The USA Men’s Eagles delivered when it mattered most, earning a decisive 29–13 victory over Samoa in Denver to book their ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The Eagles combined resilient first-half defense with a second-half surge of tries to secure the win and punch their ticket to rugby’s biggest show. Having missed the 2023 tournament, this revitalized team thoroughly enjoyed the moment they have had their eyes on since 2022.
Speaking post match, Head Coach Scott Lawrence said on qualification, “This has been three years coming, and it feels good. We’ve been building this team, they’re young in caps, but they went out there and performed today.”
The Eagles entered the match under pressure, struggling early with penalties and lineouts that gave Samoa momentum. A penalty goal in the 3rd minute put the visitors ahead 3–0. USA’s defense responded with grit on the goal line multiple times, shutting down carriers, and making key turnovers to halt multiple threats inside the five meters.
Talking the last 10 minutes, Lawrence added, “We had been getting back training to the intensity we needed to, so we knew we could put in a full 80 minutes. We did it against Japan, but we were better this week and that’s all you want.”
That defensive stand set the tone for the first half. In the 21st minute, patience on attack paid off as the Eagles stretched the field and found Toby Fricker on the wing for the first try of the match, taking a 5–3 lead. While Samoa briefly reclaimed the scoreboard through penalty goals, Luke Carty’s steady boot before halftime restored USA’s edge. The Eagles held Samoa tryless in the opening 40 and went into the break ahead 8–6.
The Eagles opened the second half down a man but regrouped to put consistent pressure on Samoa with physical carries, tactical kicking, and sharper lineout execution. Though Samoa found a gap in the 60th minute to retake the lead 13–8, the response from the Eagles was immediate.
At 65’, relentless work at the five-meter line saw Carty crash over, with Mitch Wilson’s conversion swinging the scoreboard back in USA’s favor, 15–13. The Eagles seized momentum from there. A try in the 74th minute from Jason Damm extended the cushion, before Kaleb Geiger finished another attacking sequence just minutes later. Wilson’s conversions made it 29–13, and a late yellow card to Samoa sealed the win.
With the 29–13 victory, the Eagles not only closed out their Pacific Nations Cup campaign on a high note but also secured their place on rugby’s biggest stage. Punching their ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia marks a pivotal moment for USA Rugby. The road to 2027 is officially underway, and the Eagles will carry forward the momentum and confidence built in Denver as they prepare to take on the world.
Lawrence said on the road ahead, “I think we start looking at the 2027 squad going into the November test series. We’ve got a U20s World Championship next year with a new crop of players coming through, so we’re ready to invest in them and spend time with that playing group. Otherwise we just start planning. It was a three year plan to get here, so it will be another two year plan into the Rugby World Cup. I’ll take 24 hours off, but we’ll be back to work on Tuesday.”
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 | 29-13 (W)
Denver, CO