Team USA’s hopes of winning its first ever title in the men’s bracket of the Rugby World Cup Sevens evaporated quickly in 2022.
After being one of eight teams to automatically qualify for the Round of 16, the U.S. met Samoa on Friday. Samoa had come off a 33-7 win over Uganda in the Pre-Round of 16, which pitted the island nation against Team USA for a spot in the championship quarterfinals.
The game was neck-and-neck through the first 10 minutes with Samoa holding a narrow 14-12 advantage in the second half.
But then Paul Scanlan’s speedy try right down the middle of the Eagles’ defense opened the floodgates for Samoa.
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Samoa went on to score three more tries after Scanlan’s heroics, putting the game well out of reach at 40-12. If USA would have won, it would’ve faced Fiji in the quarterfinals on Saturday, which was also the nation that eliminated the Eagles in the Los Angeles Sevens last month.
Instead, the U.S. will face Wales in one of four placement matches, which is slated for 6:15 a.m. ET on Saturday. In the 2018 World Cup in San Francisco, USA placed sixth, but it will finish much lower this time around.
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For some good news, the women’s side easily handled Poland 39-7 to advance to the quarterfinals where it will play Canada on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET. The women’s USA squad finished fourth in 2018, so there’s a chance of placing higher this time around. The team earned bronze in 2009 and 2013, the only other women’s World Cup Sevens tournaments.
