Van Poortvliet makes upbeat admission after England battle past USA
The match in the American capital kicked off an hour later than planned due to a lightning strike in the area, with the game then halted by a further half an hour on 29 minutes when another struck within 10 miles of the ground when England were 14-0 up.
The disruption followed several similar incidents at the recent Club World Cup in the US, with champions Chelsea's clash against Benfica delayed by nearly two hours after the Portuguese giants endured an even longer disruption against Auckland City.
Scrum-half Van Poortvliet, one of six England try-scorers at Audi Field, admits the stop-start nature of the contest hampered England's fluency but hopes experiencing it as a group will prepare them in case a similar scenario unfolds in the future.
'I've never experience it before,' he said
'Going into a game, warming up, having it cut off then again after 20 odd minutes makes it really hard.
'It definitely does take it out of you a little bit – but it's probably great to have experienced now.
'You never know situations that might happen in big games in the future, so now we've all experienced that it's probably great for us.
'The staff were brilliant but we probably came out a bit slow at the start of the game. But we came out a lot better after the second stoppage.'
Van Poortvliet, Curtis Langdon, Luke Northmore, Cadan Murley, Harry Randall and debutant Gabriel Oghre all scored to make it three transatlantic wins from three and extend England's winning run to seven matches – their longest streak since back in 2020.
Langdon, Northmore and Murley – post-half an hour delay – all dotted down in the opening period that also saw USA fly-half Chris Hilsenbeck pick up a yellow card.
And Van Poortvliet, Randall and Oghre added three more in the second to help England power to victory.
USA grabbed a late consolation through Shilo Klein to give the home fans who remained something to cheer about but England's work was done as they ended their triumphant tour in style.
England will now enjoy their summer break before gearing up for crunch autumn internationals against the likes of Australia and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
And Van Poortvliet, England's matchwinner in the second Test against Argentina last weekend, added: 'It was by no means the greatest game to watch today but it's good to end on a win.
'It's been a great few weeks and we wanted to make sure we ended on a high.
'I've loved these few weeks with the lads – it's been an amazing group and it's such good fun.
'We're slightly disappointed with the performance but we're really happy with how the tour's gone in general and to get the win.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I told Benjamin Sesko to join me at Chelsea - this is what Man Utd could be getting'
Chelsea were one of the clubs in the race to sign Benjamin Sesko last summer, and a message from then-Blues player Djordje Petrovic has resurfaced as Manchester United eye up the striker Benjamin Sesko is reportedly on Manchester United's radar, and ex- Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has revealed what type of player Ruben Amorim's side would be recruiting. Alongside Ollie Watkins, the 22-year-old RB Leipzig striker is being considered in the final month of the summer transfer window. It's believed that Watkins would be open to a move to United, while Sesko's agent, Elvis Basanovic, has kept communication lines open with the Red Devils since discussing a potential move last year. The Slovenian international has been a hot topic in the transfer market since the end of the 2024/25 season. Arsenal seemed keen on Sesko but decided to pursue Viktor Gyokeres instead, sealing a £63.7million deal for the Swede last week. Now, it appears United and Newcastle are vying for Sesko's signature, with both Amorim and Eddie Howe eager to bolster their attacking options. However, various reports suggest that the striker is more inclined towards a move to Old Trafford. This isn't the first time Sesko has been linked with the Premier League. After rejecting United three years ago to join Leipzig, he was also nearly signed by Arsenal and Chelsea, reports the Manchester Evening News. Former Chelsea goalkeeper Petrovic had high praise for Sesko ahead of Euro 2024 last year, stating he "has everything" needed to succeed in the Premier League. Before the tournament, Petrovic had watched Sesko play several times and assured the Blues that he'd be a surefire success in the English top flight. "I know [about the rumours linking him with Chelsea] and have been following him," Petrovic, who now plays for Bournemouth, told Nogomania. "He's having a good half season, he's in great scoring form. I read that he's scored in his last seven matches in a row. He seems to have gained strong momentum for the Euros. "He's a forward who has everything a modern player needs. He's tall, strong, fast and intelligent. I've watched some of his matches. Of course he can play in the Premier League. Absolutely! He has great potential, and he's been successfully proving it." According to Sky in Germany, United's board has been in touch with Sesko, and talks about a potential transfer to Old Trafford are possible. Should Sesko touch down in Manchester, manager Amorim has made it crystal clear exactly what he expects from any new recruits, saying: "They have to want to come here. "I think what we can do to the fans is that we want players who have proved [themselves] already. Sometimes you have a player with a lot of potential, you have to be aware of that, but all the players that are coming, we need to know the player. "We need to talk to the player, we have to explain the project. And then one really important thing is that they want to come here. That is the key point. "If during the market we can find someone that can help the team and have all that boxes with them, we are going to do it. If not, we cannot do it because it's an important time in our club." Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
STV News
26 minutes ago
- STV News
Rangers boss Russell Martin addresses Mikey Moore loan move
Rangers head coach Russell Martin has described Spurs attacker Mikey Moore as 'a really good player' as he hinted that he is keen to add the player to his squad. The Ibrox club have been in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a season-long loan deal for the teenager, and new Spurs boss Thomas Frank has said that he is looking to 'find the right option' for Moore to continue his development. That option could be a year at Rangers, and Martin gave an indication that's the decision he is hoping for. 'I think I've said to you all the way along that, as soon as it's done, you'll be the first guys to know,' Martin told a media conference on Tuesday ahead of the Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos. 'There's lots of players we like, lots that we're linked to. 'He's a really good player and if at any point he becomes a Rangers player we will let you know.' Seven new faces have already arrived at Ibrox since the American takeover as Martin rebuilds the squad. With a month still left to go in the transfer window, the head coach said he still wants more to help his side challenge in Europe and for domestic silverware. 'I think we still have a few areas we need to strengthen and put a bit more depth in for sure,' he said. 'I think some areas are more obvious than others but I think we're still looking to add to the squad. 'I keep saying that we will add to the squad but it has to be the right ones and definitely in the right areas.' Moore has made 21 first-team appearances for the London club since making his debut at 16 in 2024, when he became the youngest ever player to play for Spurs in the English Premier League. The attacker, who can play on either wing or through the middle, was part of the squad that won the Europa League last season, making five appearances in the competition and scoring his first senior goal against Swedish side Elfsborg. He has represented England at under-15, under-16, under-17, and under-19 levels, scoring a total of 21 goals in 39 caps, including four in four games at the under-17 European championships in Greece last summer. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hato 'could be similar to Alexander-Arnold'
On BBC Radio 5 Live's Big Transfer Talk, the panel discuss Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, who is potentially the next player to move to Chelsea."He is very technical for his age and very good on the ball," said Statman Dave. "When you look at his stats over the season, we are starting to see a player who is very composed and creative. "He could potentially go on a similar path to Trent Alexander-Arnold - that is the player I would liken him to in Europe."Listen on BBC Sounds
