USA Head 7s MNT Coach Mike Friday has chosen his Eagles to play in the USA 7s in LAs Vegas starting Friday, March 4.

The Eagles will play Wales on Friday at 4:57pm Pacific Time, and then Canada at 7:36pm PT, before finishing off their pool play on Saturday against South Africa at 2:35pm PT.

Saturday's play finishes up with the Cup Quarterfinals, with the semis and finals on Sunday.

Friday has made two changes to the squad that finished 7th in Sydney, with Matai Leuta and Thretton Palamo out and Garrett Bender and Maka Unufe in. The changes might be, in part, due to venue. Sam Boyd Stadium's field is narrower than most, and Bender brings an extra brand of grit and power in tight. However, since changes to the stadium allow some more width, maybe that's a moot point. Unufe is healthy and ready to play, and the Eagles have really missed his ability to set up Perry Baker and Carlin Isles on the outside.

"Having the centers of Martin [Iosefo] and Maka allows us to play differently, adds variety to our attack, and it also provides and allows space for the wingers on the outside," Friday told USA Rugby. "It's interesting that the Vegas pitch is evolving again. Suddenly this pitch is becoming more attractive to us as a rugby sevens team. It's more of a track that we can operate on as a team more attractively and more efficiently."

See GRR's Q&A with Friday here.

"Some of the decisions we've made previously have had to do with player management as well as also allowing, providing, and getting players exposure and game time," Friday said. "Like we've said throughout the whole of this season – and that will continue onto Vancouver, Hong Kong, and Singapore – that this Series is about ensuring we get as many of the players up to standard and in the position to compete for the Rio final 12." 

With the USA Falcons slated to play in the Las Vegas Invitational, players could easily play their way into, or out of, the full Eagles squad for Vancouver March 12-13.

USA 7s team squad for las Vegas
1. Carlin Isles
2. Ben Pinkelman
3. Danny Barrett
4. Garrett Bender
5. Zack Test
6. Will Holder 
7. Folau Niua
8. Maka Unufe
9. Nate Augspurger
10. Madison Hughes (C)
11. Perry Baker
12. Martin Iosefo