USA Men's 15s Head Coach Gary Gold has picked his traveling roster for the Eagles' tests against England (July 4, Twickenham) and Ireland (July 10, Aviva Stadium).
Out of 30 total players, 22 hail from Major League Rugby clubs and 10 could earn their first test cap. A heavy representation of MLR players means that most athletes have either played with or against others in the roster, creating a synergy for the program to leverage in preparation for both tests. AJ MacGinty will captain the squad in what is the first Eagles assembly since Rugby World Cup 2019.
The choice of MacGinty is not surprising given his role as a flyhalf and playmaker for Sale and for the USA. MacGinty has been in excellent form and playing a lot, and all of that makes him an excellent candidate to lead the team.
When the last World Cup cycle began, most players struggled to find a consistent daily training environment. Now, each athlete has been embedded in a high performance setting that delivers quality competition and preparation, a factor that makes all the difference when considering the disruption to play due to the pandemic.
“It has been a tough road for us in terms of organizing travel logistics and narrowing in on this 30-player roster but I am excited to see these guys perform in July," said Gold. What we’ve seen in the MLR has made an immeasurable impact on our ability to select players who have the talent and capability to compete at a high level.
“We have two highly difficult tests in England and Ireland and with a large number of uncapped players, we want to use this as an opportunity to expose our young guys to the rigorous demands of facing the top teams in the world. These are the types of matches that will force us to be at our best and build a meaningful depth chart in the leadup to France in 2023.
“I know I speak for everyone involved when I say we are incredibly anxious to get together as a group and see the young talent grow alongside our experienced players. This will be a cycle like no other and we welcome the challenge.”
Following July, the Eagles will assemble again in September for a two-part Rugby World Cup qualification series against rivals Canada. The Eagles will host the second match on Sept 11 at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo. with details for the first match to be confirmed. A final qualification series against a team from South America will follow in October.
| USA MEN’S EAGLES ROSTER | July 2021 Tests | |||
| David Ainu'u | Prop | Toulouse (FRA) | 9 |
| Michael Baska | Scrumhalf | Utah Warriors | Uncapped |
| Marcel Brache | Wing/Center | Western Force (AUS) | 23 |
| Nate Brakeley | Lock | Rugby United New York | 23 |
| Bryce Campbell | Center | Austin Gilgronis | 32 |
| Luke Carty | Flyhalf/Center | LA Giltinis | Uncapped |
| Nick Civetta | Lock | Rugby United New York | 26 |
| Ryan Rees | Scrumhalf | Rugby ATL | Uncapped |
| Mike Dabulas | Fullback | Old Glory DC | Uncapped |
| Ruben De Haas | Scrumhalf | Austin Gilgronis | 17 |
| Cam Dolan | No. 8 | NOLA Gold | 51 |
| Jameson Faanana Schultz | Flanker / No. 8 | Old Glory DC | 2 |
| Mikey Sosene Feagai | Hooker | Old Glory DC | 5 |
| Hanco Germishuys | Flanker | Rugby United New York | 21 |
| Andrew Guerra | Flanker | NOLA Gold | Uncapped |
| Riekert Hattingh | No. 8 | Seattle Seawolves | Uncapped |
| Will Hooley | Flyhalf/Fullback | Saracens (ENG) | 15 |
| Ryan James | Wing | LA Giltinis | Uncapped |
| Mika Kruse | Center/Wing | Utah Warriors | Uncapped |
| Titi Lamositele | Prop | Montpellier (FRA) | 32 |
| AJ MacGinty (C) | Flyhalf | Sale Sharks (ENG) | 28 |
| Siaosi Mahoni | Lock | San Diego Legion | 2 |
| Conner Mooneyham | Wing | Austin Gilgronis | Uncapped |
| Paul Mullen | Prop | Utah Warriors | 18 |
| Greg Peterson | Lock | Newcastle Falcons (ENG) | 30 |
| Kapeli Pifeleti | Hooker | Saracens (ENG) | 3 |
| Joe Taufete'e | Hooker | Lyon (FRA) | 27 |
| Mike Te'o | Wing | Utah Warriors | 28 |
| Chance Wenglewski | Prop | Rugby ATL | 6 |
| Psalm Wooching | Flanker | San Diego Legion | 4 |
USA Men’s Eagles Staff | July 2021 Tests
Head Coach | Gary Gold
Asst Coach | Rob Hoadley
Coach Consultant | Neal Hatley
Coach Consultant | Chris Wyles
Head of Strength & Conditioning | Huw Bevan
Performance Analyst | Jimmy Harrison
Team Doctor | Marc Kowalsky
Head Physiotherapist | Kristen Douhan
Athletic Trainer | Ron Klingensmith
Team Manager | Oscar Alvarez
Asst Manager | Will Bevan
USA vs England
July 4, 2021
Twickenham Stadium, England
KO and Broadcast TBA
USA vs Ireland
July 10, 2021
Aviva Stadium, Ireland
