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Eagles Names for ARC - <50% to Play All 5

irish rugby tours

Eagles Names for ARC - <50% to Play All 5

Colleen McCloskey photo.

USA Men's 15s Head Coach John Mitchell has named his list of players for the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC).

The Eagles will play in five games: 

Uruguay - Saturday, Feb. 4 at Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas

Brazil - Saturday, Feb. 11 at Dell Diamond, Round Rock Texas (Austin area)

Canada - Saturday, Feb. 18 at Swangard Stadium, Burnaby BC (Vancouver area)

Chile - Saturday, Feb. 25 (expected to be in Santiago)

Argentina XV - Saturday, March 4 (non-test game)

As happened last year, the Eagles are forced to name a large squad of players, not all of whom are available for every game. Despite the ARC falling inside the Six Nations/Northern Hemisphere test match window, USA Rugby, perhaps because of earlier deals made with pro clubs, has not been able to secure the availability of every overseas pro. 

So Titi Lamositele, who recently scored a crucial game-tying for Saracens against Exeter (see here https://youtu.be/7wCTyX8EBVc?t=1m19s), his first for the Saracens 1st side in the Premiership, won't be in the squad. Absent, too, is Samu Manoa, who recently played in a losing effort against Lamositele's Saracens. Taku Ngwenya, who seems to have a new lese on his rugby life at Brive, is not available, and neither is Thretton Palamo, who is becoming a go-to player for Bristol. The other major European pros, such as Blaine Scully, Cam Dolan, Nick Civetta, and AJ MacGinty are available, but for limited games.

So, once again, Mitchell has had to look at the five games in the ARC with an eye toward balancing his talent, and also with an eye toward who is waiting in the wings if there's an injury - not only an injury on the Eagles, but an injury on a pro teams, resulting in a call-back for one of the USA players.

So for this lineup of 36 players, less than half will be available for all five games. And the positions are not exactly spread evenly. Of the 17 players available for all five games, only one is a lock, and only two are loose forwards, while three play flyhalf. So Mitchell will have to retool much of his pack every game. The good news is that a solid group of front-rowers can play through, with Chris Baumann anchoring a front group that includes former USA U20 player Ben Tarr, former Collegiate All American Tony Purpura - who was first on the radar about nine years ago - and hookers Pete Malcolm (U20 and Collegiate All American), and Tony Hilterbrand.

Of the prominent professionals, MacGinty gets a look, but only for the opener against Uruguay - an important game, to be sure, but a winnable one without him. Scully, too, is only available for the Uruguay clash. Cam Dolan will miss the Uruguay game but will be available for every other contest, and that's very good news for a USA team that needs his combination of height, pace, athleticism, and experience. 

Here's the list of players, where they play, and what US college and HS teams they played for, plus what games they will be available for. Below this list we break the squad down by position:

 

NAME CLUB AVAILABILITY  
Nate Augspurger Old Blue (U. Minnesota, Southside) All Games
Chris Baumann Denver Stampede (Wyoming) All Games
Demecus Beach Old Blue (Davenport, Toledo U19s) Chile, Argentina
Nate Brakeley NYAC (Dartmouth, St. John's Prep) Uruguay, Brazil, Canada
Bryce Campbell Indiana University (Royal Irish) All Games
Ben Cima* Rocky Gorge (Maryland, Gonzaga HS) All Games
Nick Civetta Newcastle Falcons (Notre Dame) Uruguay, Brazil
Todd Clever Austin Hunes (Nevada, College Park) All Games
Shaun Davies Glendale Raptors (BYU) All Games
Spike Davis* Columbus Rugby All Games
Cameron Dolan Cardiff Blues (Life University, Naples Bears) Brazil, Canada, Chile, Argentina
JP Eloff Chicago Lions (Davenport) All Games
Hanco Germishuys Austin Huns (Westside HS, Nebraska) Chile, Argentina
James Hilterbrand Manly All Games
Luke Hume Old Blue Canada, Chile
Matthew Jensen* BYU (Herriman, Utah) Chile, Argentina
Olive Kilifi Seattle Saracens (OPSB U19s/Westside Stormers) Canada, Chile, Argentina
Tony Lamborn Hawke's Bay All Games
AJ MacGinty Sale Sharks (Life University) Uruguay
Will Magie* Glendale Raptors (USA U20s, HS All Americans) All Games
Siaosi Mahoni* Life West (Peninsula Green) All Games
Peter Malcolm* Wheeling Jesuit All Games
Ryan Matyas Old Blue (Arizona, Tempe U19s) Uruguay, Chile, Canada
Alex Maughan* Life University (Union County U19s, NC) Uruguay, Brazil
Al McFarland NYAC Uruguay, Brazil
Anthony Purpura Boston Rugby (Maine) All Games
John Quill Sacramento Express Uruguay, Brazil, Canada
Blaine Scully Cardiff Blues (Cal) Uruguay
David Tameilau RC Narbonne (Peninsula Green) Canada, Chile, Argentina
Ben Tarr Glendale Raptors (USA U20s) All Games
Mike Te'o San Diego Breakers (Belmont Shore U19s) All Games
Zack Test USA Men's 7s (Oregon, Peninsula Green) All Games
Andrew Turner* Unattached Brazil, Canada, Chile, Argentina
Dino Waldren Unattached (Saint Mary's) Uruguay, Brazil, Canada
Calvin Whiting* BYU (United U19s) Chile, Argentina

* means not capped

 

Props: Baumann, Tarr, Pupura, Beach, Maughan, Kilifi, Waldren 

Hookers: Hilterbrand, Malcolm, Germishuys

Locks: Jensen, Mahoni, Civetta, Brakeley, Dolan, Tameilau

Loose Forwards: Clever, Dolan, Lamborn, McFarland, Quill, Tameilau, Germishuys

Scrumhalves: Augspurger, Davies

Flyhalves: McGinty, Eloff, Magie, Cima

Centers: Campbell, Whiting, Matyas, Eloff, Davis, Te'o

Wings: Hume, Turner, Test, Scully, Te'o, Davis