The first phase of the World Rugby Nations Cup 2026 has drawn to a close, and round three proved to be the most mesmerising yet.
Aside from one comfortable victory, every match was a fiercely contested, end-to-end thriller packed with late drama, as Romania, Hong Kong China and Canada all secured their first victories of the campaign, with the first two doing so in the final minute. The USA and Portugal also held out for knife-edge victories, while Georgia saw off Chile with a commanding performance.
In Pool A, the USA sit top with three wins from three, Chile are second with two wins, and the rest all have seven points with a win each, aside from Uruguay who have a draw and two defeats.
In Pool B, Georgia enjoyed a perfect start with three wins to sit top with Portugal second on 12 points following impressive back-to-back victories. Romania and Spain both have nine points and a win each with Hong Kong China fifth and Zimbabwe the only side to have lost all three matches in sixth.
SAMOA 37-38 ROMANIA: Incredible second-half comeback as Romania snatch it at the death
The third round began in misty conditions in Montevideo as Samoa took on Romania in a game for the ages.
It was a great start for Samoa, who led through the boot of AJ Alatimu before a driving maul try from Alamanda Motuga. Romania needed to test Samoa’s defence, and when they got their chance, they took it brilliantly as the ball was spread to Nicholas Onutu, who went over for the try.
From then on, it was constant back and forth between the two sides. Onutu, with the interception, fed Iliesa Lesumaitaiti Tiqe, who sped through to the try-line. Abraham Papali'i then bulldozed over on the stroke of half-time, and the Samoans led 17-14 at the break.
Impact replacement Iakopo Petelo-Mapu and captain Miracle Faiilagi’s tries looked like they were going to blow Romania away through their power and precision.
What followed, though, was an incredible comeback that no one expected. Trailing 31-14, Andrei Savin gave the Oaks a huge boost with a try from a maul. As Romania built the pressure, they were fully back in it as the ball was spread to Marius Simionescu to bring them back to within a score.
Danny Toala kept his composure to slot a penalty with less than 10 minutes remaining, just to keep Romania at bay until the end. Gabriel Rupanu’s missed penalty looked like it was going to ensure it was Samoa’s day.
However, the Oaks’ resilience knew no bounds, and they instantly responded with captain Cristi Boboc spotting the gap and diving over.
The drama did not end there as 14-man Samoa, with a minute to play, were awarded a penalty in front of the posts for not releasing. As the penalty was given, the men in blue let out an almighty roar as if the full-time whistle had already sounded, and with Toala again knocking it over, Samoa just needed to hold on for one more minute.
In another twist, Samoa gave away a penalty, and Romania had a lineout inside the Samoan 22 to win the match. The ball was spread left, and Samoa held firm, but as the Oaks built the phases, super-sub Alexandru Savin picked the ball up and drove over to clinch it for Romania and seal a remarkable comeback.
Speaking after the game, Samoa captain Miracle Faiilagi could barely find the words to sum up what had happened, attributing the loss to their "discipline, which let us down."
An equally stunned but delighted Jacob Immelman said the win had "saved the tour" as Romania claimed their first victory of the tournament.
URUGUAY 40-42 HONG KONG CHINA: Hong Kong China edge Uruguay with last-gasp penalty
Both sides entered this final match of the Americas leg of the Nations Cup seeking their first win, and what unfolded was a fantastic spectacle.
From the outset, it was action-packed. Twenty-five minutes in, a Joaquin Myszka try, followed by penalties from Paul Altier and a try from Alexander Post, gave Hong Kong China a slender lead.
Los Teros held a comfortable 26-13 lead at half-time, with Joaquin Myszka scoring back-to-back hat-tricks. The Uruguayan hooker was having a great day at the back of the driving maul, which Hong Kong China had no answer for.
A score from Manuel Diana followed Myszka’s third try, and the Uruguay attack found countless ways to break through the Hong Kong China defensive line. Juan Manuel Alonso’s brilliant turn of pace and finish in the corner gave Hong Kong China a mountain to climb.
Spurred on by an audacious grubber and finish from Matthew Worley, Hong Kong China unlocked the potential they had been waiting to unleash all tournament. A penalty try, and scores from Marcus Rampage and Brendon Nell put Hong Kong China in dreamland and left Uruguay completely stunned. Twenty-eight unanswered points later, and with 12 minutes remaining, Hong Kong China were six points ahead, and a famous win was on the cards.
A nail-biting final 10 minutes looked as though Uruguay would snatch it at the death as Francisco Gonzalez Capdevila’s brave finish in the corner put Los Teros just one point behind. From the touchline, Jean Cotarmanac'h nailed the conversion, and after a narrow loss and a draw, it looked like Uruguay would finally be rewarded with a win.
