England run in seven tries to down United States 45-7

England's George Ford runs at the United States defence. Photo: Aaron Favila/AP Photo

England's George Ford runs at the United States defence. Photo: Aaron Favila/AP Photo

Published Sep 26, 2019

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KOBE – England's squad players got

the job done with a solid 45-7 bonus point victory over the

United States at the Rugby World Cup on Thursday against a

determined Eagles side. 

With a four-day turnaround after their opening Pool C

victory over Tonga, coach Eddie Jones rang the changes with 10

new picks but was rewarded with seven tries in humid conditions

at a packed Kobe Misaki Stadium.

Skipper George Ford, Billy Vunipola and Luke Cowan-Dickie

scored before the break, with winger Joe Cokanasiga grabbing a

brace and Ruaridh McConnochie and Lewis Ludlam also crossing in

the second half. 

 United States flanker John Quill was sent off in the 70th

minute for a shoulder-charge to the head of Owen Farrell but the

Americans never gave up and replacement Bryce Campbell finally

got them on the scoreboard after the final gong. 

"It's a good win again," said player-of-the-match Ford. "We

had to work for it again, the USA were a really physical,

passionate team so we had to earn that win and I thought we did

that very well."

U.S. coach Gary Gold, however, was disappointed. "You can't be missing nearly 40 tackles in a game and still

hope to be in the game," he added.

"It was a pretty awful

performance by us tonight." 

England had come in for some criticism after their untidy

35-3 win over Tonga on Sunday but they showed right from the

kickoff that they were in determined mood.

U.S. fullback Will Hooley had said ahead of the game that,

while England had good players, they were not from Mount

Olympus, though he may feel he was hit by Zeus himself in the

opening seconds after being smashed backwards by centre Piers

Francis. 

That opening tackle looked borderline high but went

unpunished.

After waiting until the 24th minute to score on Sunday,

England were quicker off the mark in Kobe, scrumhalf Willi Heinz

finding Ford running a beautiful line and the number 10 went

through to score under the posts after five minutes. 

England then opted to kick for touch when awarded a penalty

just outside the U.S. 22 and were rewarded when Tom Curry

claimed the lineout and Vunipola smashed over from the back of a

driving maul.

England's third try arrived in similar circumstances, the

United States powerless to stop a rampaging maul before

Cowan-Dickie touched down. 

The stadium's retractable roof was closed for the match,

meaning that while the players had to deal with stifling

humidity the fans were able to create a boisterous atmosphere.

Chants of "USA! USA!" competed with renditions of England's

rugby anthem "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" while the entire crowd

joined together at halftime to belt out the John Denver classic,

"Take me home, country roads".

The red shirts of England were quickly into their stride

after the break and claimed the bonus point try in the 48th

minute when a rampaging Jonathan Joseph was stopped just short

but Cokanasiga was on hand to score. 

A raft of substitutions followed, with Ben Youngs coming on

to win his 91st cap and join Jonny Wilkinson and prop Dan Cole,

who had started the match, for third on the all-time England

men's appearances list.

England winger McConnochie was having a quiet night but the

Olympic rugby sevens silver medallist showed his sense of timing

just before the hour mark, taking a pass at full pelt and

bundling over for his first international try in the 15-aside

game.

England's seventh score came with four minutes left when

replacement prop Ellis Genge barrelled his way through a host

tired U.S. tacklers before Cokanasiga finished off. 

England, not content, greedily went for another score after

the final 'gong' had sounded but instead it was the United

States who got the score, replacement Bryce Campbell going over

after an untidy, frenzied passage of play. 

Reuters

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