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There has been no shortage of players in the Top 14 from the Americas over the years. Who, though, have been the greatest? Americas Rugby News has selected 25 players who have performed with distinction for French clubs in Top 14 and European competition.
25 – Luke Gross (Harlequins 1996-1998, Rotherham 2003-2004, Newcastle Falcons 2004-2006)
One of the first American players to cross the pond into the ranks of the Premiership was the towering lock from Indiana. Gross played for three clubs over the span of a decade, with stops in Italy and Wales along the way. At 206cm (6’9″) he is one of the Premiership’s tallest ever players, and his commitment to the dirty work, especially at the set piece, was exemplary.
24 Juan Manuel Leguizamón (London Irish 2005-2008)
Having performed so well at the age of 21 for Argentina against the British & Irish Lions in 2005, Leguizamón was signed by London Irish the following season. He was made famous for the wrong reasons, though, as an attempted dive went horribly wrong as he knocked on and botched a simple try. For three seasons the Pumas star was an effective loose forward, but never quite reached the heights he would later in his career in France.
23 – Richard Thorpe (London Irish 2005-2012, Leicester 2012-2013, London Welsh 2014-2015)
An unusual Americas player in that he qualifies through his mother, but also because he delayed his international debut for Canada until aged 30 in 2014. Thorpe had been a consistent and versatile player the Premiership for the best part of a decade at the time, and was part of the Exiles side that made the Heineken cup semi-finals in 2008, and the Premiership final in 2009.
22 – Jebb Sinclair (London Irish 2011-present)
The big flanker or second row from Fredericton, New Brunswick, became a cult hero in the 2011 World Cup as one of the ‘Beardos’, and his abrasive style earned him his first professional contract immediately following. He has been a regular in the Exiles side since, apart from a six-month stint in South Africa on loan to the Stormers and Western Province, where he won a Currie Cup in 2012.
21 – Mike MacDonald (Worcester Warriors 2005-2006, Leeds Tykes 2007-2012)
The most capped Eagle of all-time had a very long professional career in England. Never a star, but a respected professional who never gave less than his best and became a fan favorite at Leeds. Some of the accolades he earned during his time include being named Tykes’ Player of the Season in 2007-08 and captaining the team for the 2008-09 season.
20 – Blaine Scully (Leicester Tigers 2013-2015)
‘Fortune favors the brave’ is a good way to describe how Scully performed in the Premiership. His arrival was initially as a medical joker for Gonzalo Camacho, and Scully took the bull by the horns to play 24 Premiership matches, starting 21 of them. The Californian also played in both the European Champions Cup and the Anglo-Welsh Cup before signing with Cardiff Blues at the end of last season.
19 – Al Charron (Bristol 1998-2000)
Big Al also spent two seasons with Moseley in the second division before moving to Bristol. Both English clubs acknowledged his importance and he won Supporters’ Player of the Season in 1996-97 with Moseley and 1998-99 with Bristol. He didn’t have a long stay in the Premiership, but he certainly made his mark.
18 – Gonzalo Tiesi (London Irish 2005-2008, Harlequins 2008-2010, L Welsh 2012-2013, Newcastle 2013-present)
If it were not for injury Tiesi may very well be sitting in a much higher ranking. So good was he for the Harlequins that he was named in the Premiership Dream Team in 2009. Now aged 30, the Argentine midfielder is yet to win a title and his total of 66 matches for premiership clubs is far lower than it ought to be. He was a vital cog in the Harlequins downing Stade Français home and away in 2008.
17 – Phil Murphy (London Irish 2003-2008)
The dynamic Canadian no8 was a mainstay with London Irish after joining from Perpignan. During his five years with the club he played in 134 matches, and was a prominent figure in a Challenge Cup final appearance in 2006 and a Heineken Cup semi-final in 2008. Arguably the best Canadian of the modern era never to play in a World Cup, disputes with the management kept him from fulfilling his potential.
