INFINITY PARK

Canada vs. Uruguay

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Canada 48 - Uraguay 6

USA vs. Russia

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USA 39 - Russia 22

USA Rises To The Occasion
Defeating Russia In Churchill Cup

GLENDALE, CO., June 5 – Russia scored first and led the USA Eagles 14 to 15 at halftime and appeared headed for a stunning upset in the second match of the Churchill Cup games played at Infinity Park here this afternoon. After nearly 60 minuets of play the score was tied 22-22, before the Eagles finally got Russia’s number.

The lucky number for the USA was, luckily enough, Number 13 Junior Sifa who scored the Eagles go-ahead Try. Three minutes later Number 14, Takudzwa Ngwenya, scored a Try and the Eagles were airborne, holding Russia scoreless for the rest of the game. The final score was USA 39, Russia 22.

The game is significant for the USA because they get a rematch with England here next Sunday, June 13. Russia is coached by Steve Diamond, who coached England in the upstart years of the Churchill Cup. The USA match against Russia was their first test match of the season. Russia qualified for its first ever Rugby World Cup earlier this year.
Wednesday, June 9, the England Saxons will play Russia here at 3 p.m. followed by a games between France A and Uruguay at 5:30 p.m. The USA Eagles rematch with England follows on Sunday, June 13 at 1 p.m.

England Saxons vs. Russia

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England 49 - Russia 17

France A vs. Uruguay

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France A 43 - Uruguay 10

French Team Has Big GameAgainst Uruguay In Churchill Cup

GLENDALE, CO., June 9 – In its Churchill Cup debut the France A squad got a shot of confidence as they pulled off an impressive 43-10 win against Uruguay at Infinity Park here today.

Having arrived here less than a week ago, the French team has had the shortest time to acclimate to the altitude among the six international teams in the competition. Nevertheless, they scored four Trys in each period while holding their opponent to just a single Try and a successful penalty kick.

Uruguay’s only Try was scored late in the game by Edgardo Benitez. France A will face Canada in the late game Sunday, June 13. Canada defeated Uruguay in a game here last Saturday.

The June 13 game between Canada and France A follows the USA Eagles rematch with England here at 1 p.m.

USA vs. England Saxons

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USA 9 - England Saxons 32

For Immediate Release
June 13, 2010

USA Mistakes Prove Costly in Loss to England Saxons

Photo Couresy of J.D. Black

GLENDALE, Colo. – Following some questionable calls and unfortunate mistakes, the U.S. Men’s National Team couldn’t seem to catch a break on Sunday, losing to the England Saxons 32-9 in their final pool match of the Churchill Cup.

The USA Eagles showed a lot of intensity throughout this match, but in the first half also committed a couple of early penalties within striking distance for the Saxons. By the seventh minute, the Eagles had already allowed England two penalties and six points on the scoreboard.

A minute and a half later, the Saxons executed their back line offense perfectly, passing the ball quickly through five sets of hands until it reached the England winger, Tom Varndell. Varndell made it look like clockwork as he dove in the corner, late in the eighth minute.

The Eagles were able to slot a penalty kick of their own to narrow the margin a bit, but in a flash the Saxons were back in the try zone after a quick lineout took the U.S. by surprise and saw England’s other winger, Anthony Allen, touch the ball down. The England Saxons converted bring the lead to 18-3.

The 15-point margin only seemed to fuel the Eagles more, however, and for the final 20 minutes of the half, the U.S. dominated possession and finished with another Volney Rouse penalty to put the Eagles at 18-6 at the break. Rouse would finish the day with all of the USA’s nine points, after kicking another penalty through early in the second half to bring the U.S. within nine.

The Eagles kept at it well into the second half, realizing the game was still within their grasp. Although there were some very close looks at the try line, the Eagles’ efforts wouldn’t be rewarded; and finally, during a span of 10 minutes, the Eagles made two costly mistakes that would turn into 14 points by their Saxon opponent.

The score would hold at 32-9 for the remaining 20 minutes and the USA would resign to another England Saxons defeat in the Churchill Cup, marking the sixth time the U.S. would fall to its English counterpart in the eight years of this tournament.

“I can’t be too disappointed,” Eagles Coach Eddie O’Sullivan said. “We had nine changes to this squad and several new combinations. This was a learning experience for our team and when you make errors against a side like the England Saxons, whose players are fully professional, you know they will capitalize on them.

“In the end, our guys kept plugging away and each and every one of them left it all out on the field,” O’Sullivan added. “I was happy with that.”

The Eagles will now play the loser of the Canada/France A match for the Plate, on June 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

For more information on the USA Eagles, please visit www.usarugby.org/goto/mens_eagles. For more information or for tickets to the Churchill Cup finals in N.J., please visit www.churchillcuprugby.net.

