Australia scores 47 10 win over US Eagles

(MENAFN- Arab News) CHICAGO: An experimental Australian side scored five second-half tries to pull away from a determined US Eagles team and beat the Americans 47-10 in a rugby union international at Soldier Field on Saturday.
Flyhalf Bernard Foley scored the first Australian try in the eighth minute and kicked six conversions for 17 points. Other Wallabies tries went to Nick Phipps Sean McMahon Dean Mumm Kurtley Beale Quade Cooper and replacement Taqele Naiyaravoro; the first of his career.
Mike Petri scored the US try while A.J. MacGinty kicked a conversion and penalty.
The Wallabies led 14-10 after a mediocre first half which saw the visitors make a number of glaring errors under pressure from some tough fast-moving Eagles defense.
After leading 14-0 through tries to Foley and Phipps the Wallabies failed to establish any continuity in attack and surrendered possession too easily through simple handling errors. After Eagles lock Greg Peterson was yellow-carded in the sixth minute for repeat infringements Foley opened the scoring when he wrong-footed his opposite number MacGinty to score under the posts.
The home team's first points came through a penalty to MacGinty who slotted the goal from 40 meters out after the Wallabies were offside. Twelve minutes later Zimbabwean-born winger Takudzwa Ngwenya moved past Joe Tomane on the end of a backline movement to burst through the line and set up a try for scrumhalf Petri.
MacGinty's conversion narrowed the gap to four points but it was all Australia in the second half.
Flanker McMahon who was a standout for the Australians in just his fourth test crashed over for his first test try on the end of a powerful rolling maul.
Replacement lock Mumm then barged across for his second try since returning to the Wallabies this season and Foley's fourth conversion from as many attempts made it 28-10 to the visitors after 55 minutes.
The Eagles stayed in the contest creating a couple of decent opportunities in the attacking zone but were repeatedly thwarted by a strong Wallabies defensive line.
The US looked certain to score when skipper Chris Wyles stole an interception and surged downfield but he was stopped by Tomane and Australia increased their lead when Beale put the finishing touches on a length-of-the-field try which saw the ball pass through several Australian hands.
Cooper and Naiyaravoro scored tries in the final 10 minutes.
Australia coach Michael Cheika named James Slipper as fill-in captain for Stephen Moore becoming the first prop to lead the Wallabies in almost four decades. Moore regular vice-captains Michael Hooper and Adam Ashley-Cooper and former captain David Pocock were rested before the World Cup.
The US performance was an improvement over its last match at Soldier Field against a southern hemisphere side. Last November New Zealand beat the Eagles 74-6 before 61000 fans.
It was the last warm-up match for both teams before they head to the World Cup in England and Wales.
At the World Cup the Americans are playing in Pool B with South Africa Samoa Japan and Scotland. They play their first match against Samoa in Brighton England on Sept. 20
Australia is in tough Pool A with England Wales Fiji and Uruguay and plays its first match against Fiji in Cardiff on Sept. 23.
Scores:
Australia 47 (Bernard Foley Nick Phipps Sean McMahon Dean Mumm Kurtley Beale Quade Cooper Taqele Naiyaravoro tries; Foley 6 conversions); United States 10 (Mike Petri try A.J. MacGinty conversion penalty). HT: 14-10.