A positive year for USA Rugby, in which they have yet to lose a test match on the 15-side level, will continue with a powerhouse slate of November international matchups. The Eagles, just a year before the 2019 Rugby World Cup, will test their mettle with a full lineup that starts with the Maori All Blacks on November 3 as part of the Rugby Weekend in Chicago, before a reported neutral field match in Spain against Samoa on November 10, a trip to Bucharest to face Romania on November 17, and all capped off with Ireland at Aviva Stadium on November 24.

It’s a full workload that will challenge these Eagles that hope to crack through the group stages of the Rugby World Cup for the first time ever. As the Eagles, who currently sit ranked 15th in the World Rugby rankings, look to make continued steps forward, they’ll have to take every international window seriously and put themselves to the test. The current outlook of November is a promising sign of striving for that, and one that points to the rising power of rugby in America.

For the second time in three years, USA Rugby will clash with the Maori All Blacks as part of the Rugby Weekend. In tripleheader of games that will also feature the USA women’s team against the New Zealand Black Ferns and Ireland vs Italy, the Eagles will hope to redeem a 7-54 loss back in 2016. The team appears in a vastly different frame of mind, however, rebounding since the struggling ’15 and ’16 in which they collected just four wins across 18 matches. These are vital work-up games for head coach Gary Gold as he begins to formulate what his World Cup roster might look like. While an uphill battle no doubt, it’s also one that the Eagles must take in earnest hopes of evaluating where they stand.

The Rugby Weekend has brought forth some stupendous rugby, including the miraculous win for Ireland over New Zealand back in that same year. While Ireland and Italy will no doubt hold a bit less buzz, the weekend of games should be a blast. The Italians looked markedly improved in their Six Nations showing this year, and all points lead to them trending in the right direction. The Women’s Eagles will get a 2017 Rugby World Cup semifinal rematch with the Ferns.

In a yet to be confirmed matchup, USA Rugby will also clash with Samoa in what was originally speculated to be a battle with Spain. The pair of World Cup qualified teams will meet for the first time since 2015, where the two actually met twice, once in the Pacific Nations Cup (while the US was still part of it) and in pool play at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Samoa won both contests, 21-16 and 25-16. They’re rumored to play at Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián, Spain, the same neutral field USA met Tonga on back in a similar match in 2016. Samoa, sitting in Pool A, is currently ranked 16th.

Next, the Eagles will take a flight to Bucharest for a test with Romania. Alongside Georgia, Romania is revered as one of the stronger rugby unions in Europe outside of the traditional six nations. Currently ranked 17th in World Rugby, the Oaks will be playing this international test window with a chip on their shoulder and plenty to prove. Following a World Rugby investigation, Romania was actually disqualified from the World Cup earlier this year after it was discovered they were playing ineligible players in qualifying matches. The Oaks, alongside Belgium and Spain, received disciplinary action following the report. A deduction in European qualifying points led to Russia nabbing just their second World Cup berth.

The Eagles last met Romania in 2016 as well, where the Oaks took the day 23-10. USA holds the overall all-time advantage, however, sitting at 3-2.

The creme of the crop within the autumn international window certainly has to be Ireland, though. Even challenging the developmental side of Irish, currently seemingly the kings of rugby, is a major building block for a USA team that wants to be taken seriously. Taking center stage at a pitch the likes of Aviva Stadium is a proper experience moment for an Eagles team that doesn’t want to be caught off guard by the moment in Japan a year later.

Clinically, until the two sides clash again, there doesn’t seem to a better side than the Irish currently, whose players have enjoyed a year of success at the domestic and international level. They’ll be one of the two favorites to challenge for the Web Ellis trophy in Tokyo without question. Even in getting thrashed, so be that the possible case, the Eagles can take away plenty in watching and learning from the mistakes exploited on the field. It’s the kind of match that quickly demonstrates how far USA Rugby has to challenge the supremacy of World Rugby but these are games that build character and deeper understandings of the game.

The two last met in New York during the 2017 Emirates Airlines Summer Series, where Ireland cruised to a 55-19 win. It was after that game (you can argue causation versus correlation) that the Eagles began to make their current march to where they currently stand. Hopefully, another look at one of the world’s best can provide even further in a work up to the World Cup.

This is a legit slate of games for USA Rugby to grind themselves up against and figure out where they rate. It will surely put an end to their undefeated calendar year, but it’s one the entire roster will undoubtedly benefit from. Tough matches against Ireland and Maori should prove learning experiences, where Samoa and Romania are winnable games. Needless to say, there’s plenty of good rugby to look forward to this fall.