16 – Horacio Agulla (Leicester Tigers 2010-2012, Bath 2012-present)
As the only amateur player in the 2007 World Cup semi-finals, it was just a matter of time before a European club signed Agulla. The first to do so was Dax, the second Brive. After three years he moved to Leicester on a two year deal and appeared on the losing side of the Premiership final in his first season as a Tiger. The Pumas winger played 48 matches for Leicester and has made 35 Premiership appearances for Bath to date, including appearing in the 2014 Challenge Cup Final, losing against Northampton.
15 – Dave Lougheed (Leicester Tigers 1998-2000)
Hard-running Canadian wing Dave Lougheed had two good years with the Leicester Tigers either side of the 1999 World Cup. He played 37 matches in total with an impressive haul of 18 tries and won the Premiership both years. He announced his retirement following the 1999-2000 season, but played twice for Gloucester as a medical joker before finally calling it quits for good.
14 – Marcelo Bosch (Saracens 2013-present)
Having started his professional career with Biarritz as a flyhalf, it was at outside centre where where Bosch grew into one of the best players in Europe. Saracens brought him in ahead of the 2013-14 season and the Argentina star made an immediate impact with his strong defense and long-range goal kicking. Bosch played in both the Heineken Cup and Aviva Premiership finals in his first season with the club, and took home the Premiership title in 2015.
13 – Winston Stanley (Leicester Tigers 2000-2001, Leeds Tykes 2001-2003)
One of Canada’s brightest players at the 1999 World Cup, Stanley went on to play three years in England. The richly talented winger didn’t take long to find success in his new environment, playing a key role in the Leicester Tigers side that won both the Premiership and the Heineken Cup in 2001. After a couple injury-plagued years with Leeds, he hung up his competitive boots at the end of the 2003 World Cup.
12 – Gonzalo Camacho (Harlequins 2009-2011, Exeter 2011-2013, Leicester 2013-present)
The ever-present winger that is ‘Gonzo’ burst onto the international scene in 2009 by appearing in the Rugby Sevens World Cup Final and scoring a try in Argentina’s victory over England. In his second season for Harlequins he scored the Challenge Cup winning try in 2011. After moving to Exeter that year, he won the Aviva Premiership Game Changer of the season. Leicester picked him up in 2013 but injuries delayed his Tigers debut for an incredible two years, and he is now hoping to make up for lost time.
11 – Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Sale Sharks 2006-2009)
Having arrived at the reigning English champion side on his first professional contract, Juan Martín quickly rose to be a permanent fixture in the back row. So impressed was Sale with ‘Corcho’ that he was named club captain, leading the team in the 2008-2009 season. It would be his final year as he received a big money offer to join Toulon whom he has gone on to win the Top 14 and three European titles.
10 – Roberto Grau (Saracens 1997-2000)
As tough as nails, Grau played three years in England after arriving from Transvaal in South Africa. The former Pumas loosehead was one of the standout props in the Premiership during his time with Saracens, where he played in a star-studded forward pack alongside the likes of Francois Pienaar, Richard Hill, and Paul Wallace. A fearsome sight with ball in hand, restrictions on foreign players forced Grau out of Saracens and from there he moved on to play in France.
9 – Felipe Contepomi (Bristol 2000-2003)
‘Dr. Phil’ began his professional career in the English west country with Bristol. Along with countryman Agustín Pichot he formed an outstanding halfback combination in the 2002 Premiership Final. Bristol lost 28-22 but Contepomi kicked all his goals. His exceptional goal-kicking continued in the following season, where he kicked six goals as Bristol defeated Clermont at the Marcel Michelin in the Heineken Cup.
8 – Ignacio Fernández Lobbe (Sale Sharks 2004-2008, Northampton 2008-2010, Bath 2010-2011)
After beginning his career in France, ‘Nacho’ moved to England in his fifth year as a pro. There he won both the Challenge Cup and Premiership title with the Sharks, both times starting in the second row. Despite having retired from Los Pumas in 2008, he continued playing in England, excelling with Northampton. In fact so good was he that Bath brought him in out of retirement for one final run.
