The first-ever World Rugby Nations Cup match begins in Montevideo, where Uruguay will take on Georgia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite seven previous meetings, this is the first game between Los Teros and the Lelos in four years. It\u2019ll be the first match between the two sides on Uruguayan soil since 2004, which incidentally is the last time Uruguay have beaten Georgia.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uruguay go into the Nations Cup having capped off 2025 by reaching their joint highest ranking of 14th. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the RWC 2027 draw, head coach Rodolfo Ambrosio said: \u201cWhen 2026 begins, we’re going to start expanding to have the largest possible pool of players to choose from (come RWC 2027).\u201d Expect this to be a recurring theme of Uruguay\u2019s tournament. They will reach a new high of 13th if they beat Georgia by more than 15 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their matchday squad features six uncapped players, who all start on the bench, including Alfonso Vidal, who previously appeared for Uruguay\u2019s sevens team. There\u2019s still experience in the squad with Manuel Diana, Ignacio Dotti and Mateo Sanguinetti, the latter of whom has 96 caps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Georgia, this will be head coach Pierre-Henry Broncan\u2019s first game in charge as he missed the 2026 Rugby Europe Men\u2019s Championship due to his commitments with French club Brive. The Lelos will be desperate to show a good account of themselves after losing this year\u2019s final to Portugal, marking the first time since 2017 they had not won the tournament. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While some of their Top 14 big hitters such as Beka Gorgadze and Giorgi Melikidze have been ruled out, their try-scoring machine Akaki Tabutsadze starts on the wing, while forward Tornike Jalagonia makes his 50th appearance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will be the most consistent run of fixtures at this level of test rugby for Hong Kong China, who will play in their first Men\u2019s Rugby World Cup next year. They start off with a first-ever meeting against Samoa, who had a winless 2025, and will be desperate to write the wrongs of their form last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hong Kong China\u2019s matchday squad is without captain Joshua Hrstich, and instead they\u2019ll be led by Irish-born back-row Pierce Mackinlay-West. Joe Barker, who left professional rugby at the age of 23 to return to university before becoming head coach at Rotherham before his move to Hong Kong, will start at fly-half. Matt Worley, who has a prolific record of 17 tries in 15 test matches, will be a key impact sub off the bench. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Samoa, vast improvements are needed both defensively and in attack. They conceded more tries than scored last year and only scored an average of 20.8 points per game. With this round-robin format, a clinical attack is essential if they want any chance of having a strong showing in Pool A. It\u2019s not going to be easy with regular captain Theo McFarland unavailable and Benetton fly-half Jacob Umaga serving a four-match suspension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Umaga\u2019s cousin, however, the once-capped former All Blacks centre Peter Umaga-Jensen, will start at inside-centre. The rest of the matchday squad is largely inexperienced, which is potentially the reset Manu Samoa need. Three uncapped players are in the starting line-up in Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, Umaga-Jensen and Warren Solomona. Miracle Fai\u2019ilagi will captain the side and Chiefs fly-half AJ Alatimu will earn his 10th cap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These two sides have met three times, with the last time being Chile\u2019s first win. A comfortable 40-16 win for Los C\u00f3ndores at this venue a year ago showcased the growth that has been seen in Chilean rugby, emerging as a third South American force alongside Argentina and Uruguay. This is their first test match of the year, so can Los C\u00f3ndores continue their 2025 form, which saw them lose only twice in eight matches?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Captain Mart\u00edin Sigren will start at flanker, while star-man Santiago Videla, their all-time leading points scorer, is named on the bench alongside the uncapped Emilio Shea Duret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Oaks have the benefit of having faced most of the Pool A teams within the last two years. After finishing third in the 2025 Rugby Europe Men\u2019s Championship, they faced Chile and Uruguay away last July, losing both, before taking on Los Teros, USA and Canada in November, beating only the latter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their 2026 form has continued in this vein, registering only one win in the Rugby Europe Men\u2019s Championship against Belgium and suffering a shock loss to Germany in their opening game. Romania also conceded the second-most penalties (56), including the highest number (22) when in attack.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their matchday squad sees the return of full-back Marius Simionescu, who starts having missed the last nine months with injury. Scrum-half Gabriel Rupanu also returns from a lengthy injury. Alexandru Savin also starts and is integral to their scrum, alongside fellow prop JP Smith, who is making his test debut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A win for Los C\u00f3ndores could make them reach a new high in the World Rugby Men\u2019s Rankings, while defeat for the Oaks could result in them falling to a new low of 25th. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a future Pool F encounter at Men\u2019s Rugby World Cup 2027, this is without doubt one of the most compelling match-ups of the opening weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since taking over in March 2024, Zimbabwe head coach Pieter Benade hasn\u2019t lost a match. As the Sables return to the Rugby World Cup stage for the first time since 1991, Benade said: \u201cI\u2019m very proud of what we\u2019ve achieved as a small group. We\u2019re grateful for the new competitions and feel fortunate to be part of this, but we don\u2019t want it to be a one-off.