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Josh Ball

USA Eagles head coach Gary Gold hailed his side’s “clinical performance” in their 49-7 win over Hong Kong, which sets up a winner-takes-all clash against Portugal for a place at next year’s Rugby World Cup.
The two countries are unbeaten in the final qualifying tournament in Dubai, and Portugal’s 85-0 hammering of Kenya in the early game laid down a marker for Friday’s clash.
And after coming through a bruising encounter with Hong Kong, Gold said it would be pointless denying that the chance of injuries had played on his mind during Saturday’s game.
Gulf in class as Hong Kong get a taste of ‘what Test rugby is all about’
“This was always going to be a very difficult week for us, obviously it’s the second week on tour, transition week, we knew what Hong Kong was going to bring, which is a physicality which we had to handle,” Gold said.
“You can’t lie or deny that the thinking in the back of your head is that you just don’t want to pick up an injury, and you’ve got next week still to come, and that does play a role.”
From the start of the tournament, the expectation was that the US and Portugal would be the two teams contesting the final spot in Paris, and Gold’s side have long been considered the favourites.
That pressure comes with its own challenges, and the US coach said his approach had been to focus on objectives one at a time. In the game against Hong Kong that meant targeting the set-piece.
“I think when you compartmentalize your thinking around that, what your next job is, you’ve sort of got to trust that the result will take care of itself, and today it did,” he said.

Portugal will represent a different challenge again, and Patrice Lagisquet’s team put all their fearsome attacking ability on display against Kenya, where at one stage they looked like getting into three figures.
“They [Portugal] have got pace for fun in the backfield, they’re a very good team, very well coached, and they’re confidence will be high as well, so we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Gold said.
In the unlikely event of a draw, Lagisquet’s team would go through on greater points difference, and Gold bemoaned the lack of killer instinct in the second half, while also admitting some responsibility for it.
“The guys really stuck to task and got the game well won quite convincingly, relatively early on,” he said. “It was just a pity we came off the pace a bit in the second half.
“Again, partly, that’s my fault for making wholesale changes. When you make seven-eight changes within 15, 20 minutes it’s going to disrupt things. I wouldn’t necessarily have done that ordinarily, but at the end of the day if you’d offered me this before the game, and no injuries, I would have taken it.”


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Rugby World Cup 2023

Rugby World Cup: USA Eagles coach hails side’s ‘clinical’ win over Hong Kong, eyes winner-takes-all clash with Portugal

The USA’s Nate Augspurger  scores against Hong Kong during their Rugby World Cup final qualifying tournament clash at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai. Photo: World Rugby

Portugal captain Tomas Appleton leads an exciting backline who will cause USA plenty of headaches on Friday. Photo: World Rugby

Hong Kong leader orders police probe after protest song played instead of national anthem at international rugby match in South Korea

The Hong Kong Seven rugby team was playing in Incheon, South Korea. Photo: SCMP

Asia Rugby, the region’s governing body for the sport, earlier offered a “sincere apology” to both Hong Kong and Beijing for the failure to play the national anthem at Sunday’s event. Photo: Handout 

Rugby World Cup final qualifying: USA too strong for Hong Kong, set up decider against Portugal for last Paris spot

The USA Eagles lock Cam Dolan breaks through the Hong Kong defence during a Rugby World Cup 2023 final qualifying game at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai. Photo: World Rugby

Nate Augspurger scored twice for the United States during his side’s 49-7 win over Hong Kong in Dubai. Photo: World Rugby

Portugal’s Vincent Pinto (right) celebrates scoring his team’s fifth try against Kenya. Photo: World Rugby

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Rugby

Fifteens

International Rugby

Hong Kong Rugby Union


Gary Gold says his side will have their work cut out for them in final game of qualifying tournament in Dubai
Everything riding on last match at The Sevens Stadium, with place in Paris up for grabs for winners



Gary Gold says his side will have their work cut out for them in final game of Rugby World Cup qualifying tournament in Dubai.


World Rugby

Rugby World Cup: USA Eagles coach hails side’s ‘clinical’ win over Hong Kong, eyes winner-takes-all clash with Portugal

Gary Gold says his side will have their work cut out for them in final game of qualifying tournament in Dubai Everything riding on last match at The Sevens Stadium, with place in Paris up for grabs for winners

Gary Gold says his side will have their work cut out for them in final game of qualifying tournament in Dubai

Everything riding on last match at The Sevens Stadium, with place in Paris up for grabs for winners