Great game man. Thanks bro.

@JaemanEdwards 🙌

i woudnt say beating USA in rugby is making a mark....USA rugby is piss poor, even Namibia could beat them at this point.

@@dratah4615 USA ranked 18 in the world, Romania 20 and Namibia 22. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Rugby_Rankings

Awesome. Been there as well, good, contested game, and to the wire. Best weather as well. What more can you ask?! ;)

@@EagleEyeChioru for sure!

It looked like a great game to be at. Love for the game, from New Zealand.

Salutations de Roumanie, peut-être qu'avec le temps nous atteindrons la valeur que nous avions dans le passé

Please help the Dutch and Germans with their rugby. I’m very sad that both Netherlands and Germany are not at the same level as France in rugby 🇫🇷 🏉❤

@@danielpetrupop2227 Pendant longtemps la France a aidé la Roumanie : chaque année il y avait un match qui opposait les deux nations. Il y avait aussi des échanges, avec des entraîneurs français qui aidaient au développement du rugby roumain. Cette époque est malheureusement terminée. Je pense que c'est une bonne chose que vous fassiez venir des joueurs étrangers talentueux, comme par exemple ces Fidjiens, car ils permettent d'élever votre niveau de jeu. Je pense aussi que vous devriez jouer plus souvent contre des équipes comme la Géorgie, les Samoa, les Fidji, et même l'Italie et le Pays de Galles. Ou proposer des matchs de pré-saison contre des clubs français. Vous avez une tradition rugbystique forte, donc vous pouvez (et même vous devez) redevenir une nation importante du rugby. Mais pour cela vous devez attirer les jeunes vers le rugby. Un bon moyen d'attirer les jeunes vers le rugby, c'est peut-être le rugby à 7, qui est spectaculaire et qui ne demande pas autant d'investissements financiers que le rugby à XV. Voyez l'Espagne : le rugby à 7 a fait connaître le rugby et a attiré des jeunes vers ce sport, et maintenant ils ont une équipe de jeunes qui participe à la coupe du monde U20. Je suis content pour votre victoire contre les Etats-Unis.

🙌

We have for some time now, i think 2005 or so. They play in internal championship and they get also the citizenship in time

Because it's not that popular of a sport

Yeah they play for a lot of countries lol USA, Canada, Japan, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Spain and probably more. Pacific Islanders (Tonga, Samoa, Fiji) go to these countries and play for their professional leagues and gain citizenship

@@randomuruk7230 LOL. Rugby Union is played in 133 Countries, has 8 million players with 500-600 million fans. The "Sevens Rugby" version is an Olympic Sport and is played in 40 Countries, at different levels. The Rugby World Cup is the third biggest sporting event in the world, behind only the Olympics and the Football (Soccer) World Cup. So, what do you mean "not popular". LOL. Oh, Rugby is growing fast in many of the East European Countries as an alternative to the dominant sport of Football (soccer).

@@randomuruk7230 maybe not in your country

Every time Team USA comes to Houston, we always pack the place. So yeah, big time disappointment, attendance wise.

They said the same thing about the 1994 FIFA Futbol (Soccer) World Cup here in the US, and almost every match (if not every match) from group stages to the Final was sold out. I expect the powers that be in the rugby world to PROMOTE the living hell out of the Rugby World Cup here in the US and the same to happen here in 2031 as did with the Futbol World Cup in 1994. You have to look at it this way, when the All Blacks played the Eagles in Chicago several years back, the place was packed and people went nuts for the match. That's a huge draw, as will most World Cup matches will be. Not too many casual rugby observers are going to travel distances for the Eagles and the Oaks (no offense to either team) as they are not "Top Tier" rugby teams. If they were in my city, sure I'd go, but I'm not driving or flying over 500 miles to see them. I would drive or fly over 500 miles if the ABs and the Bokke had a match here in the US, that's the difference. We'll be fine, Cheers!

Been to Houston (US VS Scotland). To say it was packed would be a Texas sized exaggeration. MAYBE half full. The conditions were also miserable - hot and humid and completely incompatible with quality rugby. Nothing personal, but you can’t even fill up your stadium for the Houston Sabercats.

But they can't, losing to Romania, how in the world can they compete against the best. How many times do NZ have to beat them by 70 or 80 points, or SA or Ire beat them by 50 or 60? I just don't know what's wrong with USA rugby they just can't play.

