New names in Eagles Elite Squad

USA Rugby has announced their first Eagles Elite Training Squad, a new initiative created USAR Director of Performance Alex Magleby in conjunction with Mike Friday and John Mitchell to more closely monitor and prepare players for elite level performance. Similar to the Elite Player squad program currently in use by England Rugby, squads will be named bi-annually with revisions made in January and July.

Players involved in both the national 7s and XVs program have been lumped together into one enlarged senior training group that will report to Head Performance Coach Chris Brown on a regular basis over the course of the selection period. Also named is a 12-player Development Training Group comprised of younger players on the cusp of senior national selection.

Included in the 35-strong XVs group are two players new to Eagles assemblies. San Francisco Golden Gate winger Pila Huihui and loose forward Harry Higgins of Old Blue make their first appearance on an Eagles roster. Huihui has been tabbed by many for international selection after record try-scoring exploits in the Pacific Rugby Premiership, and was seen by many as a surprise absentee from the Americas Rugby Championship squad. Higgins is a native of Brisbane, Australia, who now qualifies on residency after attending Arkansas State. The 24-year-old was a Collegiate All-American in 2014 and offers a good mix of size and athleticism.

Two more uncapped players are present, with prop Angus MacLellan returning after recovering from ACL surgery that ruled him out of World Cup contention. Flanker Bruce Thomas was part of the original group named for the ARC but had to withdraw due to injury. Ben Tarr, Tom Coolican, and Al McFarland are back in the picture after missing the ARC, as are senior professionals Samu Manoa and Andrew Durutalo.

A number of players have been left disappointed, including hookers Mike Sosene-Feagai and Cam Falcon, midfielders Mike Garrity and Ryan Matyas, and wing duo Kingsley McGowan and Tim Stanfill, all of whom were part of the ARC squad. Loose forward Pat Blair and scrumhalf Niku Kruger miss out, and there is no place for injured veterans Matt Trouville and Nick Edwards. World Cup squad members Zach Fenoglio, John Quill, and Seamus Kelly are also notable absentees.

A half-dozen of the ARC squad have been included in the Development Training Group. Prop Demecus Beach, flankers Hanco Germishuys and Alec Gletzer, fullback Jake Anderson, and Lindenwood stars Lorenzo Thomas and Deion Mikesell are all named. Junior All-American goal kicker Ben Cima is another notable, as well as France-based lock Christian Ostberg and current 7s squad member Seth Halliman.

While Mitchell has expressed his desire to include members of Friday’s 7s squad in his future camps, the release confirmed that the 18 players named as part of the 7s program will not be available for XVs selection until after the Rio Oympics in August. Barring injury it now appears the Eagles roster for the June internationals against Italy and Russia will come entirely from the 35 named to the Elite Training Group.

PRO Rugby is strongly represented among the selections, with 15 in the Elite Squad and another six in the Development Group set to take part in the competition. The selections also seem to confirm that New York-based players will not take part in the inaugural season. Huihui and Thomas are curiously yet to be named to any teams despite being prime candidates for the San Francisco franchise.

While both the XVs and 7s squads come under the same EETS banner, the two groups have been separated below for ease of reading. Club listings for 7s squad members are their most recent domestic affiliations. All cap totals refer to senior XVs test matches only.

EAGLES ELITE TRAINING SQUAD

NAME	POS	HGT	WGT	DOB	CAPS	CLUB
Baumann, Chris	PR	1.88 6-2	122 270	May 18 1987	9	Denver
Fry, Eric	PR	1.93 6-4	119 260	Sep 14 1987	40	Newcastle Falcons (UK)
Kilifi, Olive	PR	1.80 5-11	124 275	Sep 28 1986	19	Sacramento
Lamositele, Titi	PR	1.80 5-11	127 280	Feb 11 1995	17	Saracens (UK)
MacLellan, Angus	PR	1.85 6-1	116 255	Aug 24 1992	–	Ohio
Tarr, Ben	PR	1.80 5-11	113 250	Mar 17 1994	2	Denver
Coolican, Tom	HO	1.85 6-1	105 230	Aug 26 1988	8	San Francisco
Hilterbrand, James	HO	1.84 6-0	112 245	May 21 1989	1	Waratahs (AU)
Taufete’e, Joseph	HO/PR	1.84 6-0	123 270	Apr 10 1992	5	San Diego
Brakeley, Nate	LO/FL	1.96 6-5	110 240	Aug 31 1989	3	N.Y.A.C.
King, James	LO	2.00 6-7	111 245	Mar 16 1987	1	Yakult Levins (JP)
Landry, Ben	LO	1.98 6-6	123 270	Mar 26 1991	4	Denver
Manoa, Samu	LO/N8	1.98 6-6	122 270	Mar 15 1985	15	Toulon (FR)
Orth, Brodie	LO	2.01 6-7	118 260	1982	4	Denver
Peterson, Greg	LO	2.04 6-8	125 275	Mar 26 1991	11	Glasgow Warriors (UK)
Clever, Todd	FL	1.93 6-4	103 225	Jan 16 1983	66	Newcastle Falcons (UK)
Dolan, Cam	FL/LO	1.98 6-6	114 250	Mar 7 1990	20	Cardiff Blues (UK)
Durutalo, Andrew	FL	1.86 6-1	110 240	Oct 25 1987	12	Sunwolves (JP)
Higgins, Harrison	FL/N8	1.93 6-4	105 230	Oct 8 1991	–	Old Blue
McFarland, Al	FL	1.93 6-4	109 240	Jun 2 1989	9	N.Y.A.C.
Schirmer, Aladdin	FL	1.90 6-3	102 225	Dec 31 1992	2	Central Washington
Thomas, Bruce	FL	1.83 6-0	100 220	Jun 8 1987	–	S.F.G.G.
Tameilau, David	N8	1.95 6-5	123 270	Jan 22 1990	4	San Francisco
Bliss, Tom	SH	1.79 5-10	87 190	Mar 12 1993	1	San Diego
Te’o, Mike	SH/FB	1.72 5-8	93 205	Jul 23 1993	4	San Diego
Bird, James	FH	1.78 5-10	93 205	Jan 14 1989	3	Old Blue
Eloff, J.P.	FH	1.78 5-10	84 185	May 28 1991	4	Ohio
MacGinty, A.J.	FH	1.85 6-1	91 200	Feb 26 1990	8	Connacht (IR)
Filikitonga, Lemoto	CE	1.85 6-1	111 245	May 25 1993	1	Metropolis
London, Chad	CE	1.85 6-1	101 220	Sep 27 1988	5	Denver
Suniula, Andrew	CE	1.86 6-1	108 240	May 1 1982	39	San Diego
Huihui, Pila	WI	1.80 5-11	86 190	Dec 30 1989	–	S.F.G.G.
Hume, Luke	WI	1.75 5-9	87 190	Feb 1 1988	19	Old Blue
Ngwenya, Takudzwa	WI	1.78 5-10	86 190	Jul 22 1985	35	San Diego
Scully, Blaine	FB	1.90 6-3	100 220	Feb 29 1988	29	Cardiff Blues (UK)

