Hong Kong China v USA tips: Eagles' scoring run to continue
The USA are our pick in Bourg-en-Bresse after three July victories. Hong Kong China's 42-40 win over Uruguay gives them a positive result to bring into November, but conceding 144 points across the phase leaves a serious defensive weakness for the Eagles to attack.
Hong Kong China v USA. Sunday, 08 November 2026, 16:45 SAST. Nations Cup. Stade Marcel Verchere, Bourg-en-Bresse.
Match comparison
| Focus | Recent performance | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| USA in July | Beat Portugal 30-29 and Zimbabwe 31-15 | Beat Spain 29-22 |
| Hong Kong China in July | Lost 66-19 to Samoa and 38-17 to Chile | Beat Uruguay 42-40 |
| Venue | Stade Marcel Verchere | Bourg-en-Bresse, France |
The USA have found different ways to win
The Eagles beat Portugal 30-29, Zimbabwe 31-15 and Spain 29-22. Their attack stayed within a narrow range, while the defence did enough to protect all three results.
The Portuguese match was the tightest. Portugal went on to win their other two fixtures, making the one-point American victory a useful result against competitive opposition.
Against Zimbabwe, the USA conceded only 15. They then held Spain to 22 after the Spanish attack had scored 42 against Canada and 32 against Tonga.
Hong Kong China won without fixing the defence
Hong Kong China lost 66-19 to Samoa and 38-17 to Chile before beating Uruguay 42-40. The final match brought a major attacking improvement, but still required 42 points to secure the result.
That score means the Eagles should expect an opponent capable of punishing mistakes. Hong Kong China did not remain stuck below 20 after the first two defeats; they found enough to win an open contest.
The concern is the same defence. Every opponent scored at least 38, so the American attack has a chance to improve on its usual total rather than needing to match Uruguay's concession.
The Eagles begin November on 14 points, four ahead of Chile in their pool. Their narrow wins over Portugal and Spain have therefore built a useful advantage without requiring a series of runaway scores.
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Hong Kong China warmed up with a 27-17 defeat to Belgium in Brussels on 31 October. The USA spent two weeks in camp, including games against an Australia XV, but travel with 21 players injured or unavailable, among them scrum-half Ruben de Haas and fly-half Luke Carty.
This fixture is in France
The match is being played at Stade Marcel Verchere in Bourg-en-Bresse. Hong Kong China are the first-named team but do not have a home fixture in Hong Kong.
That removes a possible source of confusion when comparing the sides. Both begin the northern phase in Europe, and the match should be assessed on their performances rather than an assumed trip to East Asia for the Eagles.
The USA have the stronger case. Hong Kong China's latest result suggests they can contribute points, but the Eagles have controlled the opposition's scoring much more successfully and have three wins to show for it.