USA, Canada Men's Teams Name Rosters for Showdown in Tokyo

09.17.2026Eagles

USA vs Canada from 2024. Photo David Barpal.

Author: Alex Goff

The USA men's Eagles will take on cross-border rivals Canada in Japan this weekend as both battle for 3rd in the Pacific Nations Cup.

Both teams lost last week, and won't have been delighted with their performances, but both are also looking ahead toward the future.

USA Head Coach Scott Lawrence has, once again, made some changes in the lineup.

New Faces

Cassh Maluia gets his first cap, starting at inside center with Dom Besag shifting to outside. Maluia has been in camp all summer and earlier in the summer Lawrence spoke about him, saying he had all the atheletic gifts and really just needed time to develop his rugby IQ and understanding.

"One thing we find with our crossover athletes is that is never happens as fast as you want," Lawrence said in July.

Maluia played football at Wyoming and was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2020 and joined several NFL teams, being unable to secure a long-term spot. So in 2023 he tried rugby through the American Raptors crossover program in Glendale, Colo. He quickly because an imposing ballcarrier and physical presence, but as Lawrence said, it took time to get to the finer points.

Even so, three years is pretty fast.

Lance Williams has already earned a cap but he will get his first start for the USA, slotting in at openside flanker. Williams is one of those athletes whose age, 33, isn't quite representative of where he is as an athlete. He hasn't played so much that the wear-and-tear on the body has set in. He was capped at 7s, but getting his first 15s cap took a long time and a lot of patience.

Like Maluia, he is a convert from football. Like Maluia, he brings enormous physicality to his play.

Canada Looks for Repeat

Canada Head Coach Stephen Meehan has made a few changes as well. The positives for him was they scored 29 points in their 45-29 loss to Fiji.

“We were happy with some of the rugby we played against Fiji, good continuity, close passing and some really good passages of play," said Meehan. "We want to become a team that keeps the opposition guessing. The USA are a disciplined side and have a style they’ve been very reliant on. I completely understand the rivalry and, frankly, I really enjoy it. It was quite an emotional night in Calgary after our win last year, seeing people coming together after the game, singing the national anthem and celebrating the occasion. It was a lovely moment."

The Canadians will be leaning heavily on their outstanding captain, Lucas Rumball, who has been in excellent form.

Canada beat the USA 34-20 last year, breaking a run of 1 win, 1 tie, and 13 losses to the Eagles over the past several years.

Some Stats

The USA led all teams from last week with 162 tackles, and that dovetails nicely into one of Canada's strengths—ball retention. With Canada retained possession in 79 of 80 rucks against Fiji.

Clearly, then, the work-on for the Eagles is that they need more ball. Of those tackles, No. 8 Makeen Alikhan led the USA, with 17 tackles made and none missed. For Canada, Rumball led all players in carries with 19.

In terms of overall statistical comparisons from 2026, the teams are quite even. Canada misses a few more tackles, but also forces a few more turnovers. USA kicks more than just about anybody, but also does well in retaining ball from kicks. Canada likes to truck it up more, and makes the gainline an impressive 50% of the time.

Some Perspective

Both coaches have looked at the Pacific Nations Cup as something they want to win, but more as a key stepping stone to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

“The value of a game like this is the opportunity it gives us to test players at a high level," said Lawrence after the Canada game. "If we want to build real depth, we have to put players in these environments, challenge them, and learn from the experience. That’s how we grow the squad and that’s what will prepare us for Japan at the Rugby World Cup next year.”

“We’re trying to develop something here, and the longer we spend together, the greater the understanding the players will have of how we want to play and of one another," said Canada's Meehan. "Their skills and understanding of the game have developed over the last 15 months, and collectively and individually they’ve been getting better every week. Hopefully, that trend continues.”