USA and Georgia clinched their separate World Rugby Nations Cup titles on 14 November as Round 5 brought six decisive results and set up a meeting of the two unbeaten champions in Tbilisi.
The Eagles beat Romania 53–24 to secure Pool A, while Georgia’s 55–31 victory over Tonga helped seal Pool B. Samoa, Canada, Uruguay and Chile also won, with Uruguay claiming their first victory of the competition and Chile edging a tight contest in Madrid.
Romania 24–53 USA: seven tries seal Pool A
The Eagles needed a win in Bucharest and delivered seven tries at Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf. Rufus McLean scored twice, with Noah Brown, Perry Mayo, Jason Damm, Nathan Den Hoedt and Tavite Lopeti also crossing as USA made it five wins from five.
Romania were still in touch at 22–10 down at half-time, but the visitors extended their advantage after the break. Taylor Gontineac, Cristi Boboc and Adrian Emanuel Mitu scored for the Oaks, who also earned a penalty try. Their four-try return could not offset USA’s sustained scoring.
The result left the Eagles beyond reach at the top of the Americas and Pacific pool. Their final-round match will now test an unbeaten record as well as provide a chance to celebrate a title already secured.
Romania
USA
T. Gontinéac (27'), C. Boboc (37'), Penalty Try (69'), A. Mitu (80')
Tries
N. Brown (13'), R. McLean (20', 75'), P. Mayo (30'), J. Damm (43'), den Hoedt (49'), T. Lopeti (64')
A. Conache (80+1')
Conversions
C. Hilsenbeck (21', 31', 44', 50', 65'), T. Pittman (76')
Penalties
C. Hilsenbeck (2'), T. Pittman (71')
Georgia 55–31 Tonga: a landmark day for the Lelos
Georgia
Tonga
V. Karkadze (24', 29'), V. Lobzhanidze (32'), D. Niniashvili (49'), A. Tabutsadze (54', 70'), B. Saghinadze (59'), G. Aprasidze (78')
Tries
B. Tameifuna (12'), S. Paea (37'), J. Tapueluelu (44'), V. Poloniati (63'), L. Inisi (73')
L. Matkava (25', 33', 50', 55', 60', 79')
Conversions
P. Pellegrini (13', 39', 45')
L. Matkava (2')
Penalties
Georgia marked their 300th international with eight tries at Avchala Stadium and a fifth successive Nations Cup win. Vano Karkadze and Akaki Tabutsadze each scored twice, while Vasil Lobzhanidze, Davit Niniashvili, Beka Saginadze and Gela Aprasidze completed the home side’s try-scoring.
Tonga made the contest demanding. They trailed only 22–14 at half-time and finished with five tries of their own, through Ben Tameifuna, Semisi Paea, John Tapueluelu, Veikoso Poloniati and Lotu Inisi. Georgia nevertheless had the greater scoring depth and pulled clear after the interval.
The Lelos’ attacking return, combined with results elsewhere, secured the Europe, Asia and Africa pool with a round to spare. Their eight tries told the story of a side able to keep finding answers even when Tonga threatened to narrow the contest.
Portugal 5–36 Samoa: McFarland leads a six-try win
Samoa built a 24–0 half-time lead at Estádio do Restelo in Lisbon and finished with six tries. Peter Umaga-Jensen opened the scoring, Theo McFarland and Niko Jones added close-range finishes, and Latrell Ah Kiong’s interception try gave the visitors a commanding cushion.
Domingos Cabral supplied Portugal’s response after the break, but McFarland completed his double and Miracle Faiilagi added Samoa’s final try. The visitors’ ability to turn early pressure into points left Portugal chasing throughout the second half.
The bonus-point victory kept Samoa second in Pool A, although USA’s subsequent win in Bucharest ended the title race. For Portugal, the defeat meant Georgia could no longer be caught in Pool B.
