Eagles name PNC and World Cup training group

Gary Gold has named 50 players in his extended US Eagles training group for Rugby World Cup 2019. An initial squad of 40 will prepare for the Pacific Nations Cup with an extra 10 players listed who may join the team at a later date. The team will assemble next week in Colorado with their first PNC match slated for July 27 against Canada.

There is continuity as 28 of the 33 players who appeared in the Americas Rugby Championship are named for the PNC. Of the exceptions Dino Waldren and David Tameilau are in the extended squad, Dylan Audsley is ruled out with a serious ankle injury, while Nick Boyer and Tadhg Leader are excluded.

Returning to the squad for the first time since 2016 is Auckland hooker Mike Sosene-Feagai and Houston SaberCats center Thretton Palamo, while New York tighthead Paddy Ryan is back from a two-year absence. Flanker pair Tony Lamborn and Psalm Wooching return after missing out on the ARC, as is San Diego scrumhalf Nate Augspurger.

Of note is the inclusion of three USA Sevens squad members – Ben Pinkelman, Madison Hughes, and Martin Iosefo. Pinkelman has yet to play for his country at XVs, one of two uncapped players in the main squad along with new SaberCats No8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz.

Two more new players are in the extended group, also No8s by trade. Seattle’s Riekert Hattingh has only recently qualified for the USA on residency while New York’s Ross Deacon forces his way in after impressing in Major League Rugby.

Two highly experienced but unexpected names appear on the extended roster. San Diego lock Louis Stanfill and New York scrumhalf Mike Petri retired from rugby following RWC 2015 but both have returned to the fray in the past year. Should either make the trip to Japan it would be their fourth World Cup.

The Eagles are in Pool C at RWC 2019 along with Argentina, England, France, and Tonga. They will play against Canada, Samoa, and Japan in the PNC before a final warm-up match against Canada in Vancouver on September 7.

FORWARDS
David Ainu’u (Toulouse, FR), Eric Fry (Vannes, FR), Olive Kilifi (Seattle Seawolves), Titi Lamositele (Saracens, UK), Paul Mullen (Houston SaberCats), Paddy Ryan (Rugby United New York), Chance Wenglewski (Rugby United New York), Dylan Fawsitt (Rugby United New York), Mike Sosene-Feagai (Auckland, NZ), James Hilterbrand (Manly Marlins, AU), Kapeli Pifeleti (San Diego Legion), Joe Taufete’e (Worcester Warriors, UK), Nate Brakeley (Rugby United New York), Nick Civetta (Doncaster Knights, UK), Ben Landry (Ealing Trailfinders, UK), Samu Manoa (Seattle Seawolves), Greg Peterson (Bordeaux Bègles, FR), Malon Al-Jiboori (Glendale Raptors), Cam Dolan (NOLA Gold), Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (Houston SaberCats), Hanco Germishuys (Glendale Raptors), Tony Lamborn (Melbourne Rebels, AU), Ben Pinkelman (USA Sevens), John Quill (Rugby United New York), Psalm Wooching (San Diego Legion)

BACKS
Nate Augspurger (San Diego Legion), Shaun Davies (Glendale Raptors), Ruben de Haas (Free State Cheetahs, SA), AJ MacGinty (Sale Sharks, UK), Will Magie (Glendale Raptors), Bryce Campbell (London Irish, UK), Martin Iosefo (USA Sevens), Paul Lasike (Harlequins, UK), Thretton Palamo (Houston SaberCats), Marcel Brache (Western Force, AU), Will Hooley (Bedford Blues, UK), Madison Hughes (USA Sevens), Gannon Moore (Utah Warriors), Blaine Scully (Cardiff Blues, UK), Mike Te’o (San Diego Legion)

EXTENDED GROUP
Dino Waldren (San Diego Legion), Siaosi Mahoni (San Diego Legion), Louis Stanfill (San Diego Legion), Ross Deacon (Rugby United New York), Riekert Hattingh (Seattle Seawolves), David Tameilau (Glasgow Warriors, UK), Mike Petri (Rugby United New York), Ben Cima (Seattle Seawolves), Ryan Matyas (San Diego Legion), Tim Maupin (NOLA Gold)