USA XV captain Damm credits team grit after surviving Argentina XV's late siege in Fort Lauderdale

USA XV captain Jason Damm praised his side’s resilience after a 25-24 win over Argentina XV in Fort Lauderdale, a result secured only by a last-gasp defensive play from centre Tavite Lopeti that prevented Argentina from completing a dramatic comeback.

Argentina controlled more than 85 per cent of possession in the final ten minutes and continued to press even with the clock in the red. Lopeti stripped the ball from an Argentinian player in the closing moments, and utility back Julian Roberts kicked it into the stands to seal the result.

“We put ourselves under a bunch of pressure with our discipline. It’s something we really wanted to work on and we’ve still got a ways to go before we get there,” Damm said after the match. “But the boys showed a lot of grit to finish this game, like we’ve been doing. We know when we’re under pressure, we can take that pressure and transfer it back and really stay in the fight.”

Fly-half Luke Carty opened the scoring with a fourth-minute penalty, but Argentina responded almost immediately through hooker Martin Vaca. The first half was closely contested, with both sides trading tries twice. Argentina took a two-point lead into the break, aided by a yellow card shown to Makeen Alikhan for a ruck infringement that left the USA with 14 men for ten minutes.

Carty restored the USA’s lead with a 52nd-minute penalty, before Damm sent backrower Marno Redelinghuys through a gap to extend the advantage to eight points with under 20 minutes remaining. Argentina refused to yield, however, and No. 8 Thiago Sbrocco crossed with ten minutes left to set up a tense finish.

With a chance to level or take the lead via the boot, Argentina twice opted against penalty attempts — choosing a lineout on one occasion and a scrum on another — before Lopeti’s intervention ended their hopes.

The win adds to a strong recent run for the USA, with most of the squad having backed up from the World Rugby Nations Cup in July. There, the Eagles-heavy side recorded victories over Portugal — in a one-point thriller decided by Chris Hilsenbeck — as well as Zimbabwe and Spain, all three of whom are bound for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. Coach Scott Lawrence named a strong XV for the Argentina fixture, and the character shown under sustained late pressure will have given him further encouragement ahead of that tournament.