Portugal
Samoa
D. Cabral (62')
Tries
P. Umaga-Jensen (5'), T. McFarland (23', 72'), N. Jones (28'), L. Ah-Kiong (40'), M. Fai?ilagi (76')
Conversions
J. Umaga (24', 29'), J. Ioane (77')
Hong Kong China 17–38 Canada: a second-half turnaround
Canada overturned a 17–7 deficit at Chambéry Savoie Stadium to earn a bonus-point victory. Jack Bartlett and Paul Altier had put Hong Kong China in a promising position, with Altier’s early second-half try extending a 10–7 interval lead.
The match changed after that. A penalty try was followed by scores from Spencer Jones, Andrew Quattrin, Sam Miller and Takoda McMullin, adding to Nic Benn’s first-half finish. Canada scored the final 31 points to turn a difficult situation into a clear win.
Hong Kong China’s yellow cards, to Faizal Solomona and Joshua Hrstich, disrupted their challenge. Canada’s response was the decisive feature: they kept scoring after regaining the initiative and gave their opponents no route back into the match.
Hong Kong
Canada
J. Bartlett (22'), P. Altier (41')
Tries
N. Benn (34'), Penalty Try (51'), S. Jones (59'), A. Quattrin (64'), S. Miller (74'), T. McMullin (78')
P. Altier (23', 42')
Conversions
T. McMullin (35', 60', 79')
P. Altier (20')
Penalties
Zimbabwe 15–20 Uruguay: Amarillo’s boot makes the difference
Uruguay earned their first Nations Cup win at Trailfinders Sports Ground in Ealing, recovering from a 15–14 half-time deficit. Both sides scored twice before the interval: Juan Manuel Alonso and Juan Gonzalez for Los Teros, Tino Mavesere and Godfrey Muzanargwo for Zimbabwe.
The second half offered a different test. Icaro Amarillo kicked two penalties and Uruguay kept Zimbabwe scoreless, turning a one-point deficit into a five-point victory.
That defensive finish was as important as the points from the tee. After an open first half, Los Teros found the control needed to close out a tight match, while Zimbabwe were left with a fifth defeat.
Zimbabwe
Uruguay
T. Mavesere (19'), G. Muzanargwo (24')
Tries
J. Alonso (6'), J. Gonzalez (29')
J. Robertson (20')
Conversions
I. Amarillo (7', 30')
J. Robertson (12')
Penalties
I. Amarillo (42', 57')
Spain 20–25 Chile: Garafulic settles the contest
Matias Garafulic scored 20 points as Chile won a rain-soaked contest at Estadio Ontime Butarque in Madrid. His six penalties and conversion of Manuel Bustamante’s try supplied the decisive return in a five-point victory.
Spain answered through Alvaro Garcia Albo and Joel Merkler, but Chile’s kicking kept them ahead. The visitors led 16–7 at half-time and held on for their third win from five matches.
Chile scored one try to Spain’s two, yet made the more valuable use of their opportunities from the tee. In a match punctuated by yellow cards, Garafulic’s accuracy gave them a reliable way to keep adding points when a second try did not come.
Spain
Chile
A. Garcia (35'), J. Merkler (52')
Tries
M. Bustamante (22')
L. Richardis (36', 53')
Conversions
M. Garafulic (22')
L. Richardis (41', 78')
Penalties
M. Garafulic (5', 9', 18', 48', 55', 63')
Two champions, one unbeaten meeting to come
USA and Georgia have settled their respective pool titles, but their final match gives the competition a fitting finish. Both arrive in Tbilisi with five wins from five, and they meet at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on 21 November before receiving their trophies.
Round 5 also showed the different ways teams can win. Georgia and USA produced heavy try-scoring returns; Canada changed the match after falling ten points behind; Uruguay and Chile turned close contests through defence and accurate kicking. With the titles decided, the final round still offers a chance to measure progress and finish strongly.
Main photograph: USA score against Romania in Bucharest on 14 November 2026. Credit: Razvan Pasarica / World Rugby.