USA Call – Where is my Tier 1 November Test?

At RWC 2019 the USA will play against Argentina, England, France and Tonga in Pool C.  It begs the question that the USA ought to be asking right now – Where is my Tier 1 November Test?

2018 November Internationals
The Six Nations of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales are all confirming their home matches for November.

The results for the USA are not attractive. As it stands the USA will miss out on facing a Tier 1 opponent this November. All six unions are to host one Tier 2 side and there are winners and losers in this.

Japan have a home game against New Zealand on November 03 and face England away on November 17. Fiji are to also have two games, both in Europe. Confirmed is Scotland vs Fiji in Edinburgh on November 10 while France are soon to confirm they face Fiji in Paris on November 24.

On November 10 Japan will play a Tier 2 team, presumably in Europe. The Fijians will do so too but their Tier 2 fixture to be played on November 24.

Wales have confirmed their Tier 2 opponent as being Tonga with the match scheduled for November 17 in Cardiff. Italy have also confirmed their fixtures with a groundbreaking home match against Georgia taking place on November 10.

This leaves Ireland as the only possibility to play against the USA in November 2018. Ireland will host a Tier 2 side on the weekend of November 24 though this opponent has not yet been named. The simple explanation for this is to know who else will have qualified for RWC 2019 prior to November.

Samoa Missing Out
Logically Ireland could host Samoa. Indeed Ireland did so in November Internationals in both 2010 and 2013 but has not done so since. Samoa in 2018 is not the same force as of the past but of greater note is that Samoa are yet to qualify for RWC 2019.

Samoa awaits Europe 2 in a Play-Off Finals series. The scandal that has rocked Rugby Europe means Samoa’s opponent remains unconfirmed. The winner of Portugal vs the country World Rugby deems second from Belgium Germany, Romania, Russia and Spain will face Samoa home and away in June.

Due to breaching player eligibility rules Romania’s RWC place is under serious threat. World Rugby is investigating to determine who will be Europe 1 and Europe 2. If Romania are cleared Samoa will be up against Spain if not then Russia, Germany or Portugal.

While Samoa’s opponent is unclear the qualifying path appears straight-forward with the chance of Samoa not qualifying being remote. Yet it, nonetheless, means that no matches in November can be scheduled given the Samoa vs Europe 2 loser will play in the global repechage tournament in November.

Prior November Tours
Samoa faced Scotland, Romania and England in November 2017. In November 2016 they faced France, Georgia and Canada (in France) and in November 2014 they played against Italy, Canada (in France) and England.

The trend may end this year though, realistically an appearance in Dublin on November 24 is penciled in. This would officially leave the USA without a Tier 1 opponent for their final tour prior to the RWC. It is far from ideal to do so with Argentina, England and France on the horizon in Japan.

The USA, though, has a history of not playing against Tier 1 opposition on European tours. In 2017 the Eagles faced Germany and Georgia in Europe. In November 2016 it was Romania and Tonga (in Spain). Prior to hosting New Zealand in Chicago on November 01 2014 the Eagles’ previous November Tier 1 international was against Italy in 2004.

A lot has changed since 2004. The USA have won back-to-back ARC titles and qualified as Americas 1 for RWC 2019. Placed alongside Fiji, Japan and Tonga’s matches this coming November there is little doubt that the USA ought to have a Tier 1 November Test. The chances of this happening are not good.