USA stun Zimbabwe for historic first win to stay unbeaten in Nations Cup

The USA Men’s Eagles recorded their first-ever victory over Zimbabwe on Saturday, coming from behind with 14 men to win 31-15 at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte and move to 2-0 in the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup.

The Eagles had little time to savour last weekend’s nail-biting one-point win over Portugal in Denver — secured by Chris Hilsenbeck — before facing a Zimbabwe side that had qualified for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 by beating Namibia 30-28 in the Rugby Africa Cup Final last year. The Sables arrived in Charlotte looking to bounce back from a defeat to Tonga the previous weekend.

The USA made a blistering start. Winger Conner Mooneyham, the first-ever number one pick in Major League Rugby Draft history, touched down in the opening minutes on his return to Test rugby — his eighth cap. Perry Mayo, making only his second appearance for the Eagles after debuting against Portugal, added a second try in just the sixth minute.

Zimbabwe fought their way back through tries from Edward Sigauke and Aiden Burnett, with Bruce Houston converting one and then landing a long-range penalty to give the Sables a lead they would hold into half-time. The visitors’ task was made easier when Makeen Alikhan was shown a yellow card under review in the 29th minute, leaving the USA to play out most of the first half with 14 men.

Zimbabwe took a three-point lead into the break and continued to hold that advantage well into the second half. The Eagles finally hit back in the 56th minute when Australian-born backrower Nathan Den Hoedt crashed over for his first Test try, peeling off a maul to edge the USA back in front. Hilsenbeck struck the right post with the conversion attempt from the sideline, keeping the tension alive.

The closing stages were relentless. USA captain Jason Damm’s error off a restart gifted Zimbabwe an attacking lineout five metres out, but a double pump earned the home side a free kick to relieve the pressure. Replacement Luke Carty extended the lead to five points with a penalty inside the final 20 minutes, before the Eagles’ forwards sealed the result by winning a crucial penalty against Zimbabwe from a scrum inside the Sables’ own half.

The 31-15 final scoreline reflected a hard-fought performance from a USA side that had to dig deep after being reduced to 14 men at a critical stage. With two wins from two in the Nations Cup, the Eagles have made a statement of intent in the new competition ahead of Rugby World Cup 2027.