GRR: National Teams
Harlequins edged the USA 24-19 Sunday at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. in a pre World Cup exhibition match.
The Eagles and Harlequins both ran out an expanded game-day squad, featuring a longer bench and slightly relaxed substitution rules. The USA took an early 3-0 lead after they opened the game pressuring the London pro club and earned a penalty, duly converted by AJ MacGinty.
The USA Men's National 15s team will face Harlequins Sunday at 3pm ET at PPL Park in Chester, Pa., and Head Coach Mike Tolkin will field an extended bench, with Blaine Scully getting a start at fullback and captain the team.
As expected, Tolkin is resting some players, including Scott LaValla, Hayden Smith, and regular captain Chris Wyles.
This summer allowed the American public a decent look at the current and up-and-coming stars, and that player-centric search tends to monopolize attention. But there is an equally exciting cast of coaches wending through the system. In particular, there’s a trend among former Women's Rugby World Cup (WRWC) players who are returning to the national ranks, only with whistle in hand.
The Eagles are now in the Philadelphia area set to face off with the famed Harlequins Football Club of London, and things will be a bit different from this past weekend’s game against Canada.
The Women's Collegiate All American (WCAA) 7s has assembled a 12-player team bursting with experience. With one exception, the first-ever WCAA 7s players are known entities, and it'll be interesting to see how they gel together during this weekend's Elite City 7s in Malvern, Pa.