APC Preview – Samoa vs USA

The 2017 Americas Pacific Challenge will get underway on Saturday when Samoa ‘A’ take on the USA Select XV at the Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo. Both sides will be looking for players to make a statement for possible inclusion in the upcoming November test series.

Samoa will not have any of their professional players in their ranks, and have only one capped player in Kaino Thomsen among the match day 23. Promising u20 graduate Tagaloa Fonoti completes a heavyweight midfield partnership with Thomsen while Aukuso Fruean will control the game from flyhalf. A pair of speedsters with HSBC Sevens Series experience in La’aloi Leilua and Elisapeta Alofipo threaten from the wings.

Suamalie Tuiletufuga will pose 131kg (290lbs) questions from No 8, the big man also captaining the side. Two promising youngsters in Mikaele Tapili and Joseph Fuimaono man the flanks are there is nearly 375kg (825lbs) of Samoan beef in the front row with massive teenager Noel Sanft tabbed to start at hooker.

Leading out the USA will be Collegiate All-American captain Peter Malcolm, who has fellow Eagles caps Alex Maughan and Angus MacLellan alongside in the front row. Matt Hensen, Hanco Germishuys, and Aladdin Schirmer are further capped players in the back with New Zealand-born BYU star Jackson Kaka selected at No 8.

Ben Cima partners Ruben de Haas in a young and highly promising halfback pairing, the latter still two days shy of his 19th birthday. Tim Maupin is a surprise selection in the midfield having played most of his rugby on the wing, and another New Zealander, Life West standout Martini Talapusi, makes his USA representative bow at fullback.

Kickoff is set for 11:30am local time, 10:30am Eastern. A live stream will be provided by World Rugby.

[EDIT: Kickoff is now 12pm local, 11am Eastern as per World Rugby.]

SAMOA ‘A’
1 Rodney Tapu, 2 Noel Sanft, 3 Tiamu Viliamu, 4 Ikifusi Matamu, 5 Aukusitino Ulugia, 6 Mikaele Tapili, 7 Joseph Fuimaono, 8 Suamalie Tuiletufuga (capt.), 9 Ionatana Tino, 10 Aukuso Fruean, 11 La’aloi Leilua, 12 Kaino Thomsen, 13 Tagaloa Fonoti, 14 Elisapeta Alofipo, 15 Paulo Scanlan

Replacements: 16 Ripine Fualau, 17 Tuaniu Tuaniu, 18 Setu Enoka, 19 Lester Sefo, 20 Fili Setu, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Ricky Pauli Ene, 23 Iafeta Purcell

USA SELECT XV
1 Alex Maughan, 2 Peter Malcolm (capt.), 3 Angus MacLellan, 4 Matt Jensen, 5 Brendan Daly, 6 Hanco Germishuys, 7 Aladdin Schirmer, 8 Jackson Kaka, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Ben Cima, 11 Zach Pangelinan, 12 Bryce Campbell, 13 Tim Maupin, 14 Mitch Wilson, 15 Martini Talapusi

Replacements: 16 Alex Vorster, 17 Chance Wenglewski, 18 Huluholo Mo’ungaloa, 19 Brendan Hardiman, 20 Psalm Wooching, 21 Holden Yungert, 22 JP Eloff, 23 Lemoto Filikitonga

Date: Saturday, October 7
Venue: Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
Kickoff: 12:00 local (11:00 ET, 08:00 PT)
Referee: Joaquín Montes (URU)
Broadcasts: Facebook Stream, World Rugby Stream, The Rugby Channel