AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Happy faces were hard to find among Rugby World Cup teams on Tuesday.
Italy labored to a 27-10 win over the United States in Nelson, and Japan conceded a 23-23 draw with Canada in Napier, blowing a chance in its last pool match to end a Cup-record 17-match winless streak since 1995. Canada scored eight points in the last five minutes to salvage the draw, but failed to put any pressure on a chaotic French squad for a quarterfinal berth.
One of France’s veterans shot down rumors of a player revolt against testy coach Marc Lievremont, and Argentina and Australia lost key players for the rest of the tournament to leg injuries.
