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In less than 400 days, the Asahi Super Dry will take place Pacific Nations Cup 2026 Semi Finals in Osaka in between USA and Japan, and when those same sides meet again at the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 at Adelaide Oval.
It’s the same story on the other side of the draw for the Pacific Nations Cup, with the defending champions Fiji downloading Canada about a year since they met at the World Cup. It will not be a direct dress rehearsal in any match, but it still serves as an invaluable opportunity for all participants.
US coach Scott Lawrence has selected a 23-man squad that includes experienced players such as captain Jason Daam, scrum-half Ruben de Haas, and former World Rugby Player of the Year Joe Taufete returns to Test rugby off the bench.
But there is also a chance for the less experienced Eagles to make their mark on the international stage as the team continues to build towards a return to the World Cup stage after missing out on the 2023 edition in France.
“I think it means that both teams, if you look at the team selections, both are developing players towards the World Cup,” Lawrence told reporters on Friday.
“As for the result, we don’t look too much at the result, we look more at the player base. From what I can see, the Japanese staff seems to be doing the same.
“We will really look at individual performances. No team will show too much now because there will be some surprises for everyone I’m sure during the World Cup.”
The US went through the July block Nations Rugby World Cup Tests with an unbeaten 3-0 record, having won a series of matches involving opposition teams also heading to the Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Coach Lawrence then took charge of the USA XV, and the team gathered for a camp at the IMG Academy in Florida before taking over Argentina XV. In the non-Test, the USA held on for a one-point victory in a nail-biting encounter at Inter Miami FC Stadium.
“There will be 33 players going to the 2027 World Cup. To get 33 players on the roster, you probably need about 66 players in total,” Lawrence said when asked about that game.
“It’s important for us to continue to build the depth of the playing pool. The way you build depth is through experiences that put players under pressure and see how they perform, so it was a great experience, not only in the game itself, but also in preparation in Florida.”
USA Rugby announced squad updates ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup semi-finals, with coach Lawrence explaining the changes ahead of the Test. Kaleb Geiger and Vili Helu were called up to the team as cover for the injured trio.
Lawrence confirmed that Campbell Robb, Ma’ake Muti and Brandon Harvey will return home this week after suffering injuries in training. But Geiger was seen entering the mix a week earlier than expected, with Helu back in the mix for the first time since last November.
“Kaleb was always supposed to join us here in Japan … we’re just bringing him a week early. It was exciting to have him back, he’s coming back from a game.”
“Willi Helu was here with Kurita Water Gush … he was part of our campaign last year so we’re excited to have Willi back. It’s an opportunity for him to have a look inside the team, but also an opportunity for us to see how he’s progressed over the past year playing here in Japan.”