![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/logo-usa-thumbnailx.png\"){kind=logo}
Current World Ranking: 14<\/a> (69.40 points)2026-07-04 \u2013 USA 30, Portugal 29 (Denver)
2025-11-15 \u2013 Romania 26, USA 26 (Bucharest)
2025-11-08 \u2013 Georgia 43, USA 30 (Batumi)
2025-11-01 \u2013 Scotland 85, USA 0 (Edinburgh)
2025-09-14 \u2013 USA 29, Samoa 13 (Denver)<\/p>\n
2 6 8 14 2 3 8 9 13 14 Scott Lawrence has made four changes to his Eagles lineup, two enforced\u2026 Kapeli Pifeleti and Rufus McLean are out injured, replaced respectively by Alex Maughan at hooker and Conner Mooneyham on the right wing\u2026 Maughan was mostly used at tighthead prop by Anthem during the MLR campaign \u201cWe now know the priority areas where we need to improve, and our attention is now fully on the performance against a talented team and staff from Zimbabwe.\u201d<\/p>\n Hot and humid conditions are on the forecast, with a risk of thunderstorms. While the Eagles got the win over Os Lobos, poor discipline from the visitors undoubtedly played a significant role. Mooneyham will be tasked with slowing the diminutive but electric Edward Sigauke, while the midfield handles hard-running Brandon Mudzekenyedzi. On paper this looks a fairly even match-up despite the disparity in world ranking. The Sables should certainly not be taken lightly. USA are favorites at home in Charlotte.<\/p>\n Replacements: 16 Shilo Klein, 17 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 18 Mason Pedersen, 19 Brandon Harvey, 20 Nafi Ma\u2019afu, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Luke Carty, 23 Julian Roberts<\/p>\n Replacements: 16 Simba Mandioma, 17 Tijde Visser, 18 Michael Kumbirai, 19 Tadiwa Gwashu, 20 Simba Siraha, 21 Hilton Mudariki, 22 Bruce Houston, 23 Takudzwa Musingwini<\/p>\n Date: Saturday, July 11 Referee: Dami\u00e1n Schneider (Argentina) HEAD-TO-HEAD (0): n\/a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"History will be made in Charlotte on Saturday evening as the USA takes on Zimbabwe for the first…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":792341,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,224900,760,85,361771],"class_list":["post-792340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-july-internationals","tag-rugby","tag-sports","tag-world-rugby-nations-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=792340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/792341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=792340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=792340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=792340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/logo-zimbabwe-sables-thumbnail-2025.png\"){kind=logo}
Current World Ranking: 25<\/a> (58.59 points)
2026-07-04 \u2013 Tonga 36, Zimbabwe 26 (Denver)
2026-06-20 \u2013 South Africa \u2018A\u2019 40, Zimbabwe 0 (Port Elizabeth)
2026-05-02 \u2013 Zimbabwe 17, Zambia 7 (Bulawayo)
2026-04-25 \u2013 Zimbabwe 43, Zambia 31 (Harare)
2025-07-19 \u2013 Namibia 28, Zimbabwe 30 (Kampala)<\/p>\n
\nIN
\nOUT<\/p>\n
\nAlex Maughan
\nKapeli Pifeleti<\/p>\n
\nLance Williams
\nBenjam\u00edn Bonasso<\/p>\n
\nMakeen Alikhan
\nPaddy Ryan<\/p>\n
\nConner Mooneyham
\nRufus McLean<\/p>\n
\nIN
\nOUT<\/p>\n
\nLiam Larkan
\nSimba Mandioma<\/p>\n
\nCleopas Kundiona
\nMichael Kumbirai<\/p>\n
\nAiden Burnett
\nDylan Utete<\/p>\n
\nKeegan Joubert
\nHilton Mudariki<\/p>\n
\nDion Khumalo
\nKudzai Mashawi<\/p>\n
\nMatthew McNab
\nTrevor Gurwe<\/p>\n
\nrotation in the back row sees former Eagles 7s man and long-time Major League Rugby standout Lance Williams getting a test debut\u2026 Harlequins academy product Makeen Alikhan comes in at the back row the scrum\u2026 Ben Bonasso and Paddy Ryan drop out
\nPieter Benade has made six changes to Zimbabwe\u2019s run-on side\u2026 Doncaster winger Matthew McNab makes his first appearance in Sables colors this year, with Dion Khumalo starting in place of Kudzai Mashawi in the midfield\u2026 Khumalo played for Cobras in Super Rugby Americas this season
\nlong-time skipper Hilton Mudariki is named on the bench this week with Keegan Joubert partnering former Western Force captain Ian Prior in the halfbacks\u2026 hard-hitting Sharks flanker Tino Mavesere leads the Sables this week
\nchanges up front see Liam Larkan and Cleopas Kundiona starting in the front row\u2026 the latter plays for Northampton Saints in the English Premiership\u2026 Aiden Burnett returns to his favored No8 position at the expense of Dylan Utete, with Jason Fraser switching to the flank<\/p>\n Scott Lawrence<\/a> (Head Coach)<\/p>\n
USA EAGLES
1 Jack Iscaro, 2 Alex Maughan, 3 Tonga Kofe, 4 Nathan Den Hoedt, 5 Jason Damm (capt.), 6 Lance Williams, 7 Cory Daniel, 8 Makeen Alikhan, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Chris Hilsenbeck, 11 Perry Mayo, 12 Dom Besag, 13 Tavite Lopeti, 14 Conner Mooneyham, 15 Mitch Wilson<\/p>\n
ZIMBABWE SABLES
1 Victor Mupunga, 2 Liam Larkan, 3 Cleopas Kundiona, 4 Gary Porter, 5 Godfrey Muzanargwo, 6 Tino Mavesere (capt.), 7 Jason Fraser, 8 Aiden Burnett, 9 Keegan Joubert, 10 Ian Prior, 11 Edward Sigauke, 12 Brandon Mudzekenyedzi, 13 Dion Khumalo, 14 Matthew McNab, 15 Tapiwa Mafura<\/p>\n
Venue: American Legion Memorial Stadium, Charlotte
Kickoff: 19:30 local (16:30 Pacific, Sunday 01:30 Zimbabwe)
Weather Forecast: risk of thunderstorms, 82\u00b0F (28\u00b0C), wind NW 6-10 mph (10-16 km\/h)
Broadcasts: Paramount+<\/a> (USA), RugbyPass TV<\/a><\/p>\n
Assistants: Ben Breakspear (Wales) & Robin Kaluzniak (Canada)
TMO: Dan Jones (England)<\/p>\n