The Eagles (aka the US team at the Rugby World Cup) socked it to the British side: UK 28 / 10 USA. That would be the equivalent of a bushman shooting down a fighter jet with a blowgun. Well, nearly.
The US rugby team is currently ranked 15th on the world scene, just below Tonga and just above Romania. This is a far step up from the 30s rankings of a few years ago, but is still nowhere near the elite levels of the top eight. For an example of that level of talent see England (rank # 7).
England, as with all the top teams, fields a squad of professionals, some of them with million dollar contracts. The US on the other hand can boast only a handful of professionals with the majority of the squad filled out by weekend warriors with day jobs or college students. It was found out before the tournament that seven of the US players had to quit their jobs in order to play in the World Cup.
So it was easy to see why England viewed this match as a warm up before the actual tournament. By the end, though the score belied the emotional result, the US was seen as the winners of the game and the British press was reacting as if to Bunker Hill II.
So, soar, Eagles. You are on the right track. Congratulations and we’ll all be watching you against Tonga this week.
