The USA The Eagles begin their World Cup campaign in just under a year. On October 2nd, Scott Lawrence’s men take over the fight France at their opening in Melbourne. After that they will face each other Samoa in Perth, before completing their pool stage against Japan to Adelaide.
Having missed out on the 2023 edition of Global Rugby, the Eagles will be looking to make a strong impression on the world stage in 2027. The USA’s summer results were strong, with wins over Portugal, Zimbabwe and Spain July, but after stumbling in Pacific Nations Cup against the neighbors Canada and Rugby World Cup Japan’s opponents will be looking for an improved performance against Hong Kong, Romania and Georgia as they round off 2026.
While the Eagles players will no doubt be fully focused on their own Nations Rugby World Cup tests in November, Lawrence and his staff will have one eye on how their pool-stage opponents, France and Japan, fare in Nations Championship.
France
Les Bleus began their campaign in Christchurch, where they were outplayed by Dave Rennie All black people. The game was neck and neck, and without their starting pack, talisman Antoine Dupont, or speedster Louis Bielle-Biarrey, France were just one score away from beating the All Blacks at home. They had more carries, better goal kicking and more territory than New Zealand, and in defense they had a better tackle percentage and more turnovers.
Fabien Galthie’s men bounced back against Australia, beating their hosts 42 – 26 thanks to some exciting counter-attacking and clever kicking. Les Bleus once again conceded possession to the opposition and still had the upper hand in the territorial battle. They also made a lot more meters on fewer tackles, breaking through the Australian line and beating more defenders than the Wallabies.
France ran out big winners against Japan, beating the Brave Blossoms by nearly 30 points, despite having fewer carries and gaining few meters from their opponents. Once again Galti’s men started quickly, scoring in the first minute and their attacking play through Lucu, Jaliberto and Ntamack was relentless.
Under their new selection policy agreed with the Top 14, no player is allowed to play more than 9 of Les Bleus’ 12 international tests this season, meaning France’s players will be fresher at the World Cup and more players will see significant minutes at the highest level.
Despite their constant rotation, France remain one of the best teams in the world, especially in counter-attacking and attacking. They start quickly and do not need possession to create a significant territorial advantage. France’s attack remains solid, but formations and arms are still in flux and can be targeted, and their defence, while strong, remains questionable since the departure of Shaun Edwards.
Japan
Brave Blossoms started their Nations Championship campaign good, defeating Italy 27 – 10 in Tokyo. Full-back Takuro Matsunaga led the way with a try, two penalty goals and a hat-trick of conversions. Their attacking game was also complemented by excellence Hurricanes lock Warner Dearns, who added a try of his own and helped the Japanese linesman steal two Italian throws.
Japan failed to confirm its victory in the first weekend, falling to Ireland 36 – 20 in Australia. Again, they recorded fewer yards and passes than the opposition, but this time too they sacrificed territory and were forced to try to run through the fast Irish defense or beat it.
As mentioned earlier, in their last game of the Southern Hemisphere Series, they were defeated by the French team 42:15. Trailing by seven points after just one minute, the Brave Blossoms did their best to recover, but were overwhelmed by what many would consider France’s B team.
While the Brave Blossoms remain a fast attacking team, they are no longer the 2015 or 2019 version that shocked the world. They still lack the strength to dominate set pieces or defense and have to rely on structured attacking play and smart shots that cover their territory and put them in striking distance.
With matches against Wales, England and Scotland come November, Japan have time to iron out these issues before next year’s World Cup and cement their place as second favorites in Group E.
What is Rugby World Cup success for the Eagles?
No one will expect much from the Eagles against France. Lawrence’s men will have to play a near-perfect game to claim the lost bonus point. Worryingly, Les Bleus’ B team have shown they are capable of putting up over 40 points against some of the best teams in the world.
The opening game for the USA seems like one step too far this World Cup cycle, but it will serve as a benchmark for where they want to be when the World Cup arrives on American soil in 2031.
The Eagles will aim for wins over Samoa and Japan as they progress from the pool stage for the first time. A win over Samoa would set up a “win and you’re in” pool final stage match in Adelaide against the Brave Blossoms.
However, the USA is winless against Japan in its last six matches and was defeated by the Brave Blossoms 63 – 14 earlier this year. The Eagles will need to make up for that gap, and quickly, if they are to beat Eddie Jones’ men in Adelaide. They will also have to hope Jones, one of rugby’s great tacticians, doesn’t have an extra trick up his sleeve come World Cup time.
With the next generation of American players such as Stade Francais’ Jack Iscaro and seven-fifteen combination package Noah Brown excelling at club level, Eagles fans will be waiting to see if they can take the next step and progress out of the pool. Second place behind France is a hope, although realistic fans will know that Japan and Samoa will continue to be a tough game for the Eagles.
Fans across America can watch the Nations Championship live and for free RugbyPass TV
