The second match of a sold-out double-header on Saturday will see the USA playing host to England at Audi Field in the nation’s capital. It’s been four years the two teams last met, on that occasion a respectable showing by the Eagles in London. A disappointing loss to Spain last weekend however, combined with England’s series sweep of Los Pumas, suggests this may be a challenging evening for American rugby supporters.
| FORM GUIDE |
Current World Ranking: 16 (68.45 points)
2025-07-12 – USA 20, Spain 31 (Charlotte)
2025-07-05 – USA 36, Belgium 17 (Charlotte)
2024-11-23 – Spain 23, USA 26 (Madrid)
2024-11-16 – Tonga 17, USA 36 (Chambéry)
2024-11-09 – Portugal 17, USA 21 (Coimbra)
Current World Ranking: 5 (87.64 points)
2025-07-12 – Argentina 17, England 22 (San Juan)
2025-07-05 – Argentina 12, England 35 (La Plata)
2025-03-15 – Wales 14, England 68 (Cardiff)
2025-03-09 – England 47, Italy 24 (London)
2025-02-22 – England 16, Scotland 15 (London)
| STARTING LINEUP CHANGES |
|
IN | OUT |
| 1 | Ezekiel Lindenmuth | Jack Iscaro |
| 2 | Kaleb Geiger | Shilo Klein |
| 3 | Pono Davis | Tonga Kofe |
| 5 | Tevita Naqali | Vili Helu |
| 14 | Rufus McLean | Nate Augspurger |
| 15 | Erich Storti | Mitch Wilson |
|
IN | OUT |
| 1 | Bevan Rodd | Fin Baxter |
| 2 | Curtis Langdon | Theo Dan |
| 3 | Asher Opoku-Fordjour | Joe Heyes |
| 5 | Arthur Clark | Charlie Ewels |
| 6 | Chandler Cunningham-South | Ben Curry |
| 7 | Guy Pepper | Sam Underhill |
| 8 | Alex Dombrandt | Tom Willis |
| 9 | Jack van Poortvliet | Ben Spencer |
| 11 | Cadan Murley | Will Muir |
| 12 | Max Ojomoh | Seb Atkinson |
| 14 | Immanuel Feyi-Waboso | Tom Roebuck |
| 15 | Joe Carpenter | Freddie Stewart |
| NOTES |
- as expected Steve Borthwick has made wholesale changes to his starting lineup this week… test centurion George Ford has more individual caps than the rest of the run-on side combined
- there are full test debuts for Gloucester lock Arthur Clark, Bath center Max Ojomoh, and Sale fullback Joe Carpenter… Bristol hooker Gabriel Oghre, Gloucester flyhalf Charlie Atkinson, and Harlequins midfielder Oscar Beard should win their first caps as replacements
- despite the relative inexperience on paper it’s an exciting lineup with several players tipped for long stays in the England shirt… along with Ford, there were six nations appearances for Chandler Cunningham-South, Jack van Poortvliet, and Cadan Murley among the starters… as well as reserves Fin Baxter, Ted Hill, Ben Curry, and Harry Randall… another eight players were in the training squad
- Scott Lawrence has responded to the Spain defeat with six changes to the Eagles starting lineup including a completely changed front row… Ezekiel Lindenmuth wins his first USA cap at loosehead prop while Kaleb Geiger runs out at hooker… the latter’s selection has raised eyebrows given that Geiger hasn’t started a professional game in the No2 shirt in two years and has played hooker only a handful of times since… almost all of Geiger’s recent experience has been at tighthead prop
- Lindenmuth is one of three players in the Eagles lineup who have previously played test rugby for another country… the 28-year-old played once for Samoa in 2022 but qualifies for the USA through his American father… ex-Glasgow winger Rufus McLean last played for Scotland on that same day three years ago and gets a second chance at test rugby having been born in Boston… American-born flyhalf Chris Hilsenbeck starts for the first time in an Eagles shirt, having previously turned out with Germany
- 32-year-old Old Glory lock Tevita Naqali gets a first test start… he played for Fiji against the Barbarians in 2019 and qualifies on residency… captain Ben Bonasso is a former Argentina u20 representative, Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz played for Samoa u20, reserve hooker Shilo Klein suited up for New Zealand u20s, JP Smith with South Africa u20, and ex-Bristol winger Toby Fricker played for Wales 7s
- Fa’anana-Schultz and Ruben de Haas are the only Eagles who played at Twickenham in 2021… returnees for England include Curtis Langdon, Trevor Davison, Ted Hill, Ben Curry, and Harry Randall
| QUOTES |
Steve Borthwick (Head Coach)
“We know the USA will present a tough challenge. There’s been a great spirit in the squad throughout this tour. The players have worked hard for each other and pushed standards every day. Those selected this weekend have earned their chance through their effort and attitude. We aim to keep building the squad, learn from every experience, and deliver a performance that our supporters can be proud of.”
| PREDICTION |
It will be a warm afternoon, which should see both benches getting plenty of game time. Borthwick has some genuine class in reserve headlined by loose forwards Hill and Curry. The Eagles have gone for a 6/2 split with the option to sub in an entirely new back row. This is the USA’s last test for the Pacific Nations Cup and World Cup Qualifiers begin, so players will be set on putting down a marker. The lineout will be a challenge given Geiger’s relative unfamiliarity in the role and the lack of a genuine aerial specialist in the starting pack. England are clear favorites in DC.
| TEAMS |
USA
1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2 Kaleb Geiger, 3 Pono Davis, 4 Marno Redelinghuys, 5 Tevita Naqali, 6 Benjamín Bonasso (capt.), 7 Cory Daniel, 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Chris Hilsenbeck, 11 Toby Fricker, 12 Tom Pittman, 13 Dom Besag, 14 Rufus McLean, 15 Erich Storti
Replacements: 16 Shilo Klein, 17 Jack Iscaro, 18 Tonga Kofe, 19 Vili Helu, 20 Christian Poidevin, 21 Makeen Alikhan, 22 JP Smith, 23 Lauina Futi
ENGLAND
1 Bevan Rodd, 2 Curtis Langdon, 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4 Alex Coles, 5 Arthur Clark, 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Alex Dombrandt, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 10 George Ford (capt.), 11 Cadan Murley, 12 Max Ojomoh, 13 Luke Northmore, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 15 Joe Carpenter
Replacements: 16 Gabriel Oghre, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Charlie Atkinson, 23 Oscar Beard
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, July 19
Venue: Audi Field, Washington DC
Kickoff: 17:00 local (14:00 Pacific, 22:00 London)
Weather Forecast: cloudy, 82°F (28°C), humidex 90°F (32°C), wind S 5-8mph (9-13km/h)
Broadcasts: Paramount+ (USA), RugbyPass TV, YouTube
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistants: Morné Ferreira (South Africa) & Robin Kaluzniak (Canada)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (6): England 6, USA 0
2021-07-04 – England 43, USA 29 (London)
2019-09-26 – England 45, USA 7 (Kobe)
2007-09-08 – England 28, USA 10 (Lens)
2001-06-16 – USA 19, England 48 (San Francisco)
1999-08-21 – England 106, USA 8 (London)
1991-10-11 – England 37, USA 9 (London)
1987-06-03 – England 47, USA 12 (Brisbane)
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