@@billbobby461 actually the differences in quality are just that big. Hard to comprehend or accept, but that's the reality (as you noticed very well). US can't compete (yet) with countries in which rugby is the national sport

@@sebastianpopa4778 I wonder how the US would do if we took the absolute best 25 guys from the NFL and crash coursed them for 6 months on rugby. Could they be successful? Be nice to see how a Christian McCaffery or Alvin Kamara would perform in the open field against rugby's best.

They're thriving in 7s, but the 15s is a work in progress

@@gblan I thought the same and the result would also be the same. IMO Is not the physicality or the skill or the motivation, is the ability to perform perfect passing at full speed and defend without mistake for full 80min, while playing an intelligent game which combines kicking in gaps and forwards game seamlessly. The top tier teams can do that a whole game

Still some time until 2031, and looking at the future investments in MLR and international competition they can only improve.

usa beat us 31-15 or something like that at home. So better read then speak

@@MrSenti76 It was 31-17, and it was a one way USA until the last 15 minutes. Way different today.

The Oaks (our team) was in the middle of reconstruction last year. This game is vastly improved. Defense, speed of the line and tackling an order of magnitude better than last year/world cup. FYI.

@@EagleEyeChioru Nu ai inteles subiectul. Nenea zicea ca noi suntem prosti si ca daca i-am batut pe sua si astia sunt varza si era ingrijorat. Eu i-am zis ca nu sunt ei varza si ca ne-au batut nu cu mult in urma si rau, adica vroiam sa zic ca acum noi am jucat mult mai bine nu ca ei ar fi varza. Ok ?

You obviously mean at College/University level. But there isn't really a huge College level Rugby competition. A number of the Ivy league Universities play Rugby but they are not big on Sports Scholarships. ie Universities are for academic learning, not playing sports. That's why many athletes in athletics (track and Field) at places like Harvard, do not have sports scholarships.

Why?

@@DouglasLyons-yg3lv Foreign rugby talent has the potential to boost Team America in Rugby the same way it boosted team America in cricket.

You got it buddy! You have some youselves, Aleutians maybe?! :))

we have a few along the Danube :))), but what's the American Samoa doing? Did they stop playing rugby lately?

USA are the 1924 Rugby Olympics champions (last time rugby 15s was an olympics game), but then you guys decided to make your own rules, cough cough Gridiron.

@@MarkWhippy You're right. They all want to play like the Springboks cause it's too hard to play like the All Blacks.

that's just simple decision making from the player, very hard to coach this. There is a reason tier 2 nations often throw away chances like this, and usually its due to the players skill not being high enough rather than the coaches error

Kicking is used in rugby by the defending team especially if you were pushed deep into your own 22 yards area to advance forward on the field and ease the pressure on your team. Even the All Blacks use it in situations like this. That said, this kick was rather poor.

For real! I was thinking we need commentators from New Zealand. They we could at least imagine we have a good team.

Hehe, lekka. Nice touch :))

Omg who cares. You can understand perfectly well what they are saying.

nothing, they played very well

Is this different to their usual performance?

The US needs to target a lot earlier than College.. need to get high school prospects and drill into them the fundamentals of the game

Footbal players have no damn chance. This is a real sport, no damn helmets and other bullshit, plus you have to run for 80 minutes. No time to catch your breath when the ball touches the ground :)))

@@EagleEyeChioru you're delusional if you think NFL players don't have the athleticism to hang on the Rugby field

More likely, recruits would come from rowing, wrestling and martial arts, particularly judo.

@@karabomafa5609they absolutely don’t.

can't they are hosts for rwc2031 so they must improve

Fiji lost to Portugal, it happens

@@bazookacantgame portugal are an actual good team, they have players that are professional playing in the Pro D2, Romania have none that i know of. coupled with their history of being a top tier2 nation for a long time now just below Georgia. Romania are at the bottom of that tier. This is simply ridiculous from USA.

You do know that Romania has a professional competition

@@billbobby461 portugal had maybe a few, but the press run afterwards was about their lack of professional players, with their Captain being a dentist

I think its "professional " only as far as they are paid

Yes. Like number 16, 18, 20 and 23 from the Eagles. 12 and 21 also.

And I would not talk about foreign player being naturalized. Have you checked the French teams lately? Soccer especialy, but not only.

