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Three players of American interest will be participating in Southern Hemisphere finals this weekend. Chris Baumann, Marcel Brache, and Toni Pulu are set to take part in the knock-out stages of their respective competitions with Eagles selectors sure to be keen observers.
Baumann has enjoyed a fine season with the Wellington Lions, starting all but one match at tighthead prop and holding his own both in the scrum and in the loose. Already the incumbent no3 for the Eagles, he can be expected to resume that role when he returns to international duty following the completion of his Wellington commitments. The Lions host North Harbour at Westpac Stadium on Saturday with the winner advancing the the Mitre 10 Cup Challenge grand final.
Currently uncapped but reportedly firmly in the targets of John Mitchell, Brache will start on the right wing for the Perth Spirit in their National Rugby Championship grand final against the NSW Country Eagles at Tamworth Rugby Park, some 250 miles north of Sydney, on Saturday. Born in Los Angeles but a resident of South Africa from the age of four, Brache has until now turned down overtures from USA selectors but could be a surprise inclusion with the team for the November tests is named next week.
Pulu is also California-born but has played international 7s for Niue. He can still play for the Eagles if he uses the Olympic loophole and would be eligible to do so immediately, but it looks increasingly unlikely that he will choose that option having renewed his Super Rugby contract with the Chiefs for a further two years. Pulu is likely to be named in the Counties Manukau team to rematch Canterbury in Christchurch on Sunday in the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership semi-final.
