By ALAN PERROTT
Cup minnows struggling to get their scores into double figures can take heart from a rare win by the United States over a team laden with All Blacks.
Well ... a team of extremely ex-All Blacks competing at the annual over-35s World Rugby Classic in Bermuda.
Their captain, Buck Shelford
- never beaten when he was leading the All Blacks - was left lamenting bulging waistlines and beer after his team fell 15-5 to the USA in their opening match on Sunday.
"I don't think we took them too lightly," the legendary No 8 told Bermudan newspaper The Royal Gazette.
"The guys are down the line from playing international football, overweight a lot of them, a few too many beers a couple of nights beforehand ... "
The newspaper proclaimed the US win as the biggest upset in the tournament's history.
It wasn't that long ago the New Zealanders had a mortgage on the competition.
They won seven championship titles between 1989 and 1996 despite the team policy of refusing all shots at goal, even conversions.
New Zealand's only points in the game came from a try to Blair Larsen, who has been playing for North Harbour in this year's NPC.
The Americans were understandably overjoyed at the result. "It's a huge win for our programme," rejoiced double try scorer Craig Hartley.
"There was commitment everywhere and I can't ask for a better effort from any of those guys."
Their reward is a semifinal against a team of aging Springboks including Brendan Venter and Johan le Roux, the prop who won infamy for biting a chunk from Sean Fitzpatrick's ear.
The New Zealanders are relegated to the relative ignominy of the plate competition.
The plate and classic finals will be played on Saturday.
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