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TOKYO: Former NFL draftee Cassh Maluia will make his debut for the USA Eagles in Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup third-place playoff, after being named to start at inside center in the latest chapter of the U.S.-Canada sports rivalry.
Maluia was taken in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by New England Patriots, but later switched to rugby union. The midfielder helped California Legion reached the 2026 MLR championship game, where they lost to the Chicago Hounds.
Ben LeSage, who is the most experienced on the Canadian team, will step in next to Maluya on Saturday night. The North American rivals will meet for the first time in 13 months, on the pitch at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo.
LeSage has tasted MLR championship glory with the New England Free Jacks, and is familiar with the type of player Maluia is. “I have tremendous respect for him as an athlete,” LeSage told reporters Friday, previewing the positional battle ahead.
“To go from American football to rugby in a short period of time and play for the (USA) national team is an impressive feat.
“From MLR, I’m familiar with him as a really hard ball carrier, who wants to break the tackle, is very physical defensively and probably fits the style of play that the USA wants to play in general.
“They’re big ball carriers, very direct, they want to get to the gain line. I think it’s important for us as centers tomorrow, me and Jacon (Ince), but overall our team to meet them right where they’re going.”
Canada has only had three of its last 16 matches against the USA, but the last match was one to remember for the men from the Great White North. The Canadians secured a 14-point victory in Calgary, seeing them hold bragging rights for more than a year.
said American center Davita Lopeti RugbyPass after the semi-final that the Eagles “owe them one” because they want to bounce back from that result. Both teams spoke of wanting to produce their best performances in the Test, indicating how much it means to both sides.
“It’s a great rivalry for a number of different reasons. Obviously, we’re neighbors in North America, so we go up against each other a few times in a lot of different sports,” LeSage said.
“For a lot of us on the team, there’s familiarity and teammates on the other team, so it’s always important to get bragging rights.
“It’s a team we’re very familiar with. I was thinking about it earlier today, I think this will be my eighth game for Canada against the USA and I’ve been on the losing end of more of those games than I’ve won.
“Realizing that they were better than us for a couple of years and then we’re able to come away with a win last summer. But to build on that and continue to improve and turn the tide of that Canada-US rivalry.”