USA Eagles target best performance of Pacific Nations Cup campaign against Canada in Tokyo

The USA Eagles will contest the Pacific Nations Cup third-place playoff against Canada in Tokyo on Saturday, seeking a confidence-boosting finish to their campaign after a heavy 63-14 defeat to Japan at Osaka’s Hanazono Rugby Stadium last week.

Japan raced to a 28-0 lead inside 16 minutes, exposing the Eagles’ defensive speed at the breakdown and their ability to absorb an early setback. Shilo Klein and Tavite Lopeti scored to trim the deficit during the second quarter, but a yellow card to USA captain Jason Damm proved decisive as the Brave Blossoms pulled clear in the second half.

USA assistant coach Nathan Grey, a Rugby World Cup-winning Wallaby, was candid about where the team fell short. “Probably defensively, it’s just dealing with the speed of the game early on. We train that a lot but actually executing it, we weren’t that great,” he told reporters at the Eagles’ captain’s run in Tokyo on Friday.

Grey said the squad’s response to adversity — including the period when Damm was in the sin bin — was something the coaching staff viewed as a genuine learning moment. “The playing group were really good. We’ve got a plan and it’s about going out and executing that plan when we’re down to 14. You’re never pleased to lose a game but the opportunity to learn from that experience was really embraced by the coaches and all the players as well. We saw it as a positive.”

Looking ahead to the Canada fixture, Grey framed it as an opportunity to demonstrate growth. “Really great learning experience for our players last week against a strong Japanese side. We’re really looking forward to the challenge of Canada — a big rivalry between the two countries — and we’re looking forward to playing our best game so far in this tournament.”

Canada arrive in similar need of a result, having lost consecutive matches to Japan and Fiji. Both sides are using the Pacific Nations Cup as preparation for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, giving Saturday’s third-place clash added significance beyond the immediate standings.