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the first time Zimbabwe will have faced teams qualified for Australia 2027 since November 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In only their second game against Tonga, captain Hilton Mudariki starts at scrum-half, alongside fly-half Ian Prior, who was player of the tournament in their Rugby Africa Men\u2019s Cup 2025 success. The colossus of Brandon Mudzekenyedzi starts at centre, and South African-born Gary Porter makes his test debut in the second row. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u2018Ikale Tahi have only played 13 tests since RWC 2023, so this Nations Cup is an important opportunity to get their squad more test-match experience. Despite finishing third in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025, Tonga received more cards than any other team, and conceded the most penalties (49) at an average of 12.25 per game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their talisman, captain and Bordeaux-B\u00e8gles tight-head Ben Tameifuna will miss the July tests due to injury. Instead scrum-half Sonatane Takululka will take the reins, extending his Tongan appearance record in the process, which currently stands at 62. Patrick Pellegrini starts, hoping to continue a run of form which saw him score a hat-trick against Canada as they won the third-place play-off in the Pacific Nations Cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Men\u2019s Eagles\u2019 first test match of the year will also be a first step as they build towards hosting Men\u2019s Rugby World Cup 2031. What better way to start it than on Independence Day, and against the in-form team of the Nations Cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Head coach Scott Lawrence views the Nations Cup as an important step in building towards RWC 2027 and beyond, saying, \u201cYou assume that a style of rugby will get the public on board, but in the USA, they like winners, and they don\u2019t necessarily care how.\u201d This is a first meeting with Portugal on US soil and only the second outside of Portugal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Captain Jason Damm starts, as well as former German international Christopher Hilsenbeck, who is the starting fly-half. Luke Carty, who took on fly-half duties during the November fixtures, is on the bench. Highly versatile back Perry Mayo starts on his test debut, while AJ MacGinty is still out with injury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eager to spoil the 250th Independence Day celebrations are Os Lobos, who will still be riding the momentum of their Rugby Europe Men\u2019s Championship title success in March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was only the second time they had claimed the title, and they did so against a Georgian team that had won the last eight titles. Their strong kicking game combined with an effective lineout (12 steals) has put them in a position in which they\u2019ve won their last seven matches. The Eagles will face an Os Lobos side full of confidence and favourites to top Pool B.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jos\u00e9 Madeira and Tom\u00e1s Appleton both start and will look to continue their successful partnership as co-captains, having led Os Lobos to success already this year. They\u2019ll be sad to not see their most successful try scorer in Rodrigo Marta or talisman Nicol\u00e1s Martins in action, with both sitting this tournament out, but RWC 2023 star and veteran scrum-half Samuel Marques returns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This has become such a fascinating match up of late with this being the fourth meeting between the sides in the last five years, and to add fuel to the fire they will also face each other at Australia 2027. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having narrowly lost 24-23 at the same venue last year, Canada will no doubt see this as the perfect way to get their tournament off to a flyer. As the lowest-ranked nation in action, and having only won one of their last 14 tests, Canada are eager to string some results together, with captain Lucas Rumball describing Saturday\u2019s match as a \u201cbig target\u201d, calling Spain a \u201cfamiliar face\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two uncapped players in Daragh Doyle and Jacob Ince start on the bench. Captain Lucas Rumball will lead out the squad hoping to write the wrongs of the last few years. Following an impressive Pacific Nations Cup in 2025, Peter Nelson starts at full-back. Tyler Ardon, the first Canadian to score four tries in a match in last year\u2019s 34-20 victory over the USA, also returns to add significant experience to the pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Los Leones haven\u2019t lost this fixture since 2017. Since RWC 2023, they\u2019ve achieved impressive results with wins over Tonga, Uruguay, USA and, of course, Canada. They finished third in the Rugby Europe Men\u2019s Championship for the third time in five years. They showcased a dynamic game in which they had the highest match average for carries, metres made, post-contact metres made, most offloads and most reliable lineout and scrum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Captain Jon Zabala starts, and sevens international Jaime Manteca looks to make his debut off the bench. They will be without fly-half Luciano Richardis, who is a big loss due to his Top 14 season with Toulouse only finishing a week ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking about the upcoming fixtures, head coach Pablo Bouza said: \u201cThese are opponents we\u2019re on equal footing with, and they should all be very even matches.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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