USA Rugby is playing in the Pacific Nations Cup, and their first round game on Sept. 12 against Japan didn't go as planned for the Eagles.
The US was thoroughly dominated, losing 63-14 and further cementing themselves as a tier below Japan on the world stage.
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MLR Weekly and Matt McCarthy have the full recap of the US rugby action from the weekend, and predictions for how the US is going to perform in their third place game against Canada.
Here’s what he had to say, and listen to the full MLR Weekly podcast for more.
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The US Came Out Sluggish From The Opening Minute
Matt McCarthy was joined by John Fitzpatrick of Morning Rugby, who talked about how the slow start from the US ultimately ended the match before it was started.
Japan jumped out to a 28-0 lead in 16 minutes, leaving the US playing catch up for the remainder of the match.
The pace and power from Japan ended up being the ultimate difference in a one-sided affair which saw Japan Rugby scoring nine tries.
MLR Weekly Picks A Winner For US vs. Canada
The US is coming off a thrashing against Japan, while Canada Rugby is coming off a competitive 45-29 loss against Fiji.
Canada won the last international match against the US, defeating them 34-20 in the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup.
However, McCarthy and FItzpatrick both picked the Eagles, despite Canada’s efforts in their game against Fiji.
The latest World Rugby rankings have the US at No. 14 and Canada at No. 24, but rugby fans will see if Sept. 19 brings an unexpected result.
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