7 – Chris Wyles (Northampton Saints 2006-2007, Saracens 2007-present)
Approaching 200 games for Saracens, the USA Eagles captain is beyond question not only one of the USA’s greatest performers in English rugby but also one of the Americas. Having initially played for Nottingham in the second division and then on to Northampton, it was Saracens who he shined brightest for. He was nominated as Player of the Season in 2009-2010 and was the second best try scorer in the 2014-2015 season. He won the Aviva Premiership Final in 2011 and 2015 and was a Heineken Cup Finalists in 2014.
6 – Agustín Pichot (Richmond 1997-1999, Bristol 1999-2003)
As was the case with the Americas Greatest 25 in the Top 14, the former Pumas captain finds himself ranked very highly in the Premiership. He played in finals in both the Top 14 and the Premiership and also achieved the feat of scoring tries in both English and French club finals. His playing for Richmond made him one of the most known Pumas at the 1999 World Cup and set the foundation for what was to follow professionally and at international level.
5 – Federico Mendez (Bath 1997-1998, Northampton Saints 1998-2000)
Infamous for knocking out England lock Paul Ackford when he was still a teenager, Mendez was a no-nonsense character who could play all across the front row. It was at hooker where he played the majority of his rugby in England, and where ‘Freddie’ won two European Championship titles, firstly for Bath and secondly for Northampton. In doing so he became the first player ever to win the title on two occasions. Neither club has won since. Generally regarded as one of the best hookers in the world at his peak, the Pumas legend moved to France and then South Africa before retiring in 2005.
4 – Gareth Rees (Wasps 1985-1989 & 1996-1999, Harlequins 1999-2000)
Easily Canada’s greatest professional export and arguably their greatest ever international, Rees joined Wasps as an 18-year-old in 1985 and started in a the cup final against Bath in April of 1986. After spending time back home in Canada he then starred with Newport in Wales before returning to Wasps as a professional in 1996. Rees captained Wasps as a flyhalf against a World XV in 1997, and then won the Premiership in 1998 as a fullback. He also featured in the Tetley’s final in 1999, where he set a cup final points scoring record. His ended his career with Harlequins a year later before moving into the management side of the game. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
3 – Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints 2011-2015)
After playing 84 Premiership matches and another 27 in Europe, Manoa departed for Toulon as an irreplaceable loss to Northampton. Having lost the 2013 Premiership final, Manoa then won both the 2014 Premiership and Challenge Cup finals. The powerhouse Eagles forward was recognized with a spot in the Premiership Dream Team in his first season as a pro. He would also win the supporters’ Player of the Year in 2012-13 and was voted the Saints Supporters’ Player of the Season in consecutive seasons. For the Saints he scored hat-tricks in both the Premiership and the Champions Cup.
2 – Marcos Ayerza (Leicester Tigers 2006-present)
The loyal Ayerza is now into his 10th season playing for Leicester, for whom he has played over 220 games. He joined the club at the age of 23 and after defeating England with Argentina at Twickenham in 2006, he would return to HQ to win Premiership Finals in 2007, 2009, 2010 as well as in 2013 when he missed the final due to injury. ‘El Toro’ was also a finalist with Leicester in the 2011 and 2012 Premierships, the 2007 and 2009 Champions Cups, and is a two-time winner of the Anglo-Welsh Cup. The 32 year old loosehead continues to be rated among the best in the world in his position and is contracted with the club until June 2018.
1 – Dan Lyle (Bath 1996-2003, Leicester Tigers 2003-2004)
Joining Tom Billups, who played hooker for the Harlequins, and Gross, Lyle completed the trio of what was described as the trailblazers for U.S. rugby in Europe. His decision to take up an offer to play pro for Bath rather than play NFL for the Minnesota Vikings resulted in titles and a long-term career which included seven years with Bath. At the west country club Lyle won the 1998 Heineken Cup Final, the only Champions Cup victory in the history of the club. He also contested the 2001 Premiership final, losing to Leicester – the club where he would finish his career in England. Consistently rated by his peers as one of the top forwards in the Premiership, ‘Captain America‘ was and is the greatest ever player from the United States, and the Americas, in England’s Premiership.
