Sunday, June 15, 2008 | 4:14 p.m.
The respect that the U.S. national rugby team earned a year ago in a tight defeat to England at the Rugby World Cup in France might have evaporated in Canada.
The Barclays Churchill Cup has been largely forgettable for inside center Vahafolau “Vaha” Esikia, a member of the Las Vegas Blackjacks club team, too.
The U.S. team is known as the Eagles, but they were clawless in losses to the England Saxons (64-10), the English second team, and Ireland (46-9) in Canada.
Esikia, who made his international debut for the U.S. at the World Cup, has not scored in the Churchill Cup.
Their 0-2 record in Pool B slips the Eagles into the fifth-place game of the tournament, against Canada, on Saturday at Toyota Park in suburban Chicago.
The Saxons play Scotland for the championship, and Argentina Pumas play Ireland in the third-place match.
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