Are there really answers?

Tactically the USA struggled to figure out how to convert line breaks, half-breaks, pressure, and an outstanding platform in the lineout into more than one try against Canada. USA captain Todd Clever was left shaking his head.

“We had the ball enough, we had territory enough, we put phases together enough. We just didn’t break their defense, and turnovers cost us. That’s what happens in test rugby,” Clever told RUGBYMag.com. “When things don’t go right at the beginning, the top six inches kind of takes over. We don’t click, and we’re not on the same page, and because of that we sort of let the other team in it and handed them three tries.”

Clever said the team, which now looks ahead to a big challenge in Japan in Tokyo on Sunday, is hugely disappointed at the results of the last two weeks. And at least, they hoped that domination of possession and territory in the first half could have worn down Canada and led to tries in the second half.

“We’re putting so much pressure on them; we were under the sticks, and then we gave up tries,” Clever lamented. “I’m not too sure why [a second-half surge] doesn’t happen. Instead we’ve given them almost 40 points in the last two games. Putting points on the scoreboard matters, no matter which way you do it. We tried a lot of different things, and we didn’t get the job done.”

Updates on two high-profile USA players and their injuries.