Clearly, however, Montevideo was not finished providing drama. From the restart, Altier was taken out in the air by Alfonso Vidal, and the penalty was duly awarded. The look on Mateo Perillo’s face said it all, as the Uruguayans could not believe there was one more twist in the tale.
With nerves of steel and an already perfect day from the boot, Altier stepped up from distance and landed the penalty that sealed an historic victory, sparking jubilant scenes for Hong Kong China.
Captain Felipe Aliaga barely had any words post-match as Uruguay had, for the third time, narrowly missed out on a first Nations Cup win.
His Hong Kong China counterpart Joshua Hrstich said it was a win that had "shown the world we're a team to be reckoned with when we turn up, and there’s no question of our place in this Nations Cup."
CHILE 22-49 GEORGIA: Los Cóndores blown away by Georgia, who complete a perfect first phase
After two nail-biting thrillers, it was the turn of Chile and Georgia, two of the three teams to have won every match so far, to face off in Santiago.
A hectic first half ensued as Batchuki Tchumbadze opened the scoring, taking advantage of Chile’s early poor discipline, which saw them reduced to 14 men after just three minutes.
Two tries followed from Vakhtang Jintcharadze and Luka Ivanishvili, and with another yellow card for Chile, the Lelos built a commanding lead. Chile fought back with a try in the corner from Manuel Bustamante.
Georgia never panicked, though, and despite Tornike Kakhoidze being shown a yellow card, Beka Shvangiradze powered over for Georgia’s bonus-point try just three minutes later.
A Santiago Videla try gave Chile some momentum going into the break, but as the two teams emerged for the second half, there was only one team in cruise control.
The Lelos were fantastic: physically dominant, disciplined and ultimately giving Chile no breathing space. Their efforts were rewarded with tries from Tornike Kakhoidze, Ioane Iashagashvili and Vakhtang Jintcharadze, cementing a comfortable seven-try victory and a third win in three matches.
In the dying seconds, Chile managed to grab a try through Matias Dittus, but it was merely a consolation as it brought an end to a one-sided second half and an emphatic Georgia victory.
Speaking after the match, Chile captain Martin Sigren said he "was disappointed we have nothing to show for it, and it’s always the aim to win in front of our own fans."
As debutant Giorgi Pertaia celebrated afterwards with a backflip, Georgia finished the first phase as the side to beat, bouncing back brilliantly from their Rugby Europe Men's Championship 2026 final defeat earlier in the year.
TONGA 28-32 PORTUGAL: Card-fest and end-to-end thriller as Portugal hold out for narrow win
After two tightly contested encounters earlier in the day, Tonga and Portugal produced another thrilling finish in Winnipeg, with Portugal securing a dramatic win to back up their victory over hosts Canada last weekend.
The opening exchanges were dominated by the boot, as Patrick Pellegrini kicked Tonga into an early six-point lead before Otunuku Jr Pauta crossed for the first try of the afternoon. Portugal responded immediately through Raffaele Storti, and despite Taniela Filimone restoring Tonga’s advantage, Os Lobos struck twice through Manuel Cardoso Pinto and Nuno Mascarenhas to take a 19-16 lead into half-time.
Portugal extended their advantage early in the second half when Storti grabbed his second try, but the momentum threatened to shift dramatically in the 55th minute when captain José Madeira was shown a yellow card for head contact, leaving Os Lobos to navigate a crucial period with 14 men against a physically dominant Tongan pack.
Tonga capitalised through the individual genius of Telusa Veainu before Pellegrini's conversion levelled the scores. Samuel Marques edged Portugal back in front with a penalty, and minutes later Andre Cunha's try looked to have given Os Lobos breathing room, but Solomone Kata sprinted over in the corner almost immediately to set up a tense finale.
Despite being severely tested during Madeira's absence and facing relentless Tongan pressure in the closing stages, Portugal defended superbly to hold on for a hard-fought victory, making it two wins from three in the Nations Cup.
USA 29-22 SPAIN: The Eagles make it three from three at home
USA and Spain produced another thrilling finish in Raleigh with the Eagles securing a dramatic victory to complete a perfect three-from-three campaign on home soil.
The two sides met in North Carolina for the second successive year after Spain claimed their first-ever victory over the Eagles in Charlotte in 2024, but this time it was the state capital of Raleigh playing host. The opening exchanges were fiercely contested before Dominic Besag's break put the USA in a dangerous position. The ball eventually found Mitch Wilson, who crossed for the opening try of the afternoon.
