Whilst two of rugby’s powerhouses, the Springboks and the All Blacks, meet in Baltimore on Saturday, USA rugby fans will be preparing themselves early in the morning to watch the Eagles across the Pacific in Japan as they begin their Pacific Nations Cup campaign.

You could say it’s a perfect day of rugby action: an early breakfast and coffee on the East Coast, a 6am ET kick-off to see the Eagles take on Japan, followed by a 5pm ET start for the fourth and final Test in rugby’s greatest rivalry.

For the Eagles, there is definite hope that the good form they have shown over the last few months will continue overseas. The USA have won their last five matches, including a clean sweep in July during the Nations Cup and then a hard-fought victory in Florida last month against an Argentina XV. These are promising signs ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.

But the opening game of the PNC arguably holds the greatest challenge for head coach Scott Lawrence’s men. Japan, known as the Brave Blossoms, have consistently beaten the Eagles over the last decade, with the USA’s last victory over Japan coming in 2015. The most recent meeting came at last year’s PNC, when Japan won 41-27 in Sacramento.

It is a record the Eagles will desperately want to overturn, especially with Japan also drawn in the USA’s Rugby World Cup pool next year.

As daunting as the task may seem, the Eagles will be focused on themselves. They have developed a taste for winning and, despite a number of new caps being handed out over the last year, have also found an element of consistency.

In addition, the Eagles have an added motivation this weekend. Their jerseys will be dedicated to some of the fallen heroes of September 11th, 25 years on. Each Eagle will have the name of one of the fallen heroes from that day on the back of their jersey, carrying their memory with them in an act of remembrance.

Captain Jason Damm of the California Legion will once again lead the team. Of the 23-man squad, 21 played in Major League Rugby last season, with eight coming from the unbeaten MLR Championship-winning Chicago Hounds. That includes the halfback pairing of Ruben De Haas and Chris Hilsenbeck.

There is no room for error during this PNC, with only two matches to be played. Whilst the Eagles face the Brave Blossoms, Fiji will take on Canada in the other ‘semifinal’. The winners will meet the winners, while the losers will square off next week.

This is a real opportunity to show the improvements that have been made within the Eagles squad already this year. They face a tough challenge against an opponent ranked two places above them, and they will do so in Japan’s own backyard.

Osaka, the location for Saturday’s game, can be notoriously humid and potentially wet at this time of year. That makes it all the more important for the Eagles to bring their physical edge while maintaining an accurate, controlled game.

The performance will matter. It is the start of the PNC, after all. But more importantly, this is a genuinely meaningful test ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup.