Mike Hercus scored a try, four conversions and two penalties as the United States ended their record of 10 World Cup losses with a 39-26 beating of Japan on Monday.
It was the Americans’ first victory since beating Japan at the first World Cup in 1987 and now they are tied for that loss record with Japan despite a personally tally of 21 points by winger Toru Kurihara.
The flyhalf was one of five Americans to cross Japan’s line in their Group B game although the Japanese kept fighting back and were only one point behind with three minutes to go.
The Americans raced into a 14-0 lead by the 12th minute with tries by Hercus and centre Phillip Eloff.
Hercus took the ball from a ruck in the seventh minute, feinted to pass to Dan Dorsey outside but instead charged through a gap and ran 20m for the try, which he then converted.
Five minutes later Hercus found Eloff in the line with a superb long pass and the centre ran through three defenders before turning up the pace and running to the posts. Hercus again converted.
But the Japanese, with far more support in the crowd at Central Coast Stadium, hit back with a 10-point burst of scoring in three minutes.
It started with a linkup by their two New Zealand-born midfielder stars with fly half Andy Miller feeding inside centre George Konia in the line. He spotted Kurihara unmarked on the outside for the winger to speed over in the corner.
Kurihara made the conversion and then landed a penalty to cut the Americans’ lead to 14-10 with 23 minutes gone.
The Japanese were unable to made any more breakthroughs in the first half, however, and Hercus landed two penalties to put the Americans into half time leading by 10.
Japan ran out with navy blue shirts in the second half after deciding that their red-and-white shirts and black shorts were too similar to the Americans’ red and blue.
Kurihara kicked three penalties in a row including two from 42m and 38m to cut the lead to one point by the 53rd minute The Americans appeared to have lost their running game but suddenly found it again for a third try in the 55th minute.
Hercus again was the architect, slipping through a gap with another pretend pass and then releasing flank forward Kort Schubert to charge unchallenged to the line. Hercus made his third conversion and the Americans were back in front by eight.
But the Japanese wouldn’t let them get away again and scored a second try two minutes later to bring the margin back to one point.
American scrumhalf Kevin Dalzell lost the ball in a tackle in his own half and Yuji Sonoda led it out to the speedy Daisuke Ohata to outpace the defence out wide on the right and score. Kuhiraha made the conversion.
Ohata came to Japan’s rescue a minute later when he produced a stunning tackle to stop Riaan van Zyl going over in the corner. The powerful American winger was then felled by a brilliant ankle tackle by scrum half Sonoda.
Then Kurihara chased across to grab the ankles of Salesi Sika as the powerful winger was also headed for the corner but wound up pulled over the sideline.
But the American pressure finally brought fourth try with Hercus slipping the ball to Van Zyl and the South African-born winger ran through a gap to reach the line. Hercus converted and the Americans were back with an eight-point lead with three minutes to go.
Hooker Kirk Khasigian took a pass from Eloff to charge over for the fifth American try in injury time to give a lopsided look to the scoreline. — Sapa-AP