England storm past USA after long lightning delays to conclude summer tour in style

Independent

20-07-2025

England shrugged off two lengthy delays caused by lightning in Washington DC to end their summer tour with a comprehensive 40-5 victory over the United States.
After beating Argentina 2-0 in South America, the third game of England's tour at Audi Field kicked off an hour late due to an electrical storm in the American capital.
Play was then halted near the half-hour mark, with both sets of players spending 40 minutes in the dressing room before the action resumed.
England eventually ran out comfortable winners with six tries shared by Curtis Langdon, Luke Northmore, Cadan Murley, Jack van Poortvliet, Harry Randall and Gabriel Oghre.
George Ford added four conversions and debutant Charlie Atkinson one in a dominant display in which Harlequins flanker Chandler Cunningham-South was outstanding.
The US had never beaten England in seven previous attempts, but began on the front foot and engineered some promising field positions.
But the Eagles were reduced to 14 by a deliberate knock-on from outside-half Chris Hilsenbeck and England took instant advantage of their extra numbers with an 11th-minute try.
Ford kicked to the corner and Langdon was the beneficiary of a driving line-out that the fly-half, winning his 102nd cap, converted.
England soon worked another opening and new boy Max Ojomoh slipped in fellow centre Northmore for a simple score with Ford again adding the extras.
Alex Dombrandt thought he had extended the lead from the back of a maul, but his effort was ruled out for obstruction and the players were then taken off the field after 29 minutes due to further lightning concerns.
When they returned, lightning – this time in the metaphorical sense – struck twice for England as full-back Jack Carpenter was denied a debut try by a Murley knock-on.
But England's patience was rewarded in the final play of the first half as Murley spotted a gap to race over.
Van Poortvliet, showing his sound positional sense, went over straight after the restart for Ford to convert, and England were camped in the Americans' 22 for most of the second period.
The hosts held out until Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, making his first full international appearance after six months out with a shoulder injury and a two-match ban for a high tackle that saw him miss the Argentina games, sliced through.
The Exeter wing showed fine awareness to send Randall over, and Ford's final act before making way for Atkinson was to add another two points.
England turned heavily to their bench in the final quarter, but there was no easing off and Bristol hooker Oghre celebrated his first cap with a burst to the line that Atkinson added to.
The US were finally on the scoreboard in the final seconds as a well-worked ploy at the front of a line-out saw Chris Poidevin put Shilo Klein over for a consolation score.