (these things can take some time to organise, clearly), the Wallabies prevailing 24-12 in Los Angeles. On that occasion it was an official Test, the USA Eagles’ first ever as it happens.
Since then they’ve met five more times, the Wallabies winning all of them. Their most recent encounter was in Wellington in 2011 during the World Cup. It wasn’t close. The Wallabies, featuring some players in today’s squad, including skipper James Slipper, ran in 11 tries to 1 in winning 67-5. Let’s hope this match is more competitive than that, not least to help build the game in the USA. Bear in mind, however, that it’s less than a year since the All Blacks took on the USA at this very venue (in front of 61,500 fans) and won 74-6.
If that’s any guide this won’t be so much a minute-by-minute report but a try-by-try report.
Kick-off: 9.30am AEST (Saturday 6.30pm Chicago)
Pre-ramble
Hello folks. Just 13 more sleeps until the Rugby World Cup but time enough for this friendly hit-out between Australia’s Wallabies and the USA Eagles at Soldier Field in Chicago. On that: Can a game of rugby ever be friendly? Is there a friendly way to clean out the ruck or to roll a maul? When you’re faced with bringing down a flying 115kg sack of tattooed muscle can you do it in such a way that he won’t have cause to worry about your feelings towards him being anything less than genial? Food for thought.
Speaking of food, I had to wolf down my breakfast this morning. That’s not all that unusual. Indeed, such is the morning rush when you’ve got a couple of kids, some mornings I open my jaw like a python and swallow without chewing whatever’s on offer, be that toast, cornered rats, or Burmese jewellery salesman who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. But today is Father’s Day in Australia don’t you know?
Granted, Father’s Day is an afterthought that lies shivering in the perpetual shade cast by Mother’s Day, but it usually affords me a few hours in bed at least. Hours in which to read the papers and enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a regular supply of tea made for me by my other half but delivered by my kids who leave the kitchen with full cups and arrive with half cups.
But here I am instead, working the black seam that is a minute-by-minute report. These are the sacrifices we make in a World Cup year.
However, it would give me some comfort to know that you are enjoying your Father’s Day, either on the receiving or giving ends. And what did you get/give, if anything? Drop me a line. You can even talk about the rugby if you like. Email: paul.connolly@theguardian.com or Twitter: @PFConnolly
Hmm. Had a quick listen and, while it’s named Father’s Day, this classic Aussie song is more bittersweet than I recalled. So about as much a celebratory anthem about Father’s Day as Springsteen’s Born in the USA is an acclamation of America. But it might speak to some dads out there doing it tough today so I’m letting it fly.
I’m Dr Phil and I’ll return after these messages.
Paul will be here shortly. In the meantime, check out how the Wallabies will lineup today:
