Ireland A stuttered to a 12-6 half-time lead over the USA, but finished in style with a 46-9 victory fuelled by two second half tries from flanker Neil Best.

The match, the second of a double-header Barclays Churchill Cup games in Kingston, ON, gave Ireland a 1-0 record in Pool B, while the US finish at 0-2 and will play-off for fifth and sixth place in Chicago on June 21st.

Kieran Lewis opened the Irish scoring account with a try in the 11th minute, but the conversion attempt by Johnny Sexton was wide to give the men in green a 5-0 lead.

The USA then countered with a Mike Hercus penalty to make it 5-3.

Then a pulled down scrum by the USA gave Ireland a penalty try and a 12-3 lead with the Sexton conversion.

Hercus pulled the trigger a second time for the 12-6 half-time score.

In the second half Best scored a pair of tries about five minutes apart, and the Irish squad was on the move.

Late tries from Frank Murphy, Ulster's Mark McCrea and Denis Hurley saw the Irish to victory.

Mike Hercus opened the scoring in the second half with a lone penalty.

Scoring:

Ireland A
Tries: Kieran Lewis, Penalty Try, Neil Best, Frank Murphy, Mark MacCrae, Denis Hurley, Ian Keatley
Conversion: Johnny Sexton (2),

USA
Penalties: Mike Hercus (3)