USA 54–24 Italy: Eagles’ Forward Power Turns an Early Scare Into a Statement Win

Freda Tafuna’s hat-trick helps the USA overturn a 12-point deficit and complete a series sweep in Nashville.

The USA Women’s Eagles delivered an emphatic response to an uncomfortable start on October 24, defeating Italy 54–24 at GEODIS Park. Their fifth consecutive Test victory came with eight tries, all scored by forwards, and completed a two-match sweep of the Italians. For the Eagles, the most encouraging feature was their ability to recover control without allowing an early deficit to dictate the rest of the afternoon.

Italy’s opening attack exposed weaknesses that deserve attention despite the final margin. Emma Stevanin’s crossfield kick found Francesca Granzotto for the first try, before Francesca Sgorbini charged down Nina Mason’s clearance for the second. Inside 15 minutes, the visitors led 12–0. Those scores presented two different problems: defending the width after sustained pressure and creating enough protection to exit safely from deep territory. The Eagles’ eventual dominance should not erase the importance of either.

The American response began with a return to direct, physical rugby. Sagapolu scored twice, Carlton added another, and Tafuna crossed before halftime to establish a 28–12 advantage. Italy struggled to contain repeated carries close to its line, while penalties provided the Americans with opportunities to attack from dangerous positions. ALLRUGBY’s match report recorded nine Italian penalties against four for the USA—a meaningful difference when one side was proving so difficult to stop inside the opposition’s 22.

The tactical lesson was about persistence as much as strength. Italy could disrupt an individual maul or stop an initial carrier, but the Eagles continued building pressure through subsequent phases. Carlton’s try illustrated that distinction: Italy stopped the maul, yet the Americans retained possession and eventually found space beside the breakdown. That ability to keep an attack alive after its first movement is stopped offers a more dependable foundation than relying on isolated breaks.

Tafuna supplied the standout scoring performance, completing her hat-trick in the second half. Georgie Perris-Redding and Kate Zackary also crossed as the Eagles continued extending their advantage. The distribution of those tries highlighted the depth of the forward threat: Italy could not solve the problem simply by concentrating on one dominant carrier. The USA kept finding different finishers within the same effective approach.

Bella Vogel’s kicking added another important layer. Seven successful conversions from eight attempts produced 14 points, ensuring the Eagles received almost full value for their finishing. Italy nevertheless scored four tries, including second-half efforts from Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi and Beatrice Rigoni. That leaves a clear distinction between the strength of the American attack and the completeness of the overall performance.

For the Eagles, Nashville provided evidence of a team increasingly comfortable imposing its strengths. Recovering from 12–0 down and maintaining scoring pressure after halftime are substantial positives. The next challenge is to combine that attacking confidence with cleaner exits and more reliable defensive sequences. Against Italy, their power gave them room to recover. Building toward stronger opposition means reducing how often that recovery is necessary.