USA v England preview: George Ford to orchestrate ’emphatic’ result as faded winger ‘reignites’ international career
England vs USA
England will take on the USA at Audi Field in Washington D.C. on Saturday as both sides bring down the curtain on their mid-year Test campaigns.
This will be the first time the two teams have faced each other since 2021, when a young England outfit welcomed the Eagles to Twickenham in a 43-29 victory.
This time around, it will be on the home turf of the Americans as Scott Lawrence’s men look to spring what would be a huge surprise in front of their fans.
However, that appears highly unlikely as England enter this clash in sparkling form after winning a two-Test series against Los Pumas in Argentina and even after making several changes to their team there is an air of confidence and inevitability about this game.
In stark contrast the Eagles come into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 31-20 defeat to Spain in Charlotte.
Where the game will be won
The key to victory in this match will be down to fitness. The English players have the benefit of generally playing a higher quality level of rugby domestically compared to their American counterparts, so as such, their bodies are conditioned much better.
Expect to see the USA compete more efficiently towards the start of the match, compared to the end when fitness levels start to take a toll. Once the physicality and fitness starts to make an impact on proceedings, the USA could find it very difficult to hold on.
Last time they met
What they said
England head coach Steve Borthwick has told fans that they can expect a performance to be “proud” of this weekend as the team continue to push standards within camp.
“Those selected this weekend have earned their chance through their effort and attitude,” he said. “We aim to keep building the squad, learn from every experience, and deliver a performance that our supporters can be proud of.”
“We know the USA will present a tough challenge,” added the boss.
“There’s been a great spirit in the squad throughout this tour. The players have worked hard for each other and pushed standards every day. Those selected this weekend have earned their chance through their effort and attitude.”
Players to watch
Not having Bristol Bears fly-half AJ MacGinty for this daunting fixture is without a doubt a significant blow for the USA. Therefore a lot will fall on to the shoulders of half-back pairing Ruben de Haas and Chris Hilsenbeck this Saturday, with both vastly experienced and well travelled operators.
De Haas is a former Cheetahs and Saracens scrum-half while Hilsenbeck has played a fair chunk of his rugby career in France, but going up against a front-foot Jack van Poortvliet and the in-form George Ford is set to be a mammoth task for the pair.
For England, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will have been upset to have missed the two Tests against Argentina through suspension, but will be chomping at the bit in his return against the USA this weekend. A breakout star in 2024, Feyi-Waboso’s 2025 hasn’t quite had the same impact, having missed much of it through injury, and of course, the ban for a high tackle in the England XV v France XV match. He will be hoping to reignite his England career with the form that made him a renowned name in world rugby. Expect to see the young star hunting for the ball, using his immense power and leg drive to make gains with each attempt.
Max Ojomoh has had to be incredibly patient in his pursuit of international honours, but his opportunity has finally arrived. The son of former Bath and England back-row Steve Ojomoh has been in red-hot form this year, helping Bath to their first Premiership title since 1996. Expect to see the centre use his elite handling skills to put others through the tightest of gaps, and keep an eye out for his crafty running lines as he reads the game like few others.
Although he starts on the bench, Ted Hill is regarded by many to be one of the best players in the English Premiership. Recently revealed by Bath head coach Johann van Graan to be the fastest player at the club, Hill’s pedigree amongst fans has risen to an all-time high. He is one of the first names on his club’s teamsheet and one of the hardest-working players on the pitch. When he comes on, expect to see his athleticism prevail against a tired USA side, as he uses his breakdown abilities to get an edge over the opposition.
Main head-to-head
We head out wide for this battle where former Scotland and Glasgow Warriors wing Rufus McLean takes on Cadan Murley, who has been in scintillating form off the bench in England’s recent fixtures. It’s fair to say that Murley will see a lot more go-forward ball than his direct opponent and we expect the Harlequins star to really cut loose in what promises to a high-scoring affair.
McLean will certainly have his work cut out keeping Murley at bay but if he is given an opportunity then the USA wing, who scored one of the tries of the season for Glasgow a few years ago against the Dragons, can hurt the English defence.
Prediction
The USA will be extremely keen to impress in front of home fans and show just how far the national team has come in comparison to other nations. But the reality is that, if anything, the Eagles have actually fallen behind the rest of the world, despite the huge push to get the nation interested in the sport.
As such, there are arguably only two or three players in the squad who could test for a place in a top European side. So with that in mind, the USA will be fortunate to avoid a cricket score in Washington D.C.
Sadly, it will be a lose/lose for England. Although the victory will be emphatically in England’s favour, they will struggle to gain much from a thumping over the USA, but if they struggle to win (or even lose), then that will tarnish their impressive American tour.
We predict England to win by roughly 50 points over the USA with the outstanding Ford once again influential in his team’s success.
Previous results
2021: England 43-29 USA
2019: England 45-7 USA
2007: England 28-10 USA
2001: USA 19-48 England
1999: England 106-8 USA
The teams
USA: 15 Erich Storti, 14 Rufus McLean, 13 Dominic Besag, 12 Tom Pittman, 11 Toby Fricker, 10 Chris Hilsenbeck, 9 Ruben de Haas, 8 Jamason Fa’anana Schultz, 7 Cory Daniel, 6 Benjamin Bonasso, 5 Tevita Naqali, 4 Marno Redelinghuys, 3 Pono Davis, 2 Kaleb Geiger, 1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth
Replacements: 16 Shilo Klein, 17 Jack Iscaro, 18 Tonga Kofe, 19 Viliami Helu, 20 Christian Poidevin, 21 Makeen Alikhan, 22 JP Smith, 23 Lauina Futi
England: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 George Ford (c), 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Alex Dombrandt, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 5 Arthur Clark, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2 Curtis Langdon, 1 Bevan Rodd
Replacements: 16 Gabriel Oghre, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Charlie Atkinson, 23 Oscar Beard
Date: Saturday, July 19
Venue: Audi Field, Washington DC
Kick-off: 17:05 local (22:05 BST, 21:05 GMT)
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
Assistant referees: Morné Ferreira (SARU), Robin Kaluzniak (RC)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
READ MORE: How to watch USA v England free: Live stream, channel and kick-off time