USA captain Damm embraces pressure after Eagles overturn deficit to beat Zimbabwe 31-15

Jason Damm led the USA to a 31-15 victory over Zimbabwe at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Denver, with the Eagles overturning a half-time deficit to remain unbeaten at the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup.

The match was tightly contested throughout, with territory and possession split almost evenly between two sides already qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The USA trailed at the break after Zimbabwe hit back from a 10-0 deficit, with Bruce Houston’s goal-kicking putting the Sables ahead for the first time. It was a three-point game at half-time.

The second half, however, belonged entirely to the Eagles. Replacement fly-half Luke Carty came on with less than 20 minutes remaining and proved decisive, slotting three penalties to help the USA pull clear. Second rower Nathan Den Hoedt and openside Cory Daniel also crossed for tries, as the Eagles posted 19 unanswered points after the break. The USA did not lead by more than a converted try until the 72nd minute, when Carty landed his second penalty.

Wingers Conner Mooneyham and Perry Mayo had given the USA a dream start, both touching down inside the opening six minutes, before Zimbabwe’s physicality dragged the contest back into the balance.

“For us, we’re sort of happy to be under pressure, as weird as that sounds,” Damm said after the final whistle. “We love a pretty win, obviously, but they’re called Tests for a reason. They’re to keep testing this squad and keep building our connections and really grit and fight to be able to go the distance in a tough game. We’d like maybe to have it a bit smoother but we’ll keep building.”

Damm acknowledged that ill-discipline had cost the Eagles in the first half. “We came out hot and then we were on the wrong side of the discipline for the end of the first half and we really felt that, we felt a lot of pressure from Zimbabwe,” he said. “When they get in your end, they’re brutal, so they’re very physical and they get over top of you. We knew if we could control the territory a bit more and control our discipline we’d have a better result.”

The win also carries historical weight — it is the first Test match ever played between the USA and Zimbabwe, meaning the Eagles have never lost to the Sables. It follows a nail-biting one-point victory over Portugal last weekend, with the USA now two from two in the Nations Cup.