USA Eagles (9)
Penalties: Rouse (3)

USA Eagles Roster
15. Colin Hawley (California)
14. Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz Olympique)
13. Alipate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers)
12. Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins)
11. Paul Emerick (Parma RFC)
10. Volney Rouse (Te Kawau)
9. Tim Usasz (Nottingham RFC)
1. Tony Purpura (Boston Rugby Club)
2. Chris Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate)
3. Shawn Pittman (Bayside RFC)
4. John Van de Giessen (Sporting Club Albi) *Captain
5. Scott Lavalla (Dublin University)
6. Patrick Danahy (Life Univeristy)
7. Dan LaPrevotte (San Francisco Golden Gate)
8. J.J. Gagiano (University of Cape Town)

Reserves
16. Phillip Thiel  (Life University)
17. Brian Howard (Old Puget Sound Beach)
18. Louis Stanfill (Canberra Royals)    
19. Leonard Peters (Gentlemen of Aspen)
20. Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club)
21. Nese Malifa (Belmont Shore)
22. Blaine Scully (California)
England Saxons (32)
Tries: Varndell (2), Allen, Narraway
Conversions: Goode (2), Myler
Penalties: Goode (2)

England Saxons Roster
15 Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby)
14 Ollie Smith (Montpellier)
13 Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers)
12 Brad Barritt (Saracens)
11 Tom Varndell (London Wasps)
10 Alex Goode (Saracens)
9 Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
1 Nick Wood (Gloucester Rugby)
2 Andy Titterrell (Leeds Carnegie)
3 Alex Corbiserio (London Irish)
4 James Hudson (Newcastle Falcons)
5 George Skivington (Captain, London Wasps)
6 Kearnan Myall (Leeds Carnegie)
7 Andy Saull (Saracens)
8 Luke Narraway (Gloucester Rugby)

Replacements
16 Tom Lindsay (London Wasps)*
17 Duncan Bell (Bath Rugby)
18 Graham Kitchener (Worcester Warriors)
19 Tom Wood (Worcester Warriors)
20 Micky Young (Newcastle Falcons)
21 Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints)
22 Jon Clarke (Northampton Saints)

1. Airs on FSN RM at 7:00 P.M. (MT) June 14, 2010

Canada vs. France A

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Canada 33 - France A 27

Issued by Ashley Voss
June 13, 2010

Canada book first ever trip to Churchill Cup Final

Canada will go for the glory of raising their first ever Churchill Cup when they meet England Saxons in the Championship Final at Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J. next Saturday (June 19, kick off 2:45 p.m. EDT).

The USA Eagles will face France A in the Plate final (5:30 p.m. EDT), while Russia meet Uruguay in the Bowl final, which kicks off the tripleheader finals day at the state-of-the-art MLS stadium (12:00 p.m. EDT).

With a historic 33-27 win over France A, the Canadians earn top billing in the Cup finals and face a Saxons side eager to reclaim the crown after being dethroned by Ireland A in the 2009 Championship.

In a game that saw multiple lead changes throughout the hard fought 80 minute battle at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado, Canada scored a key try by Brian Erichsen in the 70th minute and held off a late French charge for the upset win.

The victory is yet another progression for Coach Kieran Crowley, the former All Black who took over the coaching helm in 2008.

Crowley said: “I’m really happy for our guys’, they put in a solid 80 minutes. We put ourselves under the pump a little bit but they showed great character and resilience and came through in the end."

Erichsen's try, set up by an intercepted pass by ‘Man of the Match’ Adam Kleeberger, rocked the French resolve as the Canadians withstood multiple penalties late in the game to hold on to the six point victory.

Erichsen said: “I didn’t really know how much room I had, but when I made those first few steps it felt like I was floating on a cloud.

“It feels amazing to beat a quality side like France, we knew it was going to take a lot from us and we had to be ruthless. We had fifteen guys working to the bone and in the end we pulled it out.”

Earlier, Canada’s finals opponents the England Saxons claimed the top of Pool B with a four-try victory over the USA Eagles.

Wing Tom Varndell led the way for the Saxons with two tries, while Anthony Allen and Duncan Bell each put a try past the Eagles.

Flyhalf Alex Goode kicked for 10 points, while Wednesday’s Man of the Match Stephen Myler converted one off the bench.

Penalties from both sides accounted for most the first half scoring tally.

Goode gave the Saxons an early boost off two penalty kicks within the first seven minutes of the game and Varndell dove into the corner a minute later to propel the Saxons ahead to an early 11-0 lead.

Thanks to flyhalf Volney Rouse’s boot, the U.S. put up six points before the half and went to the benches trailing 18-6, following a quick lineout that led to an Anthony Allen try and the extras from Goode.

Rouse finished the day with all of the USA’s nine points, after kicking another penalty through early in the second half to bring the U.S. within nine, but that was as close as they came.

Although there were some very close looks at the try line, the Eagles’ efforts were not rewarded. Finally, during a span of 10 minutes, the Eagles made two costly mistakes that turned into 14 points by their Saxon counterparts, resulting in a 32-9 final.

Despite the loss, USA Head Coach Eddie O’Sullivan was happy with his team’s perseverance against a top flight Saxons side.

“I can’t be too disappointed,” O’Sullivan said. “We had nine changes to this squad and several new combinations. This was a learning experience for our team and when you make errors against a side like the England Saxons, whose players are fully professional, you know they will capitalize on them.

“In the end, our guys kept plugging away and each and every one of them left it all out on the field,” he added. “I was happy with that.”

Tickets for the 2010 Churchill Cup Finals at Red Bull Arena are available via www.churchillcuprugby.net.

Churchill Cup finals day
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Red Bull Arena – Harrison, New Jersey
Bowl (5th/6th place) final: Russia v Uruguay (12:00pm)
Cup (Championship) final: England Saxons v Canada (2:45pm)
Plate (3rd/4th place) final: USA v France A (5:30pm)

1. Airs on FSN RM at 9:00 P.M. (MT) June 14, 2010