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All Blacks cruise past USA in rugby exhibition

By WTOP Staff

JIM LITKE
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — What was billed as an exhibition quickly turned into a clinic.

New Zealand’s mighty All Blacks turned their USA rugby rivals blue with a bruising defense, and then green with envy as they went on the offensive, spreading the field and sending a parade of ball carriers through the gaps and over the try line Saturday on the way to 74-6 win.

“I don’t see it being decades,” USA coach Mike Tolkin said when asked how long it might take the Golden Eagles to be on an even footing with the defending World Cup champions.

“Maybe it’s wishful thinking,” he added, “but I see the athletes there and the guys who have been professionals and the way they’ve performed. So hopefully, it will be a lot less (time) than that.”

The match was played in front of a sold-out Solder Field crowd of 61,500 and a national TV audience, both impressive accomplishments for a rebuilding USA program. But the action on the field was a different story.

The All Blacks used a handful of regulars in their starting lineup, and still managed a score just three minutes in on a try up the left sideline by Nathan Harris. The Golden Eagles countered with their best sustained ball possession of the match, repeatedly testing the center of the All-Blacks’ defense before settling for a penalty goal from Adam Siddall to close to 5-3. That was the last moment the match was competitive.

“We got punished,” USA captain Todd Clever said.

Few people in either camp predicted a close match during the weeklong buildup — the New Zealanders were 50-plus-point favorites in some betting lines — though the Golden Eagles were able to field their best side after USA Rugby chief executive Nigel Melville was able to get four overseas-based U.S. players released for the match. It made no difference.

New Zealand quickly and methodically spread the field with crisp ball movement and easily exploited one matchup after another. No moment better highlighted the difference in skill and speed between the sides than the second try by the All Blacks’ Sonny Bill Williams up the right side barely 20 minutes into the match.

Williams had Siddall in pursuit, so he cut back toward the middle some 20 yards from the try line, where the Americans’ best player, Samu Manoa, braced for the charge. But Williams, a former heavyweight boxer, showed some nifty footwork by making a sharp left turn instead, slicing between the two as Manoa, who tried tackling him low, and Siddall, who went high, collided while grasping at air.

By then, the score was 38-6 and the rout was on.

“They’re a big, physical team, and they did put us under a little bit of pressure when they had the ball,” New Zealand’s Kieran Read said. “Once we got into the game, though, and looked after the ball a bit better, it worked for us and the guys were able to showcase their skills.”

It was 43-6 by halftime and any chance of a momentum shift was quickly extinguished when the All Blacks put together another try less than a minute after intermission.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen rested his core of veteran players, including captain Richie McCaw, the most capped New Zealander of all-time and the game’s only three-time international player of the year. That was because after this match, the All-Blacks cross the Atlantic and get down to business: facing more traditional and much-tougher rivals England, Scotland and Wales on successive Saturdays.

Hansen said after the match that Williams injured a thigh, and teammate Cory Jane pulled a hamstring. Neither was believed to be serious.

The USA, too, will have to pick up the pieces and get back to work in a hurry. The Golden Eagles face Romania, Tonga and Fiji later this month.

They have already qualified for the 2015 World Cup and hope to do the same for the 2016 Summer Olympics, where rugby (the seven-a-side version, instead of 15 players each) will return as a medal sport for the first time since the Americans won back-to-back gold medals in 1920 and 1924.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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