USA dominates Canada in u20 Qualifier Series opener

The USA has taken a big step towards qualifying for the World Rugby u20 Trophy in Kenya with a dominant 43-21 victory over Canada in the first leg on Tuesday. Played at County University Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the second leg will take place at the same venue on Saturday.

Canada were on the board first when Michael De Lella crossed on the back of a driving maul, converted by Owain Cormack. Steffan Crimp replied with a penalty goal and then hard-running midfielder Dominic Besag cut through to give the USA the lead.

Three more tries gave the home side an insurmountable 31-7 halftime lead. Aidan Christians went over on a lineout drive, then Besag grabbed a double in similar fashion to his first. Sosaia Pongi won the race to a long kick ahead that ricocheted off the post, with Crimp converting all three.

Early in the second half the gap was stretched when Trevion Reed scored the USA’s fifth try. His opposite Cole Kelly, Canada’s captain, replied to give the visitors something to celebrate. Ollie Cline finished a long breakout to push the home side over the 40-point mark before Liam Poulton grabbed a consolation score for the Canadians.

Should Canada fail to overcome the 22-point deficit in the second leg, the USA would return to the u20 Trophy for the first time since 2016. The tournament was cancelled in each of the last three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

SCORING

USA 43
Tries (6) – D. Besag 2, A. Christians, S. Pongi, T. Reed, O. Cline
Cons (5) – S. Crimp 5
Pens (1) – S. Crimp

CANADA 21
Tries (3) – M. Di Lella, C. Kelly, L. Poulton
Cons (3) – O. Cormack 3

 

TEAMS

USA u20
1 Trevion Reed, 2 Caden Crist, 3 Connor Devos, 4 Henry Duke, 5 Will Sherman, 6 Cameron McAlpine, 7 Hayden McKay, 8 Aidan Christians, 9 Solomon Williams (capt.), 10 Ollie Cline, 11 Sosaia Pongi, 12 Aki Pulu, 13 Dominic Besag, 14 Corbin Smith, 15 Steffan Crimp

Replacements: 16 Thomas Wagner, 17 Gabriel Hayden, 18 Leon Best, 19 Logan Ballinger, 20 Dylan Fortune, 21 Cormac Saint, 22 Hugh O’Kennedy, 23 Siaosi Nauer

CANADA u20
1 Evan Roy, 2 Michael Di Lella, 3 Cole Kelly (capt.), 4 Muiredach Casey, 5 Sol Jacques, 6 Grant Meadows, 7 Taine Clague, 8 Olly Wiseman, 9 Stephen Webb, 10 Brenden Black, 11 Josh Eustache, 12 Noah Flesch, 13 Marcus D’Acre, 14 James Thiel, 15 Owain Cormack

Replacements: 16 Jeffrey Young, 17 Aaron Clark, 18 Charles Trollip, 19 Caden Wilson, 20 Lachlan McGrigor, 21 James Clarke, 22 Liam Poulton, 23 Alistair Marshall