C'est la meme avec le equips Francais.

American Samoans and black Americans grow up playing football. I'm not sure they have rugby skills already in their DNA since the birth. Per your "reasoning", the world leaders South Africa should be made of black players only (SA doesn't lack black people.)

The present front five are definitely not picked for their speed and ball handling.

Agreed, America has some of the best athletes on this earth, but their rugby team says otherwise...

Mmh… Per your "reasoning", the world leaders South Africa should be made of black players only (SA doesn't lack black people.)

@@carloduroni5629 Springboks will be made up by at least 60% black/coloured players by the next RWC.. watch out for the next gen

No money in rugby in the States. Big money in gridiron football, baseball, and basketball. Pretty obvious choice for black athletes.

The tournament at large will be great. Stadia in the US are all world class. We are a huge country with much to see and do. Will the US be competitive? A quarter final is highly unlikely, perhaps a third place pool position. With regards to transparent commercialism, isn’t there a 12 team tournament being looked at in Quatar, that hotbed of rugby? With regards to player development, show me a top northern hemisphere team that doesn’t rely on drafting from NZ, SA, and the Island nations I dont think a World Cup being hosted in the US is the biggest of issues World Rugby faces.

@@DouglasLyons-yg3lv very good points the tournament at large will be great that being the rugby World Cup stadia in US are all World class will the USA eagles be competitive yeah third place or second place in the pool rounds its interesting its the next crop of players in the US behind this current US team like the up and coming US eligible players playing for Anthem and other MLR teams and there are US eligible players playing in New Zealand be sides that if The USA Eagles want to be up with the likes of Australia Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks Argentina Lost Pumas South Africa Springboks England Wales Scotland and Ireland France and Italy sides and beyond The 2031 Rugby World Cup and being internationally competitive or a rugby world powerhouse they have the protencial to be in future a lot. of the top players and coaches from around the rugby world one coach Heineken Meyer former Springbok Coach currently at MLR side Houston Sabercats said America is the future for professional rugby a future power house US Rugby currently they have the MLR americas only professional league set up it will get stronger as each passing year a strong professional league in the USA is good its a start also strong grassroots rugby meaning from The rookie rugby programmes the kids the youth rugby and up a strong high school rugby programmes going and through to college rugby and armature club rugby in the US which is in place as I speak strengthening these areas of the game is vital in The US this will take a lease 10 15 years to Kraft long term that saying being US Players and US Coaches US Referees Officials and US Rugby Administration Business build up the numbers in those sectors with investment money in those areas which is crucial US is doing ok heading in the right direction from there the US in future with a strong rugby iq and know how by then can like invest in having there top and up and coming coaches players referees and admin in and play in Americas Major League Rugby and have more US coaches players refs in and play for the top rugby sides in the top Leagues in the world aswell from The English Gallager Premiership Rugby The French Top 14 Rugby Irish Rugby The Rugby United Championship rugby in Wales and Scotland and Italy Series A US players playing in South Africas The Vodacom Curry Cup or Super Rugby sides of South Africa New Zealand Bunings NPC championship sides or New Zealand Super Rugby sides playing rugby in Australia and for the Aussie super rugby sides which is The Super Rugby Pacific Championship Japans Top League Rugby South Americas SLAR or Super Rugby America and other leagues US players coaches refs basically base in all the rugby playing countries in The Continents of Europe Asia Africa Australasia and Oceania and The Pacific South America and North and Central America all over the rugby playing world a strong US player base coaches and refs base in The United States Of America USA and Internationally around The World and abroad coins the saying in rugby USA is the sleeping giant of World Rugby well the sleeping giant of World Rugby has fully awakened by then in future these are just ideas

Lol do you think Americans care? Look how empty the stadium is

Who's "we" you're talking about dude? This is rugby. If you're a fan you don't 'laugh" at other teams. You might want to find the soccer page. That's were your comments belong.

If MLR keeps growing they can follow Japan's model and get foreign players to play for them. They are at the bottom of their growth. Only way is up. MLR grow I'm sure they would pay more than than any league in the world. They just need the interest.

The US will likely win more medals at the 2024 Olympics then any other nation. Do they dominate every sport no but that is not a bad thing.

Been assistant referees for years. Live in a cave?

They're Touch Judges in Rugby League, not Union.