1999 Rugby World Cup winner Nathan Gray assists USA The Eagles are heading for next year’s premier sporting event in Australia after being announced in June as one of five assistant coaches ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Gray brings extensive playing and coaching experience to the USA lineup, now working under Scott Lawrence as defensive coach. The 35-Test Wallaby has backed up a successful playing career by building an impressive coaching CV over more than two decades.
It’s a coaching journey that began in the 2000s with Japanese side Kyuden Voltex and has since included spells with the Melbourne Rebels, NSW Waratahs and the Wallabies. Gray spent under-20 campaigns with the Australians before returning to Japan.
Gray spent 2024/25 Japan Rugby League One season with Suntory Sungoliath, then helped coach the AUNZ Invitational XV against the British & Irish Lions, worked as Director of Rugby at Manly and assisted Samoa qualify for the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup.
But then Gray decided to interview for a vacant position in the US and that application was successful. Gray is determined to help bring out the best possible version of each player, describing coaching as “a real drug”.
“The real focus for me as a coach, that never changes. You’re always trying to bring out the best possible version of a player and then create cohesion among the team,” Gray said. RugbyPass.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be in some really successful environments, both as a player and as a coach. I feel like I can bring a little bit to the players and encourage them to be better themselves because that’s all you want.
“My mindset is to get the best out of players, no matter who I’m coaching, and then see them really enjoy their rugby and grow and get better and develop. It’s a real kick and I’m sure a lot of other coaches feel the same way.”
Gray is back in Japan with the Eagles, who are just days away from their Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup semi-final against Brave Blossoms. Eddie Jones’ Japanese team comes out on top with a 45-point victory Canada last weekend.
But the U.S. has enjoyed its own successful season so far, which included a 3-0 unbeaten run in July’s Nations Cup Tests. The Eagles beat three teams to qualify for the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup, starting with a 30-29 thriller against Portugal.
Chris Hilsenbeck was the hero for the Eagles in that Test, with the fly-half bagging a clutch match-winner in the dying stages. USA was going to defeat Zimbabwe and Spain, before an Eagles-heavy USA XV prevailed Argentina XV by one point in Miami.
“(Wins) are always really good to show your development and growth … just to see the guys’ confidence in terms of how they want to play and their execution of it was fantastic. The guys are really committed and coachable,” Gray said.
“They’re eager to take in information and then they can deliver that information really well. And then as they get more confident, as coaches you give more back to the players and they grow in that as well.
“We have a long way to go, but in terms of progress and moving forward, it’s been really enjoyable.”
Gray sees solid defense as a way for players to not only build confidence, but also to turn the ball over for counter-attacking opportunities. The defensive coach is focused on getting everyone in the same spot, with the intention of defending with a fast pace and controlled aggression.
That approach led to a “proud father moment” in the USA XV’s win over Argentina, as the home team held on for a nail-biting result. The USA gave away some penalties late, but their defense proved the difference in the end.
Argentina created an attacking opportunity in the final play of the match, and the USA defended desperately on their try line. Tavite Lopeti had a good shot before ripping the ball out of the hands of an Argentina player, before Julian Roberts flicked the ball into touch.
“Super proud, not just for all the coaches and everyone else, but mostly for the players, because they’ve built that confidence to be able to do it is really positive.
“The defensive performance against the Argentina 15 was a real confidence boost for the lads going forward, if we keep doing the simple things really well we’ll be effective. It has an impact on the game.
“It’s in all aspects of the game, not (just) defensively. It’s not just our multi-phase defense, it’s our scrambles, our line defense. We’re able to force a lot of turnovers in our lineup. Being able to do that in set-pieces is huge in terms of shutting down those opportunities.”
The USA has been training in some rainy conditions this week as they look ahead to their biggest test of the year so far. Japan fell to Les Kiss’ Australia team 35-32 in Osaka last month and came home with that big win over Team Canada a week ago.
Fiji and Canada meet in the other PNC semifinal, which sets up the next slate of games in Tokyo next weekend. All three potential opponents present their own unique threats, with Japan looking to play their virtually trademark fast-paced rugby.
“It will be our biggest test. We talked about it being our biggest test yet,”
“But what’s really important is that we just focus on ourselves. If we can be 10 percent better than the last time we played, that’s progress. If we can continue to be better in the set, better in our offense, better in our defense, better in our defense … that’s the focus for us.
“The results will take care of themselves. If we focus on getting better, then as a coaching group and as a team, we’re going in the right direction which has always been our goal. We want to keep stepping up, stepping up, stepping up.”
“There’s going to be some downs and what not, but as long as we keep getting better every time we play and show who we are, then that’s progress and that’s what we’re looking for.”
The PNC looms as another important marker for the Eagles, who punched their ticket to the World Cup in Australia. This is the last time since 2019 in Japan that the USA has played in the men’s World Cup, having missed out in 2023.
Gray is ready to go, and the coach seemed really upbeat and excited about the opportunity to work with the Eagles before the tournament. It’s also just five years from now until the 2031 Rugby World Cup, which will be held in the US for the first time.
“It was an opportunity to really contribute and give back. I’ve been lucky enough to coach for a while and the challenge of the USA is huge.
“They really want to be good and be able to contribute to it and say, ‘Nathan Gray, I was attached to it, I contributed to it.’ I think the upside for USA Rugby is huge and it’s going to be a process where head coach Scotty Lawrence has a really good vision of where he wants the team to be.
“The World Cup that’s in America in ’31 is just huge, so that’s a huge carrot where we want to do extremely well in that tournament and build the team and USA Rugby from here to the end … that’s something I’m really excited about, to be able to contribute.”
