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Pool C will conclude on Sunday in Osaka. The USA Eagles vs Tonga is the 9th fixture out of 10 from the pool but is the final game due to England vs France having been cancelled. For both competitors Sunday’s fixture is a must-win to avoid bottom spot in the pool and to go home with a victory.
Tonga go in to the game following a brave performance against France in Kumamoto. The USA have had the minimum of three rest days for the match. The physicality of the contest will thereby push the Eagles to the limit.
Head Coach Toutai Kefu has elevated Siua Halanukonuka from the bench to start at tight head prop opposite Eric Fry. The remaining changes are both on the wings with Viliami Lolohea, and Afa Pakalani earning starts and Cooper Vuna dropped from the 23.
USA Head Coach Gary Gold has followed through with his pre-RWC statement of fielding the top players for all matches. This sees just three changes from the side that faced Argentina on Wednesday. The changes see starts for second-rower Nick Civetta; flanker Malon Al-Jiboori; and fullback Will Hooley.
All three players will be fresh for the challenge of Tonga. Hooley was on the bench against Los Pumas for thee mid-week match while Civetta and Al-Jiboori were not involved. For Al-Jiboori Sunday’s game will be his first, and only, appearance of RWC 2019.
The one player other than Al-Jiboori yet to make an appearance for the USA is James Hilterbrand. The hooker has been named on the bench covering Joe Taufete’e.
The Eagles have beaten Tonga on just one previous occasion, their first meeting at San Francisco in May 1999. Since then they have dropped eight straight including a 25-15 loss at Montpellier during RWC 2007 and 20-17 at the neutral venue of San Sebastian, Spain, in November 2016.
In World Rankings the USA are ranked 15th and Tonga 16th. The unpredictability of the match is underlined by this very fact. Based on performances thus far and rest days Tonga enter as favorites to win by a margin of 4 points.
TEAMS
USA
1 Eric Fry, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Titi Lamositele, 4 Greg Peterson, 5 Nick Civetta, 6 Tony Lamborn, 7 Malon Al-Jiboori, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 AJ MacGinty, 11 Marcel Brache, 12 Paul Lasike, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Blaine Scully (capt.), 15 Will Hooley
Replacements: 16 James Hilterbrand, 17 Olive Kilifi, 18 Paul Mullen, 19 Ben Landry, 20 Hanco Germishuys, 21 Ben Pinkelman, 22 Nate Augspurger, 23 Mike Te’o
TONGA
1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 3 Siua Halanukonuka, 4 Sam Lousi, 5 Leva Fifita, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Zane Kapeli, 8 Ma’ama Vaipulu, 9 Tane Takulua, 10 James Faiva, 11 Viliami Lolohea, 12 Siale Piutau (capt.), 13 Mali Hingano, 14 Afa Pakalani, 15 Telusa Veainu
Replacements: 16 Siua Maile, 17 Vunipola Fifita, 18 Ma’afu Fia, 19 Dan Faleafa, 20 Nasi Manu, 21 Leon Fukofuka, 22 Latiume Fosita, 23 David Halaifonua
Date: Sunday, October 13
Venue: Hanazono Stadium, Osaka
Kickoff: 14:45 local (Saturday 22:45 Pacific, 01:45 Eastern, 02:45 Rio de la Plata)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistants: Jérôme Garcès (France) & Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO: Graham Hughes (England)
Broadcasts: ESPN 3 (Latin/South America), NBCSN (USA), TSN 1/4 (Canada)
