The USA Men’s Eagles have landed in the Mile High City of Denver, CO for their third and final round of the Pacific Nations Cup, competing against Samoa for a ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
With an extra day of preparation ahead of the Sunday match, the USA continues to elevate intensity into their training and rise to the occasion in Denver. Samoa will enter Sunday with the very same goal, setting the stage for an electric clash of Rugby World Cup hopefuls.
USA vs Samoa kicks off at 2:35pm ET from Dicks Sporting Good Park in Denver, CO with live coverage on Paramount+ and tickets still available at usa.rugby/tickets.
Head Coach Scott Lawrence said on the week of preparation, “We’re focused on doing the right kind of work, with the right energy and intensity needed to prepare for these tests. We want to see speed to the breakdown and strength over the ball this week, preparing for the breakdown pressure we’re sure to see coming.”
Sunday’s match will create two potential pathways for the USA and Samoa, where a win would secure Rugby World Cup qualification and mark the end of the current tour as the winning team will not travel to the Pacific Nations Cup final event in Salt Lake City next weekend. The losing team will however fly to Utah, competing against Chile in the first of a two match Rugby World Cup qualification series concluding on September 27th in Viña del Mar. While results are never guaranteed and the USA schedule is undetermined, one element that is established is the Eagles work ethic and confidence going into this match.
Captain Jason Damm added, “We’re making sure to keep consistent with our actions, and keep consistent with our game plan. We’re not letting the moment get to us, we’re staying together as a team and rising to the occasion, whatever comes our way.”
Maliu Niuafe excitingly earns his first USA Eagles selection, as the big prop looks to make an impact of the bench in his test match debut.
USA Men’s Eagles Roster | USA vs Samoa – Pacific Nations Cup
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| 1. Jack Iscaro | Old Glory DC |
| 2. Kapeli Pifeleti | Provence (FRA) |
| 3. Pono Davis | Unattached |
| 4. Marno Redelinghuys | Unattached |
| 5. Jason Damm (C) | CA Legion |
| 6. Viliami Helu | CA Legion |
| 7. Cory Daniel | Old Glory DC |
| 8. Paddy Ryan | CA Legion |
| 9. Ruben de Haas | Unattached |
| 10. Chris Hilsenbeck | Chicao Hounds |
| 11. Toby Fricker | Anthem Rugby Carolina |
| 12. Tommaso Boni | Unattached |
| 13. Dominic Besag | Sain Mary’s College |
| 14. Rufus McLean | Unattached |
| 15. Mitch Wilson | Anthem Rugby Carolina |
| 16. Kaleb Geiger | New England Free Jacks |
| 17. Ezekiel Lindenmuth | Unattached |
| 18. Maliu Niuafe* | CA Legion |
| 19. Tevita Naqali | Old Glory DC |
| 20. Christian Poidevin | CA Legion |
| 21. Ethan McVeigh | Old Glory DC |
| 22. Luke Carty | Unattached |
| 23. Erich Storti | Anthem Rugby Carolina |
USA Men’s Eagles Coaches & Staff | Pacific Nations Cup
Scott Lawrence | Head Coach
Steve Brett | Skills & Attack Coach
Nick Easter | Forwards & Defense
Blake Bradford | Scrum Coach
Rodolfo Broggi | Lead Performance Coach
Jimmy Harrison | Head of Analysis
Matoko Noudehou | Performance Coach
Michael Sheridan | Lead Athletic Trainer
Jennifer Roney | Athletic Trainer
Willie Berlanga | Sports Massage Therapist
Corey Wells | Team Doctor
Nick Colling | Team Manager
Calder Cahill | Media Manager
USA Men’s Eagles Schedule | Pacific Nations Cup
Canada vs USA
Aug 22 | 34-20 (L)
Calgary, AB, Canada
USA vs Japan
Sep 6 | 47-21 (L)
Sacramento, CA
USA vs Samoa
Sep 14 | Denver, CO
Watch Live on Paramount+
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Pacific Nations Cup Finals
Sep 20 | Salt Lake City, UT
Watch Live on Paramount+
GET TICKETS »