Spain responded immediately through Estanislao Bay, whose perfectly weighted pass released Martiniano Cian. The centre produced a superb break before returning the ball for Bay to finish a brilliant move. It was another outstanding moment from the Los Leones scrum-half, who has been one of the standout performers of the tournament.
Paddy Ryan restored the Eagles' advantage from a scrum deep inside the Spanish 22. The momentum shifted in the 28th minute when Perry Mayo was shown a yellow card for accidentally taking out Jaime Manteca in the air, leaving the hosts to defend with 14 men. Spain piled on the pressure and eventually broke through when Manteca collected on the blindside, stepped inside and crossed after several minutes camped inside the USA 22.
Despite being a man down, the USA showed tremendous resilience and repeatedly forced Spain into conceding penalties. From a lineout, they patiently built the phases before Julian Roberts finished in the corner to hand the hosts a 19-12 lead at half-time.
Spain struck first after the restart when a brilliant interception from Bay released Martiniano Cian to level the scores. Gonzalo López then nudged Los Leones in front with a superb penalty in what had become a tense and attritional second half. López had the chance to extend the lead moments later from almost exactly the same position but pushed his effort wide.
The USA finally pulled back ahead through Perry Mayo, who atoned for his earlier sin-bin with a brilliant individual try. The winger burst through the defensive line, bounced off would-be tacklers and powered over to restore the Eagles' advantage.
The USA enjoyed the better possession throughout the closing stages and were rewarded with a penalty eight minutes from time, stretching their lead and delighting the Raleigh crowd. Spain searched desperately for a route back into the contest, but when an attacking maul was held up and a scrum awarded to the hosts in the closing moments, the Eagles closed the game out to secure a hard-fought victory.
Spain captain Alvaro Garcia Albo said his side “are happy with the performances but there’s still much improvement and we have to keep working.”
USA captain Jason Damm, whose leadership has been exemplary these last three matches, attributed this early success for his side to “the bench whose impact has been unreal and who throw their bodies around, which generates these wins.”
CANADA 23-19 ZIMBABWE: Peter Nelson’s boot the difference as Canada avoid a late Zimbabwe surge to get their first win
The two sides met for the first time, with both looking to avoid ending the first half of their Nations Cup campaign without a victory. Unwavering defence defined the opening exchanges as neither side could find an early breakthrough. By the first cooling break after 20 minutes, the score remained 0-0, a stark contrast to the five high-scoring encounters that had preceded it.
The deadlock was eventually broken by the boot of Peter Nelson, whose two penalties put Canada six points in front. Moments later, play was brought to a halt due to a lightning delay, interrupting the hosts' growing momentum.
When play resumed, Canada piled the pressure on the Zimbabwe defence and earned another penalty inside the 22. With most expecting Nelson to take the straightforward three points, the fly-half instead took a quick tap before producing a perfectly weighted cross-field kick that landed in the hands of Mason Flesch, who finished in the corner. Nelson added the conversion to cap a bold piece of attacking play, sending Canada into half-time with a commanding 13-0 advantage.
The second half began in similarly attritional fashion, with points once again proving difficult to come by. Twelve minutes after the restart, Nelson's boot continued to make the difference as he landed a superb penalty from inside his own half to extend Canada's advantage.
Zimbabwe knew they had to get themselves on the scoreboard and eventually found a breakthrough with their powerful driving maul. Liam Larkan peeled away from the back to crash over, cutting the deficit and giving the Sables renewed belief.
The momentum, however, proved short-lived. Straight from the restart, Canada capitalised on a loose ball inside their opponent's 22, with Calixto Martinez reacting quickest to dive over for a crucial try just two minutes after Zimbabwe had scored.
Zimbabwe refused to go away and continued to build momentum as the half wore on. Canada were forced into a prolonged defensive effort before Cleopas Kundiona eventually forced his way over to keep the contest alive.
A late Zimbabwean surge piled further pressure on the Canadian defence, with their replacement winger Dion Khumalo crossing in the corner to set up one final opportunity. The Sables launched one last attack from deep inside their own half, but a crucial handling error brought the game to an end, allowing Canada to hold on for a hard-fought victory and finish this set of Nations Cup fixtures on a winning note.
Sables’ captain Tino Mavesere, despite being gutted with their third loss, said “there are a lot of positives to take, and unfortunately today we just couldn’t quite catch up.”
Canada captain Andrew Quattrin said afterwards: “We wrote the wrongs of seven days ago, and we did a phenomenal job tonight, especially with our kick-chase.”
