The USA Men’s Eagles secured a historic 36-17 win over Tonga in Chambéry, France, marking their first victory against the ‘Ikale Tahi since 1999.
The victory is the USA’s second in November tests, following their win against Portugal, propelling them to 16th in world rankings while Tonga dipped two spots to Number 18. It’s the first time since 2011 that the Eagles have been ranked higher than the ‘Ikale Tahi.
The match, part of the November test series, showed the Eagles’ progress under Head Coach Scott Lawrence. “I think when we keep it simple, when we just keep ahold of the ball and go forward, we’re pretty athletic in the middle of the field,” Lawrence said. “We were able to get some purchase in this game.”
Tonga struck first with a fast-paced attack and early try but struggled to sustain momentum. The USA responded decisively, leveraging disciplined defense and set-piece dominance to take control. Jason Damm, Jack Iscaro, and Ruben de Haas were among the standout performers, scoring pivotal tries.
Lawrence credited the team’s growing accuracy: “Early on in the game, Tonga was winning the collisions. As we did, we became more accurate in the contact area, and I think that was the difference.”
Though both teams took part in this year’s edition of the revived Pacific Nations Cup, it’s been five years since they two sides met in test rugby.
Eagles captain Greg Peterson celebrated his 50th cap, a career milestone in a match that also saw debuts for Mark O’Keeffe and Mikey Grandy.
Tonga featured Tau Koloamatangi, Tupou Afungia, Taniela Filimone and Semisi Paea. Paea is one of eight players in the Tongan 23 who named in Moana Pasifika’s squad for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The USA now prepares to face Spain, while Tonga looks to rebound from their second loss in the series.
