Belief and Trust Critical for Eagles, Says Helu

10.21.2025

USA players huddle up before their test match with Belgium, summer 2025. Photo Alex Goff.

After the USA Men's National Team beat Samoa to win a place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, observers here at Goff Rugby Report World Headquarters were gratified to see how the Eagles had put the game away.

You can say Samoa was depleted by player unavailabilities, sure (although we never seem to hear people talk about USA players who aren't available), but you can only play the team in front of you. And the Eagles did that, pulling away from a 15-13 scoreline to score two converted tries (converted by their third-choice kicker) and win 29-13.

That was the moment, over and above qualifying; the moment when they grabbed the chance and made it more than just a win, but an emphatic win.

"Watching that game again, at least from my couch, I was thinking, like, wow, as a spectator, we really put all of the viewers in panic there," said USA loose forward and lock Vili Helu, who forced a key turnover in the second half. "On field, it felt great. It felt as though we had the game in our hand. I'll tell you what, it's a lot better feeling to be on the field than off it, because, when you're on the field, you feel like you have a lot more control. We really did believe in ourselves, and the game did go back and forth for quite some time."

The game showed off some of the confidence the Eagles can play with. And even as they have struggled to find victories, losing to Spain, England, Canada, and Japan, they have kept that confidence.

GRR asked Helu about the attitude international rugby players have about any test match. The USA can go into a game against, say, Scotland, and not be favored. But the USA players don't think of it that way. They can't.

Absolutely. I think you nailed it on the head, is…

"You know, we're not training, and spending all this time away from family just to go and lose games," said Helu. "Our mindset is to win; it's always been to win. When we're in the locker room preparing for the game, on game day, we have 100% belief in ourselves that we're gonna pull it off. Some people can call it delusion, that's fine, but at the end of the day, we're representing our country, and we're proud to do."

There is no feeling that they should mitigate a loss. They have to go into it thinking that they will win.

"I think being a part of the team for a couple years now, and seeing when the odds are stacked against us, and the majority saying that USA is going to lose, it just comes down to total buy-in to each other. When we're in a team meeting, and, not to discredit our supporters, but inside those four walls, we're trusting that we're going to get the job done, looking to your left, looking to your right, and you just… you have ultimate trust."

The USA have brought in a mental skills coach to work with the players to help them keep that confidence and consistency of mindset.

Coming up this November the USA plays Scotland, Georgia, and Romania. All winnable games in varying degrees. And while intensity and execution matter, when it comes to test match rugby, belief matters, too.

Belief and Trust Critical for Eagles, Says Helu

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