US rugby in despair after World Cup flop but Eagles insist on signs of hope | US

In Dubai on Friday night, at a frenetic last-minute ruck, the US prop Jack Iscaro conceded the penalty Portugal kicked for a 16-16 draw, enough to secure a place at the Rugby World Cup in France and condemn the Eagles to watch from home.

The Americans were in the final qualification tournament because in Colorado in July they lost a similarly tight game to Chile. Then, a last-minute penalty that might’ve saved the game was reversed, because the prop Chance Wenglewski made an illegal clear-out.

Wenglewski, 25, is a product of Lindenwood University in Missouri who plays for New York, the champions of Major League Rugby. Iscaro, 22, played at California Berkeley and now props for Old Glory DC. Both have come through top college programmes to play for pay at home. Neither is experienced in Test rugby, Wenglewski with 10 caps, Iscaro just two.

Now is perhaps their darkest hour but such misadventures can befall any player and are there to be learned from. Wenglewski and Iscaro could be key members of Eagles squads through to the 2031 World Cup, eight years from now, which will take place on American soil. At 33 and 30, injuries and form allowing, they could be in their propping prime. There isn’t a prop in world rugby who hasn’t experienced his or her fair share of horrible things. It’s the whole point. They like it.

Another Eagles prop, David Ainu’u, spoke to reporters after the Portugal game. Born in American Samoa, he is also just 22 but has seen a bit more of the world, with 20 caps and a contract with Toulouse.

Ainu’u said: “If we were in a situation where I didn’t feel like the boys gave every bit of effort, every bit of grit and blood, sweat and tears on that field, I think I would feel something else. But I think right now, it’s just the game. It came down to a small decision and I can’t blame the boys. Every single one of those guys that stepped on that field gave all they could and we were just the unlucky ones at the end of the day.”

The huge lock Greg Peterson, who plays for Newcastle, rumbled a bit about the penalty against the Eagles at an attacking five-metre scrum, at 16-13, which allowed Portugal to race upfield.

“I think they’ve matched our scrum and our maul really well so credit to them,” he said. “They really made leaps and bounds from their previous games. We were quite good in terms of penalty count except probably the last 20 minutes. And yeah, it just came down to a few things in that last couple of minutes … the ref gave it to the other side at the scrum five but that’s just sport, isn’t it.”

It’s also just sport that the Eagles’ coaching may change. Gary Gold, once a South Africa assistant, later of London Irish, Newcastle and Worcester, oversaw results including a first win over a tier-one team, Scotland in 2018. But since Covid wrecked 2020, nothing has been straightforward. Through qualifying losses to Uruguay and Chile, a 100-point hiding from New Zealand and on to Dubai,…