England will take on the USA at Audi Field\u00a0in Washington D.C. on Saturday as both sides bring down the curtain on their mid-year Test campaigns.<\/p>\n
This will be the first time the two teams have faced each other since 2021, when a young England outfit welcomed the Eagles to Twickenham in a 43-29 victory.<\/p>\n
This time around, it will be on the home turf of the Americans as Scott Lawrence\u2019s men look to spring what would be a huge surprise in front of their fans.<\/p>\n
However, that appears highly unlikely as England enter this clash in sparkling form after winning a two-Test series against Los Pumas in Argentina and even after making several changes to their team there is an air of confidence and inevitability about this game.<\/p>\n
In stark contrast the Eagles come into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 31-20 defeat to Spain in Charlotte.<\/p>\n
Where the game will be won<\/p>\n
The key to victory in this match will be down to fitness. The English players have the benefit of generally playing a higher quality level of rugby domestically compared to their American counterparts, so as such, their bodies are conditioned much better.<\/p>\n
Expect to see the USA compete more efficiently towards the start of the match, compared to the end when fitness levels start to take a toll. Once the physicality and fitness starts to make an impact on proceedings, the USA could find it very difficult to hold on.<\/p>\n
Last time they met<\/p>\n
\ufeff<\/p>\n
What they said<\/p>\n
England head coach\u00a0Steve Borthwick<\/a>\u00a0has told fans that they can expect a performance to be \u201cproud\u201d of this weekend as the team continue to push standards within camp.<\/p>\n \u201cThose selected this weekend have earned their chance through their effort and attitude,\u201d he said. \u201cWe aim to keep building the squad, learn from every experience, and deliver a performance that our supporters can be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe know the USA will present a tough challenge,\u201d added the boss.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Players to watch<\/p>\n Not having Bristol Bears fly-half AJ MacGinty for this daunting fixture is without a doubt a significant blow for the USA. Therefore a lot will fall on to the shoulders of half-back pairing Ruben de Haas and\u00a0Chris Hilsenbeck this Saturday, with both vastly experienced and well travelled operators.<\/p>\n De Haas is a former Cheetahs and Saracens scrum-half while Hilsenbeck has played a fair chunk of his rugby career in France, but going up against a front-foot Jack van Poortvliet and the in-form George Ford is set to be a mammoth task for the pair.<\/p>\n For England, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will have been upset to have missed\u00a0the two Tests against Argentina through suspension, but will be chomping at the bit in his return against the USA this weekend. A breakout star in 2024,\u00a0Feyi-Waboso\u2019s 2025 hasn\u2019t quite had the same impact, having missed much of it through injury, and of course, the ban for a high tackle in the England XV v France XV match. He will be hoping to reignite his England career with the form that made him a renowned name in world rugby.\u00a0Expect to see the young star hunting for the ball, using his immense power and leg drive to make gains with each attempt.<\/p>\n England debutant \u2018relieved\u2019 to \u2018fulfil a prophecy\u2019 and why his dad\u2019s proudest moment centres around Olympic Games legend<\/a><\/p>\n