USA captain eyes Antoine Dupont battle after Rugby World Cup draw

USA captain Jason Damm can’t wait for the chance to take on France for the first time, with the Eagles drawn into Pool E for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. Pacific Nations Cup rivals Japan and Samoa round out an intriguing group.

World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson was in Sydney for the tournament draw on Wednesday, which saw the 24 qualifiers spread across six pools. World Cup hosts Australia will face arch-rivals New Zealand in Pool A, while Ireland and Scotland headline Pool D.

The USA know their pool-stage opponents, as they look ahead to their first Men’s Rugby World Cup appearance since 2019. Japan hosted that World Cup, but the USA failed to qualify for the tournament four years later in France.

Two years out from the World Cup, Damm has name-dropped Antoine Dupont as someone he would like to come up against in the Les Bleus side. Dupont has been injured since the Six Nations but is expected to return this weekend against Racing 92.

“From my experience playing tier one sides, it’s always nice to see how you stack up against those guys. It would be cool if Antoine Dupont is playing that match. I’ve never played against France so I’d love that opportunity,” Damm told reporters.

“I love playing against Japan. I really like their style and speed of play. They have really clear intentions of what they want to do, so every time we play against them, it’s great. And obviously Samoa brings the physicality.

“Oh, it’s immense. It’s everything. I have no ambition of being in the 2031 World Cup squad, I will be long gone by the time that comes around. But it’s such an exciting opportunity for the fellas who have the potential to be involved.

“I could have some overlap with those guys, so I can rub off a little bit of what it means to be an Eagle on them and help influence them. To go out and build solid performances and give these guys something to really strive towards. I remember being that young guy and looking up to the Eagles and really wanting that to be me one day.”

In the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup, the USA defeated Samoa 29-13 in the fifth-place play-off, which secured their place at Rugby World Cup 2027. Samoa drew 13-all with Belgium at The Final Qualification Tournament last month to book their ticket to Australia.

Japan defeated the USA 47-21 earlier this year, with the Brave Blossoms qualifying for the last two PNC Finals. The USA’s most recent win over a Tier One opponent was against Scotland in 2018, but anything can happen at a Rugby World Cup.

“I’m just excited to play. Excited to play against France as I’ve never played against them before,” Damm said.

“I think it’s about having complete buy-in to whatever plan the staff put in place for us. They do a great job of looking after us, making sure we are ready for the most important minutes. Training is crucial but if we have to dial it back to be ready for the game, we will.”

“We want to compete, we want to win, to generate energy, put a performance out that we are proud of. The results will speak for themselves but if we can continue to generate belief in the USA and in the younger generations, then it’s only going to bring positive things.”