‘It’s a big game’: USA and Portugal face off for final Rugby World Cup place

Gary Gold's Eagles are 80 minutes away from Pool C in France but Os Lobos are on the up. A nerve-shredding night is in store

On Friday, USA and Portugal will meet in Dubai for a winner-takes-all Test match, the prize the last place at the Rugby World Cup in France next year. It is by some distance the most important game in the recent history of American rugby.

The US will host the men's World Cup in 2031 and the women's tournament two years later. World Rugby has placed a significant bet. Executives are of course neutral but without wishing any ill to the Portuguese, anyone seeking to plant rugby union in the American consciousness will be mighty relieved should the Eagles make it into Pool C with Australia, Wales, Fiji and Georgia.