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The nation’s capital will set the scene for the fifth test meeting between the USA and New Zealand. Dubbed the ‘1874 Cup’ after the year that rugby was first played in the country, the match comes seven years after their most recent contest and over a century following what was the second-ever international played by the USA.
A record 61,500 turned out at Soldier Field in 2014 to see the All Blacks cruise to a 74-6 win over the Eagles. While it’s unlikely the 82,000 capacity of FedEx Field will be filled, a similar attendance figure would be most welcome for USA Rugby.
At the same time fingers will be crossed for a better result on the pitch. Unfortunately for coach Gary Gold and his staff the match falls outside the November test window which leaves the Eagles without all of their overseas talent. Among the names missing are front rower Joe Taufete’e, scrumhalf Ruben de Haas, and star flyhalf AJ MacGinty.
Injuries have also played their part with Marcel Brache the latest to join the sidelines. Loosehead prop Chance Wenglewski and utility back Dylan Audsley are out, and while Harlequins center Paul Lasike would not have been available anyway it’s nonetheless worth noting his absence.
For the first time the USA will field a team comprised entirely of players signed to Major League Rugby clubs, though center Tavite Lopeti and fullback Will Hooley have yet to make their debuts in the domestic competition. Lopeti was the third overall selection in the Collegiate Draft while Hooley recently made the move to San Diego from English Premiership club Saracens.
The disappointment of defeat to Uruguay in the Americas 1 World Cup Qualifying series is still fresh in the minds of the Eagles. This will be a very different starting lineup, however, with only five starters retaining their positions.
Matt Harmon gets his first start at loosehead with Dylan Fawsitt and Paul Mullen filling in the front row. The engine room stays the same with New York also contributing both flankers as Hanco Germishuys returns at openside and Benjamín Bonasso makes his run-on debut on the blindside.
It’s a new halfback pairing in Nate Augspurger and Luke Carty, the first start for the former in the No9 shirt since September 2019. Ryan Matyas is recalled on the left wing in place of Mika Kruse, and on the right there is a first cap for 22-year-old LA flyer Ryan James.
Two further uncapped players come in from the cold to take up front row reserve spots. Utah hooker Chad Gough and San Diego loosehead Faka’osi Pifeleti earn the call with NOLA’s Dino Waldren providing tighthead relief. A 6-2 split sees Michael Baska and Mike Dabulas covering the entire backline.
The All Blacks enter the game ranked 2nd in the world after only narrowly missing out on a clean sweep of The Rugby Championship. They have opted to rest most of those who started against the Springboks but remain enormously potent with test centurion and two-time World Cup winner Sam Whitelock wearing the skipper’s armband.
It’s a new-look tight five with Ethan de Groot, Asafo Aumua, and Angus Ta’avao getting the call in the front row and Tupou Vaa’i partnering Whitelock. Blues pair Dalton Papali’i and Hoskins Sotutu come into the back row with Luke Jacobson shifting to the side of the scrum.
Finlay Christie makes his first start in an All Black shirt and he partners Richie Mo’unga in the halfbacks. Quinn Tupaea and Braydon Ennor are the midfield combination, and the finishing duties out wide are bestowed upon George Bridge, Will Jordan, and Damian McKenzie.
Eagles fans may not enjoy the last quarter of the game given the strength of New Zealand’s bench. World champions Dane Coles, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, and Beauden Barrett are all present along with 53-test veteran Anton Lienert-Brown. 20-year-old Chiefs lock Josh Lord is the only newcomer to the side, called in to fill a squad vacancy left by the departures of Scott Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu.
For both teams the match is an opportunity. The Eagles will be in search of respect, not just redemption for their poor performance in Montevideo. An inspired performance at home would be a boost to their World Cup hosting ambitions. Some individuals might also be playing for their test futures with a full season of MLR ahead to identify alternatives for the next round of qualifiers.
The All Blacks are never short on motivation but will also be playing in the memory of Sean Wainui, the Chiefs winger and Māori international who tragically lost his life in a car accident this week. A performance deemed below standard against second tier opposition could very quickly erase hopes of making the plane to France in 2023.
Mild temperatures and a calm day is on the forecast which makes for ideal running conditions. That is music to the ears of New Zealand, who already enter as overwhelming favorites. A record score may be on their goals, or more like a perfect day from the defense.
The Eagles will aim for small victories – not least a first ever try against the All Blacks – but most importantly must enjoy the occasion which for most is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to face some of the best players on the planet. If they play to their potential there will be positives to take from the experience regardless of the final score.
Kickoff is set for 3:30pm local time, 12:30pm Pacific, Sunday 8:30am in New Zealand. Live broadcasts will be available on FloRugby in the USA and Sky Sport 1 in New Zealand.
USA EAGLES
1 Matt Harmon, 2 Dylan Fawsitt, 3 Paul Mullen, 4 Nate Brakeley, 5 Nick Civetta, 6 Benjamín Bonasso, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Nate Augspurger, 10 Luke Carty, 11 Ryan Matyas, 12 Bryce Campbell (capt.), 13 Tavite Lopeti, 14 Ryan James, 15 Will Hooley
Replacements: 16 Chad Gough, 17 Faka’osi Pifeleti, 18 Dino Waldren, 19 Siaosi Mahoni, 20 Moni Tonga’uiha, 21 Andrew Guerra, 22 Michael Baska, 23 Mike Dabulas
NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS
1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Asafo Aumua, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Sam Whitelock (capt.), 6 Luke Jacobson, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 9 Finlay Christie, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 11 George Bridge, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 13 Braydon Ennor, 14 Will Jordan, 15 Damian McKenzie
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 George Bower, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Sam Cane, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown
Date: Saturday, October 23
Venue: FedEx Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff: 15:30 local (12:30 Pacific, Sunday 08:30 New Zealand)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistants: Moe Chaudhry (Canada) & Scott Green (USA)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
Broadcasts: FloRugby (USA), Sky Sport 1 (New Zealand)
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2014-11-01 – USA 6, New Zealand 74 (Soldier Field)
1991-10-08 – New Zealand 46, USA 6 (Kingsholm)
1980-10-08 – USA 6, New Zealand 53 (San Diego Stadium)
1913-11-15 – USA 3, New Zealand 51 (California Field)
