Lopeti vows USA Eagles will settle the score against Canada in Pacific Nations Cup bronze match

USA Eagles centre Tavite Lopeti has put Canada on notice ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup 2026 third-place playoff in Tokyo, insisting his side have unfinished business after their neighbours ended a lengthy American winning streak with a 34-20 victory in Edmonton on 22 August 2025.

“I think we owe them one from last time that we played them,” Lopeti said following the Eagles’ 63-14 semi-final defeat to Japan at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka.

The bronze-medal match brings renewed edge to one of rugby’s most consistent North American rivalries. Canada leads the all-time head-to-head with 40 wins from 67 meetings, but the recent run of results has favoured the USA heavily. After Canada strung together seven consecutive victories, the Eagles snapped that sequence in a 38-35 thriller 12 years ago and have since won 13 of the last 16 encounters, including an unbeaten run between 2014 and 2019. Canada’s win in Edmonton last summer was the first time they had beaten the USA in that recent stretch.

The semi-finals confirmed Fiji and Japan as the PNC finalists. Canada fell 45-29 to Fiji, with flanker Lucas Rumball acknowledging the defeat while noting it still represented “a good step forward for a younger group.” The Eagles were overwhelmed early by Japan, who raced to a 28-0 lead inside 16 minutes with Dylan Riley among four early try-scorers, before USA began to respond.

Scrum-half Shilo Klein got the Eagles on the board, and Lopeti then produced the moment of the match for his side — collecting the ball around the 22 and powering through two tackle attempts to score. It was another eye-catching display from the centre, who had also impressed in the USA XV’s win over an Argentina XV in Miami last month.

USA captain Jason Damm identified the lineout as an area requiring improvement after the Eagles won just 64 per cent of their own ball, while Lopeti pointed to the kicking game as a key focus heading into the bronze match.

“A big thing for us is just our kicking game and making sure we’re nailing our roles,” Lopeti said. “Putting the ball in the air, making sure it’s a 50-50 with a good contest in the air and everybody executing their roles.”

With Canada also looking to build momentum from their semi-final, the third-place playoff in Tokyo shapes as a fiercely contested affair between two sides with plenty to prove.