<< BackTA Plays Well But Falls to France in WRC Plate Final
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It was a night of consolation
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11/12/05
Team America (26) v. France (35)
This
will be the fifth meeting between Team America and the Classic French.
Like the Canadian series, which was tied up at three wins, a piece
before TA's dramatic win earlier this week, the France-TA series is all
tied up at two wins apiece.
The last time Team America faced
the French it was for all the marbles in 2003. Team America had beaten
New Zealand, then South Africa to make it to the final against the
French. Both the NZ and SA games were on fast tracks, but the final in
2003 ended up being played in the pouring rain. It was the French
forwards who took control of the second half of that contest to win
13-6.
Scoring
Team America (26)
4 Trys ( Jason Ravon (2), Malakai Tabuvuya, Brad Hughes )
3 Conversions ( Jon Hinkin (3) )
French Classics (35)
7 Trys ( Remi Louis (2), Laurent Guetard, Frederic Caillat, Max Boucher, Jean Luc Sadourney, )
0 Conversions ( None Attempted )
TA
beat the French in 1989 15-9 and in 1999 by a score of 40-20 in a
wide-open affair. France's other win came in 1998 when they beat the
Americans 38-27.
TA was looking for clear skies and some dry
turf as captain Tony Flay was looking for yet another Classic victory
in the plate final.
Early in the first half France took an
early lead in the World Rugby Classic Plate Final, winger Remi Louis
scored to make the score 5 - 0, France chose not to kick the
conversion. Louis scored again for France to take a 10 – 0 lead. Team
America’s Jason Raven scored a try, Jon Hinkin kicked the conversion to
make the score 10 – 7 as TA closed the margin. It looked like TA was
going to make a game of it, but France came roaring back as Laurent
Guetard scored France’s third try of the match making the score France
15 - TA 7. Before the half ended, Frederic Caillat scored another try
for France making the score France 20 - TA 7 at the half.
Just
as the second half got underway, TA’s Malakai Tabuvuya scored to close
the margin. Jon Hinkin’s conversion made the score 20 - 14. But that is
as close as TA would get as Max Boucher scored a try to give France a
25 - 14 lead. France then put this game out of reach as Jean Luc
Sadourney scored yet another try to make the score France 30 TA 14.
TA
finished strong as Brad Hughes scored and Hinkin converted for the
third time. France added one more before Jason Raven scored his second
try of the game to make the final score France 35 - TA 26.
Previous TA v. France Scores
TA 6 France 13 Bermuda October 18, 2003
TA 40 France 20 Bermuda November, 1999
TA 27 France 38 Bermuda November, 1998
TA 15 France 9 Bermuda November, 1989
LOCATION: Bermuda National Stadium
CONTACT: Stephen Siano, stephen@teamam.us, PHONE: 610-389-4474 |
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