Four new caps named in Eagles squad for European tour

Four players are set to make their USA test debuts in November after being included on a 30-man traveling roster. The Eagles will start their end-of-year tour in Portugal on November 9, followed by Tonga in France on November 16, and finally Spain on November 23.

Mark O’Keeffe earns his first call to an Eagles squad, the Chicago Hounds center qualifying under the new five-year registration regulation. Ex-New Zealand u20 hooker Shilo Klein is set to play for the country of his birth, while Hounds winger Noah Brown and Anthem’s No1 draft pick Erich Storti are also selected.

Klein has most recently been playing for North Harbour but will return to Major League Rugby in 2025. Saracens hooker Kapeli Pifeleti, Cheetahs scrumhalf Ruben de Haas, and Bristol flyhalf AJ MacGinty are the only other overseas inclusions. Former Glasgow lock Greg Peterson will captain the side, with his 50th test appearance just two caps away.

Peterson is one of two specialist locks in the squad, along with Houston’s Siaosi Mahoni who is back from a long-term injury. Jason Damm and Vili Helu, both loose forwards, will continue to deputise despite the presence of five second rows on the non-traveling reserve list.

The Eagles finished the Pacific Nations Cup with one win from four tests, finishing in 4th position behind champions Fiji, Japan, and Samoa. They are currently listed at 19th on the World Rugby Rankings, with Portugal at 15th, Tonga at 16th, and Spain at 18th.

FIXTURES
11/09 – vs Portugal (Coimbra)
11/16 – vs Tonga (Chambéry, France)
11/23 – vs Spain (Madrid)

LH PROP
Jack Iscaro (Old Glory DC) 10 caps
Payton Telea (San Diego Legion) 1 cap
Jake Turnbull (Anthem RC) 11 caps

HOOKER
Shilo Klein (San Diego Legion) uncapped
Sean McNulty (Miami Sharks) 4 caps
Kapeli Pifeleti (Saracens, UK) 16 caps

TH PROP
Pono Davis (Houston SaberCats) 3 caps
Alex Maughan (Anthem RC) 6 caps
Paul Mullen (unattached*) 37 caps

SECOND ROW
Jason Damm (RFC Los Angeles) 6 caps
Vili Helu (San Diego Legion) 11 caps
Siaosi Mahoni (Houston SaberCats) 11 caps
Greg Peterson (capt., San Diego Legion) 48 caps

BACK ROW
Cory Daniel (Old Glory DC) 7 caps
Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (Old Glory DC) 13 caps
Paddy Ryan (San Diego Legion) 11 caps
Moni Tonga’uiha (NOLA Gold) 8 caps
Thomas Tu’avao (unattached*) 10 caps

SCRUMHALF
Ruben de Haas (Cheetahs, SA) 33 caps
Ethan McVeigh (Old Glory DC) 2 caps

FLYHALF
Luke Carty (unattached*) 19 caps
AJ MacGinty (Bristol Bears, UK) 37 caps

MIDFIELD
Dom Besag (Saint Mary’s Gaels) 6 caps
Tavite Lopeti (Seattle Seawolves) 17 caps
Mark O’Keeffe (Chicago Hounds) uncapped

WING
Nate Augspurger (Chicago Hounds) 46 caps
Noah Brown (Chicago Hounds) uncapped
Conner Mooneyham (Anthem RC) 5 caps

FULLBACK
Erich Storti (Anthem RC) uncapped
Mitch Wilson (Anthem RC) 11 caps

*Paul Mullen, Thomas Tu’avao, and Luke Carty have yet to reveal their 2025 MLR teams

NON-TRAVELING RESERVES
David Ainu’u (LH/TH, Toulouse, FR) 23 caps
Nathan Sylvia (LH/TH, San Diego Legion) 5 caps
Kaleb Geiger (TH, New England Free Jacks) 2 caps
Mike Sosene-Feagai (HO, Agen, FR) 10 caps
Mikey Grandy (LO, Anthem RC) uncapped
Nafi Ma’afu (LO, Biarritz, FR) uncapped
Rick Rose (LO, Miami Sharks) uncapped
Saia Uhila (LO, Utah Warriors) 1 cap
William Waguespack (LO, NOLA Gold) uncapped
Collin Grosse (FL, Old Glory DC) uncapped
Devin Short (FL, Seattle Seawolves) uncapped
Connor Buckley (SH, Old Glory DC) uncapped
Oscar Lennon (SH, New England Free Jacks) uncapped
Christopher Hilsenback (FH, Biarritz, FR) uncapped
Rand Santos (FH/FB, Cal Golden Bears) 2 caps
Junior Gafa (CE, Anthem RC) uncapped
Christian Dyer (WI, Houston SaberCats) 15 caps

INJURED/UNAVAILABLE
Cyrille Cama (HO, San Diego Legion) uncapped
Renger van Eerten (LO, Brive, FR) 1 cap
Sam Golla (LO/FL, Anthem RC) 7 caps
Makeen Alikhan (FL, Anthem RC) uncapped
Ben Bonasso (FL/N8, Miami Sharks) 7 caps
Luke White (N8, Chicago Hounds) 5 caps
Conor McManus (SH, Anthem RC) uncapped
Tommaso Boni (CE, Old Glory DC) 9 caps
Bryce Campbell (CE, Chicago Hounds) 47 caps
Mika Kruse (CE/WI, Seattle Seawolves) 7 caps
Toby Fricker (WI/FB, Bristol Bears, UK) 2 caps
Steffan Crimp (FB, Cardiff Met, UK) uncapped