Saturday 16 June 2001

England 48 United States 19

A 48-19 win over the USA in San Francisco saw Clive Woodward's England side make history as they secured the longest ever consecutive England winning streak, with their 11th victory on the trot.

A pair of tries for backs Leon Lloyd (pictured) and Josh Lewsey helped them on their way after a five-try first-half showing and a 33-5 interval lead, with the other English tries from forwards Pat Sanderson, Joe Worsley, Lewis Moody and Dorian West.

The USA put up a gallant fight though, especially in the second-half as they held England to three tries, one right at the death.  The Eagles scored three of their own, two for debutant wing Jone Niciqa and one for other wing Juan Grobler, but they were never going to stop England's date with the record book.

It was clear from the outset however that the result was not going to be in much doubt when Leicester hooker West rumbled over from a five-metre lineout he had just thrown in to on the left wing, with Walder getting over his jittery start to the tour by converting from the touchline for England.

Pat Sanderson -- on from the bench for a Lewis Moody blood-bin replacement -- was next to score on 11 minutes when he went under the posts after good crash ball running from Jamie Noon, with Walder again there for the easy extras.

Fullback Josh Lewsey then got in on the act, touching down in the right corner after a swift left to right transfer through the England three-quarters, culminating in Lloyd's deft flick, which although bouncing off the ground, was always going to put Lewsey in on the overlap for an easy run-in, Walder again adding the conversion.

The hosts shocked England though on 19 minutes when right wing and sevens specialists Jone Niciqa switched wings, and burst on to a well-timed pass from otherwise nervous fly-half Grant Wells to break through the line from short range near the left corner.  In truth it owed much to the strangely dis-organised England defence after a solid start defensively, one that coach Ellery Henley would no doubt be fuming over in the dressing room.

With the USA's defence getting even more shambolic as the half went on, the spectacle of forwards Joe Worsley and Steve Borthwick tearing them apart in the loose happened after 23 minutes, with the Bath lock putting Worsley in for a jog to the posts after Borthwick had sauntered up to the USA last man and created the most basic of overlaps, as Walder converted again.

Julian White earned himself a place in the sin-bin with a haymaker in a midfield ruck, but a fine try from Leon Lloyd was to be the final score of the first period.

In a spooky copy of Dan Luger's first try for the Lions against Queensland earlier in the day, it came from a Newcastle fly-half's perfect crossfield kick under pressure.  This time the executioner was Walder, who struck a mighty crossfield bomb in to the arms of the waiting Lloyd, who just avoided touch in the right wing for England's fifth try, and a 33-5 interval lead.

The crowd had to wait only five minutes after the break for England's sixth try, when Lloyd claimed his second after an interception from the normally reliable hands of Bath No.8 Dan Lyle down the right wing, with Lloyd cantering down the right flank, and Walder missing the tough conversion.

A new pair in the backs was introduced with half an hour left, Ollie Barkley making his Test debut despite not having played a senior game in England, and Wasps' scrum-half Martyn Wood replacing skipper Kyran Bracken.

America got their second try when inside centre Juan Grobler dived in at the right corner after a Dan Lyle lay-off, in a flowing backs move which again owed much to the stand-offish England three-quarters in the tackle, with Grant Wells kicking his firt points of the game as he slotted the fairly tough conversion.

It got worse for England on 63 minutes when fullback Kurt Shuman broke in to the line near halfway, and after a searing run put in Niciqa for his second try on his debut in the left corner.  Wells converted, and although England held a commanding lead they looked rattled at only 38-19 up.

England hit back though when Lewsey got his second try, a score which earned much to the good driving work of replacement Pat Sanderson, with Bracken giving Lewsey a short pop pass five metres out down the right wing, and Lewsey scoring under a heap of diving bodies in the loose, with Walder missing the wide extras.

A rolling maul try from Lewis Moody put the seal on the win as Ollie Barkley hopelessly scuffed his first international conversion.  Not as convincing a triumph as it had looked at half-time, but all the same a record-breaking one.

Man of the match:  Lewis Moody.  Just where the young Leicester openside flanker will play his club rugby next season after his club's signing of Josh Kronfeld remains open to conjecture, but a superb domineering, high energy display in this game showed that he is still one of the top openside specialists England have in their back-up cupboard.  His battling try at the end was a fitting tribute.

Moment of the match:  Leon Lloyd's first try.  A carbon copy of Dan Luger's first try for the Lions on the same day.  A well-flighted kick from a Newcastle fly-half (Dave Walder) to a well positioned and composed recipient on the wing.  A great try and testament to the thinking approach of the England side this tour.

Villain of the match:  Julian White.  A completely needless haymaker on 28 minutes rightly earned the England prop a place in the sin-bin after a good-tempered game with little niggle, a stupid act in full view of the touch-judge.

Sin bin:  Julian White (Eng) 28-38 mins.

The Teams:

England:  1 Graham Rowntree, 2 Dorian West, 3 Julian White, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Steve Borthwick, 6 Lewis Moody, 7 Steve White-Cooper, 8 Joe Worsley, 9 Kyran Bracken (c), 10 Dave Walder, 11 Leon Lloyd, 12 Fraser Waters, 13 Jamie Noon, 14 Michael Stephenson, 15 Josh Lewsey
Reserves:  Tom Palmer, Martyn Wood, Olly Barkley, David Flatman, Andy Long, Pat Sanderson, Tom Voyce

United States:  1 Mike MacDonald, 2 Kirk Khasigian, 3 Paul Still, 4 Luke Gross, 5 Eric Reed, 6 Dave Hodges (c), 7 Kort Schubert, 8 Dan Lyle, 9 Kevin Dalzell, 10 Grant Wells, 11 Johnny Naqica, 12 Phillip Eloff, 13 Juan Grobler, 14 Jovesa Naivalu, 15 Kurt Shuman
Reserves:  Olo Fifita, Alex Magleby

Referee:  Turner a.

Points Scorers:

England
Tries:  West D.E. 1, Worsley J.P.R. 1, Lewsey O.J. 2, Lloyd L.D. 2, Moody L.W. 1, Sanderson P.H. 1
Conv:  Walder D.J.H. 4

United States
Tries:  Naqica J. 2, Grobler J. 1
Conv:  Wells G. 2

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