Lot of people on social media slating the American team and saying Wales or Ireland would who at least put up a fight! This USA team have been very competitive against other minnow teams but anyone expecting a different result today needs their head seeing too. Not great to watch but I hope people don't orget the other performances USA have pur in during the WC. Hope they continue to develop.

You know what they say about opinions.

So you are saying the score would have been something like 44-16? The US domestic players lost to Canada this summer and beat them narrowly another time - I think that puts your argument swiftly to bed.

It wasn't a bad game.
USA had periods where they competed with the best in the world, which is all they could hope for.
The format has a lot of good points, but there was always going to be a mismatch for this game, which technically pits the number 1 side against the number 8 side, the widest spread allowed in the entire competition due to the format, but i'd say USA were very lucky to make 8th spot.

The second hallf shows why New Zealand will win the show - Tim Sheens.
He loses a fullback, so brings a specialist half on and puts him at dummy half, pushing the world's best hooker into the back row. Net result Australia totally lose their composure and play a very second rate second half.
I like Cherry-Evans but he's no hooker, and Smith is certainly not a back rower.