Brache named in Eagles squad for November

Western Force winger Marcel Brache is the most notable addition to the US Eagles squad for the November test series. Also comfortable in the midfield, the 29-year-old native of Los Angeles will miss the match against the Māori but will join the team for their two-match European tour. Brache, who recently won Australia’s National Rugby Championship with the Perth Spirit, has until now resisted overtures from Eagles selectors but with his window all but closed has opted to chance his arm at international rugby.

Two squads have been named for the upcoming matches. With the Māori game falling outside of the World Rugby test window, a largely domestic side has been named with only two European professionals – Titi Lamositele and Nick Civetta. Mitre 10 Cup standouts Chris Baumann and Tony Lamborn are available for the match, as is Sunwolves flanker Andrew Durutalo and Sydney Rays hooker James Hilterbrand. Lamositele and Civetta will return to their Premiership clubs following the Romania match as part of an agreement that saw them released early.

Also included in Chicago are 14 members of the USA Selects side that took part in the Americas Pacific Challenge and a few more reinforcements from the Eagles 7s team. Danny Barrett, Folau Niua, and captain Madison Hughes are in contention, with Hughes also included on the European tour list. NYAC loose forward Al McFarland is recalled for the first time since the World Cup and hard-running Metropolis back Lemoto Filikitonga has recovered from the injury suffered during the Americas Rugby Championship in February. Todd Clever will captain the side at Toyota Park, with Blaine Scully named as co-captain for the matches against Romania and Tonga.

The rest of the European-based players will join the team for the match in Bucharest. Scully and Cam Dolan arrive from Cardiff, while Samu Manoa and Taku Ngwenya are enlisted from France. Langi Haupeakui comes in from Scotland and Thretton Palamo from England. Also joining the side is uncapped Ireland-based prop Dino Waldren, who is one of nine players in the 32-man touring squad who could make their test debuts. Potential debutants are: Waldren, Civetta, Brache, Hughes, Alex Maughan, Matt Jensen, Bryce Campbell, Martin Iosefo, and Matai Leuta.

Among a handful of notable absentees is Sale Sharks flyhalf AJ MacGinty, who misses the tour with injury along with Glasgow Warriors lock Greg Peterson. Ben Landry continues to be unavailable as he pursues a career in the NFL, while others not selected who were part of the team in June are Ben Tarr, Harry Higgins, Chad London, and James King.

 

USA EAGLES (vs Māori)

FORWARDS: Chris Baumann (Wellington Lions, NZ), Titi Lamositele (Saracens, UK), Angus MacLellan (Chicago Lions / Ohio Aviators), Alex Maughan (Life), James Hilterbrand (Sydney Rays, AU), Joe Taufete’e (Belmont Shore / San Diego Breakers), Nate Brakeley (NYAC), Nick Civetta (Newcastle Falcons, UK), Matt Jensen (Brigham Young), Siaosi Mahoni (EPA Bulldogs / San Francisco Rush), Danny Barrett (USA 7s), Pat Blair (Seattle Saracens / San Diego Breakers), Todd Clever (capt., Austin Huns), Andrew Durutalo (Sunwolves, JP), Tony Lamborn (Hawke’s Bay, NZ), Al McFarland (NYAC)

BACKS: Nate Augspurger (Old Blue), Madison Hughes (USA 7s), Stephen Tomasin (USA 7s), Ben Cima (Rocky Gorge), JP Eloff (Chicago Lions / Ohio Aviators), Shalom Suniula (Seattle Saracens), Bryce Campbell (Indiana Hoosiers), Martin Iosefo (USA 7s), Folau Niua (USA 7s), Lemoto Filikitonga (Metropolis), Ahmad Harajly (Detroit Tradesmen / Ohio Aviators), Matai Leuta (USA 7s), Will Holder (Army), Mike Te’o (Belmont Shore / San Diego Breakers)

 

USA EAGLES (touring squad)

FORWARDS: Chris Baumann (Wellington Lions, NZ), *Titi Lamositele (Saracens, UK), Angus MacLellan (Chicago Lions / Ohio Aviators), Alex Maughan (Life), Dino Waldren (Blackrock, IR), James Hilterbrand (Sydney Rays, AU), Joe Taufete’e (Belmont Shore / San Diego Breakers), Nate Brakeley (NYAC), *Nick Civetta (Newcastle Falcons, UK), Matt Jensen (Brigham Young), Samu Manoa (Toulon, FR), Todd Clever (co-capt., Austin Huns), Cam Dolan (Cardiff Blues, UK), Andrew Durutalo (Sunwolves, JP), Tony Lamborn (Hawke’s Bay, NZ), Langi Haupeakui (Glasgow Warriors, UK), Al McFarland (NYAC)

BACKS: Nate Augspurger (Old Blue), Madison Hughes (USA 7s), Stephen Tomasin (USA 7s), JP Eloff (Chicago Lions / Ohio Aviators), Bryce Campbell (Indiana Hoosiers), Lemoto Filikitonga (Metropolis), Martin Iosefo (USA 7s), Thretton Palamo (Bristol, UK), Marcel Brache (Perth Spirit / Western Force, AU), Matai Leuta (USA 7s), Takudzwa Ngwenya (Brive, FR), Blaine Scully (co-capt., Cardiff Blues, UK), Will Holder (Army), Mike Te’o (Belmont Shore / San Diego Breakers)

*Romania match only

 

FIXTURES

Nov 4 – vs New Zealand Maori – Toyota Park, Chicago
Nov 12 – vs Romania – Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Nov 19 – vs Tonga – Estadio Anoeta, San Sebastián