Warriors’ hooker Joe Taufete’e claimed a new world record by becoming the leading front row try-scorer in international rugby in USA’s 32-25 defeat by Uruguay in Seattle.
Taufete’e went into the match level on 15 tries with former Ireland hooker Keith Wood and needed only ten minutes to set the new record.
Taufete’e added two more tries to finish with a hat-trick which, although not enough to save USA from their second defeat in this season’s Americas Rugby Championship, took him to 18 tries in 21 internationals.
He will have the opportunity to extend his record when USA host Canada in Seattle in their final Americas Rugby Championship match on March 8.
Taufete’e’s hat-trick was his first in international rugby in a career that began with his debut against South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
He scored his first international try in his third Test against Chile in Fort Lauderdale in February 2016 and has got on the scoresheet in nine of his last 11 internationals.
Wood won 63 caps – ten of them for the British and Irish Lions – between 1994 and 2003 and scored his 15th and final international try in his 64th match.