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| Mike Hercus Connected on 13 Conversions |
STANFORD, Calif.— Flyhalf Mike Hercus converted all 13 tries scored by the United States as the USA Rugby Men’s National Team had the highest scoring game in Eagles history, blanking Barbados 91-0 in Rugby World Cup qualifying action at Stanford’s Steuber Rugby Stadium here Saturday.
The score was also the Eagle’s largest scoring margin in history and the third-highest scoring game of the qualifying slate to date as Germany defeated Luxemburg 96-0 (Nov. 27, 2004) and Guyana blanked St. Lucia (97-0) last August.
“It’s nice to have that one up our sleeves,” said interim head coach Peter Thorburn who picked up his first win as the head Eagle. “It was a good result, but we’re not going to get carried away.”
With 26 points on the afternoon, Hercus ties Chris O’Brien’s single-game scoring record when O’Brien had 3 tries and 7 conversions against Uruguay in 1989, and Hercus improves his own all-time career scoring record to 329 points.
“I’ve been working pretty hard at coming back, so I’m pretty happy with today” said Hercus who played his first game for the Eagles this season after sitting out last month’s Churchill Cup’s three matches with a groin injury. "You can say you’ve been a part of that for the rest of your life. "It by no means was a flawless affair, but it’s not every day the US wins by 91 so we’re happy with that.”
With three tries each, wing Jeff Hullinger and center Phillip Eloff each fell one shy of tying that single game mark, held by Vaea Anitoni (twice) and Brian Hightower. Hullinger, Brian Barnard, Patrick Bell and Vaha Esikia each scored their first tries in international play with Bell and Esikia adding two each while Todd Clever and Paul Emerick each added a score.
With starts today, Hercus and Eloff each earned their first caps of the season, 29th overall, while lock Hayden Mexted started for his first.
“Overall we had a good performance,” said gameday skipper Kort Schubert. “The guys put in a full 80 minutes today, the forwards worked well in scrums and it was a great team effort all around.”
Bell opened the scoring spree in the third minute, and Hullinger followed two minutes later. The largest scoring drought of the game, 16 minutes, followed before Eloff and Hercus made it a 21-0 advantage in as many minutes. Barbados’ Johnathon Grant mishandled the ensuing kickoff which was picked up by the USA’s Emerick, who was taken down just shy of the score, on the goal line at the corner flag. Clever capitalized on the gain on the next play, and scored his second career try in as many games en route to the 49-0 lead at intermission.
The Americans kept the Barbos on their heels in the second stanza, scoring 42 unanswered points, including Esikia’s back-to-back scores in the 62nd and 65th minutes.
The United States must beat Canada in its next qualifier, Aug. 12 in St. John’s, Newfoundland for the automatic trip to France next year, or at worst, tie and hope they come out on top of the tiebreaker. A loss would send the Americans to face the runner-up team from the South American qualifiers.
“Our journey to the World Cup started today,” added Schubert. “And now we can focus on Canada.”
TEAM RECORDS
Single Game Scoring: 91 points (Old: 74 vs. Japan, July 6, 1996)
Scoring Margin: +91 (Old: +69 vs. Japan (74-5), July 6, 1996)
Tries: 13 (Old: 11, three times)
Conversions: 13 (Old: 8 vs. Japan, July 6, 1996)
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Single Game Scoring: (Tied) Mike Hercus, 26 (Old: Chris O’Brien, 26 vs. Uruguay, Nov. 5, 1989)
Single Game Conversions: Mike Hercus, 13 (Old: Matt Alexander, 8 vs. Japan, July 6, 1996)
Referee: David Changleng (Scotland); TJ: Phil Smith (Canada) TJ: Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
FINAL: USA def. Barbados, 91-0 (Halftime: USA 49-0)
BARBADOS (0)
UNITED STATES (91)
Tries: Hullinger (3), Eloff (3), Esikia (2), Bell (2), Clever (1), Barnard (1), Emerick (1)
Conversions: Hercus (13)
BARBADOS: 1. Robert Mayers (Paul Mullard @28); 2. Donovan Bagwell (Martin Varga @46/Greg Moseley-Clarke @61); 3. Greg Anstead; 4. Kip Blmenshein (Julian Rock @64); 5. George Nicholson (John Millar @44); 6. John Millar; 7. Jamie Vernon; 8. Steven Stewart (capt.); 9. Mike Rees; 10. Kurt Johnston (Leroy Barrow @63); 11. Johnathon Grant (Ken Payne @52); 12. Troy Grant; 13. Dom Peters; 14. Omar Bynoe; 15. Antonio Gibbons (J. Grant @74).
UNITED STATES: 1. Mike MacDonald (John Tarpoff @11 & 40); 2. Patrick Bell (Owen Lentz @58); 3. Chris Osentowski; 4. Hayden Mexted (Scott Lawrence @64); 5. Mike Mangan; 6. Mark Aylor; 7. Todd Clever; 8. Kort Schubert (capt.) (Tony Petruzzella @54); 9. Tyson Meek (Mose Timoteo @58); 10. Mike Hercus; 11. Jeff Hullinger; 12. Albert Tuipolotu (Vaha Esikia @58); 13. Phillip Eloff; 14. Brian Barnard (Jason Kelly @74); 15. Paul Emerick.