‘Bitterly disappointed’: The extra edge to Canada-USA Eagles rivalry

TOKYO: There is always going to be a mix of excitement and disappointment among a rugby squad when a team is announced for a match. Every player wants to be involved, and it was absolutely no different when the Canada side was named to face the USA Eagles in Tokyo.

Canada coach Stephen Meehan says those who missed out on the matchday 23 were “bitterly disappointed” not to have been named, as the fierce rivals prepare to meet in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2026 third-place playoff.

Eagles centre Tavite Lopeti told RugbyPass after the semi-finals in Osaka last weekend that the USA “owe them one” after losing to the Canadians 13 months ago. It was Canada’s second win in the last 16 meetings between the sides, which included a draw in 2017.

More than 11,500 fans watched on Calgary’s McMahon Stadium as the Canadians ran away with a 34-20 win, with a four-try haul from Tyler Ardron stealing the show. They are now looking to go back-to-back against the Eagles for the first time since 2013.

The team won’t be announced until Thursday afternoon in Japan, or late on Wednesday night for those in Canada. But coach Meehan has revealed the team should have 30 of the 32-player squad to select from for the bronze match at Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.

“Not that they’ve expressed it directly to me but I know that the players that have missed out on selection this week are bitterly disappointed,” Meehan told reporters.

“They are under normal circumstances disappointed not to play, but I think this sort of game has just a bit more of an edge to it and one that everybody really enjoys taking part in.

“I think as a squad, and I imagine the US is the same, we’re looking forward to another game together and certainly under these circumstances on Saturday.”

Canada went through the July internationals in the all-new World Rugby Nations Cup with a 1-1-1 record, which included an entertaining draw with Spain. They have since lost two on the bounce, falling to the Brave Blossoms in Niigata and then the Flying Fijians last weekend.

Fiji got their PNC title defence off to a dream start, with Kitione Salawa scoring just 21 seconds into the semi-final. Canada fought their way back multiple times during the match, but lost 45-29 at Hanazono Rugby Stadium.

The Eagles are also chasing a bounce back after conceding 63 points in a tough defeat to the Brave Blossoms. USA rake Shilo Klein and centre Lopeti got on the scoresheet during the first half, but a 28-0 run to start the match had Japan in a strong position.

Before that, the USA had gone through the first Nations Cup block with an unbeaten 3-0 run against sides also bound for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. An Eagles-heavy USA XV later claimed a thrilling win over an Argentina XV in Miami.

“They’re a pretty disciplined side in so much as the way that they play. They have a style that they have been very reliant on,” Meehan said.

“You can expect that when there’s a bit of go forward in their game, you can expect their forwards and their centres to be coming around the corner quite hard and quite flat onto the ball; a lot of one-pass rugby when they’re doing that.

“You can expect a lot of high balls from their nines and their 10s. If they things aren’t moving quickly, they’ll try and transfer pressure that way. That’s a structure that’s worked for them pretty well.

“If there’s any loose ball off a kick return for example, they will try and move that ball wide. They’re pretty disciplined in the way they go about things so it would be quite a shock if they were to come out and do something totally different to that.”