Japan Brave Blossoms vs USA Preview – Pacific Nations Cup 2025

Japan Brave Blossoms take on the USA in Pool B to try and secure a place in the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 semifinal, on Saturday, September 6th, in Sacramento at Heart Health Park.

Feature Photo Credit – JRFU

A win would secure the Brave Blossoms a place in the final four. The USA lost their opening match against Canada and is still trying to qualify for RWC 2027, something the Japanese have already secured.

Japan have won eight of their last nine meetings against the USA, and the last time the USA beat Japan was a decade ago in the PNC. Add in the fact that the hosts have lost their last three Test matches (Canada, Spain, and England), and won only two of their last eight men’s Tests on home turf – it does not make for good reading for the time trying to reach RWC 2027.

For the Brave Blossoms, Kippei Ishida, who scored twice in the win over Canada, also put up an impressive 148 metres in Tests in 2024, the most of any player for Japan.

The stability that Seungsin Lee brings should not go unmentioned. He has had direct involvement in eight tries across his last seven Tests and scored 93 points at the same time.

Photo Credit – JRFU – Japan vs Canada

Brave Blossoms Head Coach Eddie Jones said, “We’re looking forward to the challenge of taking our campaign forward against the USA in Sacramento. The ground is unusual in that it’s in a county fair showground. The crowd will be nice and close so it will be a robust atmosphere.

The players have settled in well. The heat is very evident, but it will be the same for both teams. We’re looking forward to taking on the physical contest against the USA. In my experience, they always fancy themselves against Japan, thinking they can physically bully us. But that won’t be the case on Saturday.”

Warner Dearns captains the team for the second time as Eddie Jones has named a similar side to the one that beat Canada. There are only two changes as uncapped flanker Akito Okui (Toyota Verblitz) and winger Haruto Kida (Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay) are among the reserves, as the Head Coach continues to blood new players.

Tight head prop Kenta Kobayashi starts, with Sena Kimura on the bench, scrumhalf Kenta Fukuda starts with Shinobu Fujiwara on the bench, and Tomoki Osada starts on the left wing are the other changes.

Photo Credit – USA Rugby (USA vs Canada)

For the USA, Jason Damm leads the home side from the second row, and the team has seven changes in the starting line-up. Ruben de Haas has recovered from injury to start at scrum-half with Christopher Hilsenbeck at fly-half.

Head Coach Scott Lawrence said, “The return has reminded us of the roots of home. Our national mammal is the Buffalo; the Buffalo charges into storms that roll across our great nation. Energy and perseverance to charge are a choice, we want to show both to our home fans.”

Craig Evans (Wales) will referee USA v Japan. Special mention to JRFU Takehito Namekawa, who is in charge of Fiji vs Samoa in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup in New Zealand.

Match Permutations Japan  vs USA – Pacific Nations Cup 2025

• Neither Fiji nor Japan can improve their position with victories over Samoa and the USA, respectively.
• The USA will move above Tonga into 17th if they beat Japan, but a loss will see them drop below Portugal.
• If Samoa beats Fiji, they could replace Japan in 13th, if the margin of victory is more than 15 points.

Japan Brave Blossoms Squad vs USA– PNC 2025

You can see more from the JRFU on the squad announced.

1 Kenta Kobayashi, 2 Hayate Era, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi; 4 Waisake Raratubua, 5 Warner Dearns (captain); 6 Ben Gunter, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 8 Amato Fakatava; 9 Kenta Fukuda, 10 Seungsin Lee; 11 Tomoki Osada, 12 Charlie Lawrence, 13 Dylan Riley, 14 Kippei Ishida; 15 Sam Greene

Replacements: 16 Kenji Sato, 17 Sena Kimura, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Akito Okui, 20 Faulua Makisi, 21 Shinobu Fujiwara, 22 Yuya Hirose, 23 Haruto Kida

USA Squad vs Japan – PNC 2025

1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2 Kapeli Pifeleti, 3 Kaleb Geiger; 4 Marno Redelinghuys, 5 Jason Damm (captain); 6 Paddy Ryan, 7 Christian Poidevin, 8 Makeen Alikhan; 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Christopher Hilsenbeck; 11 Toby Fricker, 12 Tavite Lopeti, 13 Dominic Besag, 14 Rufus McLean; 15 Erich Storti

Replacements: 16 Shilo Klein, 17 Payton Telea, 18 Kullen Davis, 19 Tevita Naqali, 20 Vili Helu, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Luke Carty, 23 Mitch Wilson

How To Watch the Pacific Nations Cup 2025

All 11 matches of the PNC 2025 will be available to watch either through RugbyPass TV or via broadcast partners in certain markets.

International Rugby Tests 2025

• Pacific Nations Cup 2025 Details Announced.
• Japan Brave Blossoms vs Canada Preview – Pacific Nations Cup 2025.
• Sakura Fifteen Fail to Reach RWC 2025 Quarterfinals But Put Up Valiant Effort Against the Black Ferns
• Japan XV Add Australia A Fixture To Busy 2025 Calendar.