 

EAGLES ELITE SEVENS SQUAD

NAME	POS	HGT	WGT	DOB	CAPS	CLUB
Bender, Garrett	FL	1.94 6-4	102 225	Dec 2 1991	–	O.M.B.A.C.
Pinkelman, Ben	FL	1.93 6-4	98 215	Jun 13 1994	–	Denver Barbarians
Barrett, Danny	N8	1.91 6-3	105 230	Mar 23 1990	13	S.F.G.G.
Augspurger, Nate	SH	1.72 5-8	75 165	Jan 31 1990	–	Old Blue
Hughes, Madison	SH	1.75 5-9	80 175	Oct 26 1992	–	Dartmouth
Suniula, Shalom	SH/FH	1.72 5-8	86 190	May 6 1988	16	Seattle Saracens
Holder, Will	FH	1.88 6-2	95 210	Mar 19 1991	3	O.M.B.A.C.
Tomasin, Stephen	FH/CE	1.78 5-10	90 200	Sep 25 1994	–	O.M.B.A.C.
Iosefo, Martin	CE	1.85 6-1	98 215	Jan 13 1990	–	Montana
Leuta, Matai	CE	1.91 6-3	107 235	Jul 20 1990	–	Cal State
Niua, Folau	CE	1.83 6-0	93 205	Jan 27 1985	17	S.F.G.G.
Palamo, Thretton	CE	1.91 6-3	115 255	Sep 22 1988	13	O.M.B.A.C.
Unufe, Maka	CE/WI	1.87 6-2	92 200	Sep 28 1991	–	Provo Steelers
Baker, Perry	WI	1.85 6-1	83 180	Jun 29 1986	–	1823
Isles, Carlin	WI	1.73 5-8	76 165	Nov 21 1989	–	Gentlemen of Aspen
Test, Zack	WI	1.91 6-3	93 205	Oct 13 1989	6	Unattached
Thompson, Brett	WI	1.93 6-4	100 220	Aug 17 1990	6	Tempe
Tiberio, Peter	FB	1.80 5-11	85 185	Apr 26 1989	–	Seattle Saracens

 

EAGLES DEVELOPMENT TRAINING GROUP

NAME	POS	HGT	WGT	DOB	CAPS	CLUB
Beach, Demecus	PR	1.89 6-2	120 265	Dec 28 1987	2	Ohio
Ostberg, Christian	LO	2.00 6-7	114 250	Jul 19 1994	–	Aurillac (FR)
Germishuys, Hanco	FL/HO	1.86 6-1	105 230	Aug 24 1996	1	Denver
Gletzer, Alec	FL	1.85 6-1	103 225	Oct 10 1991	2	San Francisco
Motokana, Jope	SH	1.73 5-8	86 190		–	Sacramento
Cima, Ben	FH	1.85 6-1	89 195	Mar 20 1996	–	Rocky Gorge
Konrad, Kalei	FH	1.76 5-9	86 190	Jan 24 1992	–	San Diego
Audsley, Dylan	CE	1.80 5-11	89 195	Jan 15 1994	–	St. Mary’s
Halliman, Seth	CE/FB	1.88 6-2	91 200	May 24 1995	–	Central Washington
Thomas, Lorenzo	CE	1.90 6-3	106 235	Jan 22 1997	2	Lindenwood
Mikesell, Deion	WI	1.83 6-0	100 220	1997	1	Lindenwood
Anderson, Jake	FB	1.88 6-2	95 210	Jan 22 1992	3	San Francisco