Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
With today’s announcement that the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa will proceed despite the ongoing pandemic, the proposed trip to England for the USA appears to be off the table and it’s not clear who the Eagles will face. What we do know is that there are World Cup qualifiers ahead this year and new talent will need to be welcomed into the group to fill holes left by retirements.
As with the Canadian selection we won’t opine on form just yet. One round of the new Major League Rugby season is not enough to appraise anyone. Instead we will turn back the clock to RWC 2019 to define a starting point, with alterations to be made at the midpoint of the MLR campaign.
Of the 32 players who traveled to Japan, six are no longer in the picture while Ben Landry is taking time off from the game and won’t be considered until he returns. Similarly we’re leaving out the three Eagles Sevens players who made the RWC team and won’t consider any until after the Olympics.
USA EAGLES
| ## | NAME | CLUB | POS | CAPS |
FIRST XV
| 1 | David Ainu’u | Toulouse (FR) | LH | 9 |
| 2 | Joe Taufete’e | Lyon (FR) | HO | 27 |
| 3 | Titi Lamositele | Montpellier (FR) | TH / LH | 32 |
| 4 | Greg Peterson | Newcastle Falcons (UK) | LO | 30 |
| 5 | Nick Civetta | Rugby United New York | LO | 23 |
| 6 | Hanco Germishuys | Rugby United New York | FL | 21 |
| 7 | Tony Lamborn | Southland (NZ) | FL | 23 |
| 8 | Cam Dolan | NOLA Gold | N8 | 51 |
| 9 | Ruben de Haas | Cheetahs (SA) | SH | 17 |
| 10 | AJ MacGinty | Sale Sharks (UK) | FH | 28 |
| 11 | Marcel Brache | Western Force (AU) | WI / CE | 23 |
| 12 | Paul Lasike | Harlequins (UK) | CE | 19 |
| 13 | Bryce Campbell | Austin Gilgronis | CE | 32 |
| 14 | Mike Te’o | Utah Warriors | WI / FB | 28 |
| 15 | Will Hooley | Saracens (UK) | FB / FH | 15 |
Changes to the side that started against Tonga are David Ainu’u in for Eric Fry at loosehead prop, Hanco Germishuys on the flank in place of Malon Al-Jiboori, and Mike Te’o on the wing that Blaine Scully occupied. Otherwise the team remains the same.
REPLACEMENTS
| 16 | Dylan Fawsitt | Rugby United New York | HO | 15 |
| 17 | Chance Wenglewski | Rugby ATL | LH | 6 |
| 18 | Paul Mullen | Utah Warriors | TH | 18 |
| 19 | Nate Brakeley | Rugby United New York | LO | 23 |
| 20 | Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz | Old Glory DC | N8 / FL | 2 |
| 21 | Nate Augspurger | San Diego Legion | SH | 26 |
| 22 | Will Magie | Austin Gilgronis | FH | 26 |
| 23 | Dylan Audsley | San Diego Legion | CE / FB | 8 |
Only two of the reserves did not travel to Japan in 2019. There is a strong chance Dylan Audsley would have had injury not intervened. His versatility makes him ideal for the No23 shirt. Meanwhile Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz was one of the final cuts from the roster after appearing in the warm-up tests.
TRAVELING RESERVES
| 24 | Kapeli Pifeleti | Saracens (UK) | HO | 3 |
| 25 | Valdemar Lee-Lo | Houston SaberCats | LH | – |
| 26 | Paddy Ryan | Austin Gilgronis | TH | 7 |
| 27 | Siaosi Mahoni | San Diego Legion | LO | 2 |
| 28 | Psalm Wooching | San Diego Legion | FL | 4 |
| 29 | Tevita Tameilau | San Diego Legion | N8 | 15 |
| 30 | Nick Boyer | LA Giltinis | SH | 1 |
| 31 | Thretton Palamo | Old Glory DC | CE | 19 |
| 32 | Ryan Matyas | San Diego Legion | WI / CE | 12 |
| 33 | Tim Maupin | NOLA Gold | WI / CE | 9 |
Now we start to see some arbitrary selections though we attempted to stay within the guidelines set by the World Cup Long List, and it’s safe to assume that some of the above will not be in the picture come summer. Loosehead prop has thinned out on options so Valdemar Lee-Lo’s prior selection to the national u20s gives him the edge over others. Similarly Nick Boyer’s test cap in 2018 puts him in as the No3 scrumhalf.
Note the traveling reserve section has grown from 31 to 33 to reflect the recent decision to expand World Cup rosters by two places. It allows for a full complement of specialist front row and halfbacks, though a third flyhalf was not required in this group with MacGinty, Hooley, and Magie already included.
NON-TRAVELING RESERVES
| 34 | Mike Sosene-Feagai | Old Glory DC | HO | 5 |
| 35 | Matt Harmon | NOLA Gold | LH | – |
| 36 | Dino Waldren | NOLA Gold | TH | 19 |
| 37 | Matt Jensen | Utah Warriors | LO | 7 |
| 38 | Ross Deacon | Rugby ATL | N8 / FL | – |
| 39 | Riekert Hattingh | Seattle Seawolves | N8 | – |
| 40 | Duncan van Schalkwyk | Rugby ATL | SH | – |
| 41 | Ben Cima | Seattle Seawolves | FH | 10 |
| 42 | Calvin Whiting | Utah Warriors | CE | 1 |
| 43 | Deion Mikesell | Carcassonne (FR) | WI | 2 |
| 44 | JP Eloff | NOLA Gold | FB / FH | 9 |
And again we find more players who were on the fringe of the squad in 2019. Some have since slipped out of contention, others have likely moved up the ladder since. The new MLR season will undoubtedly see other names emerging.
Jack Iscaro and Mason Pedersen are players of interest in 2021, while Vili Toluta’u has now shifted full-time to the front row. If Christian Ostberg can shake off persistent injury problems he is in the mix, and and young flankers Devin Short and Bailey Wilson will be closely watched.
Adding to the group are a number of players now identified as US-eligible. Charlie Hewitt and Ben Mitchell at lock, Joe Johnston and Keni Nasoqeqe in the back row, Luke Carty and Harrison Boyle at flyhalf, and centers Harry Barlow and Troy Lockyear among others.
Look for a recalibration based on form in a few weeks.
