USA Men's National Team Head Coach John Mitchell has finalized his player pool for this month's three-game fall assembly.

The Eagles won't have all of their overseas pros for every game, as the USA v Maori All Blacks game slated for this Friday at Toyota Park in Chicago (part of The Rugby Weekend), falls outside the window during which pro clubs have to make players available. However, as USA Rugby reported last week, Saracens prop Titi Lamositele, and Newcastle lock Nick Civetta were given early release. 

Mitchell has assembled 38 players for the series. All-time Eagle caps-earner Todd Clever and Cardiff Blues standout Blaine Scully will serve as co-captains. Scully will not be in Chicago, but Clever will be. 

Thirty players will be available for the match in Chicago, half of whom competed with the USA Rugby Selects development squad at the Americas Pacific Challenge last month. Indiana University’s Bryce Campbell, Brigham Young University’s Matthew Jensen, and Life University’s Alex Maughan are being made available by their collegiate institutions, as are nine Eagles of seven European clubs during the Regulation 9 window.

“By the time we get to the end of this assembly, we’ll have seen a major portion of the athletes on our radar in terms of talent available at the men’s XVs level,” Mitchell said. “We have an assembly now with one game focused on the Maori and the other two focused on World Rugby Rankings points. Slowly but surely we’re changing the mindset of this team having its own identity and not being perceived as an invitational side. We’re changing that and the standards to meet if you want to play for the USA Eagles.”

The majority of the squad has been training at the United States Olympic Committee’s Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., where Olympians Danny Barrett, Andrew Durutalo, Madison Hughes, Martin Iosefo, and Folau Niua prepared for Rugby Sevens’ Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games debut earlier this year. Seven current residents of the Men’s Eagles Sevens program have been named to the touring squad.

Wing Marcel Brache of the Australian Super Rugby franchise Western Force, born in Los Angeles, could solidify his American test eligibility with the team in Europe. The 29-year-old, as well as Chris Baumann, James Hilterbrand, and Tony Lamborn, have finished their competitive seasons in the Southern Hemisphere.

“We have such diversity in terms of professional players competing in several countries and domestic club and collegiate players,” Mitchell said. “it’s important we catch up in fitness and skill integration quickly. We have a model that’s important for us, certainly one that sets our mentality to train the habits that we want.”

Sixteen players, including five AIG Men’s Collegiate and Junior All-Americans, are 25 years old or younger in a squad of an average age of 26. Following a youthful Selects tour, the November Tour will continue to test the depth of the talent pool at the tail end of the first year of the Rugby World Cup 2019 quadrennial. The Eagles are set to open their Qualifying campaign for the ninth tournament in 2017.

“The group at the Americas Rugby Championship was largely developmental, and we made good grounds during the June test series,” Mitchell said. “We want to go out and perform and win rugby matches, clearly, and we’re trying to surface and give new, young talent experience at a higher level to develop our player pool at this level.”

Following a non-rankings match against the Maori All Blacks at Toyota Park, the Eagles will look to better their No. 17 World Rugby ranking against No. 16 Romania and No. 15 Tonga. The U.S. is 6-1 against Romania all-time, the most recent matchup a victory for the tourists in Bucharest in 2014. Spain’s hosting of the final match of the November Tour will be the third consecutive meeting between the Eagles and Tonga to be held on neutral ground.

“Once we get to Romania we’ll have probably our most experienced group to date,” Mitchell said. “The New Zealand Maori is arguably the best non-test rugby team in the world; a high-performing team where the players are either All Blacks or potential All Blacks, or certainly have played Super Rugby. They’re a side that always looks to express themselves and have always been that way. Coming from a country where they are world champions two times running, coming off of setting a world record – they’re a part of that system.

“We have a lot of diversity in terms of the levels our players were selected from but it’s a good opportunity for them individually and collectively to perform as USA Eagles against one of the best teams in the world. If there’s ever a game where you need to raise your standards and play a level that’s going to ask questions of you, these are the games you live for and want to play.”

The USA will play the Maori the evening of November 4 in Chicago, followed by Romania in Bucharest November 12, and Tonga in San Sebastián, Spain on November 19. 

USA MNT Assembly for November

Nate Augspurger Old Blue of New York - All Games

Danny Barrett Men's Eagles Sevens - Maori only

Chris Baumann Wellington Lions (NZL) - All Games 

Pat Blair Unattached - Maori Only

Marcel Brache Western Force (AUS) - Romania, Tonga 

Nate Brakeley New York Athletic Club - All Games

Bryce Campbell Indiana University - All Games

Ben Cima Rocky Gorge Rugby Football Club - Maori only

Nick Civetta Newcastle Falcons (ENG) - Maori, Romania

Todd Clever Austin Huns - All Games

Cameron Dolan Cardiff Blues (WAL) - Romania, Tonga

Andrew Durutalo Sunwolves (JPN) - All Games

JP Eloff Chicago Lions / PRO Ohio Aviators - All Games

Lemoto Filikitonga Metropolis Rugby Football Club - All Games

Ahmad Harajly Detroit Tradesmen Rugby Club / PRO Ohio Aviators - Maori only

Langilangi Haupeakui Glasgow Warriors (SCO) - Romania, Tonga

James Hilterbrand Waratahs / Manly Rugby (AUS) - All Games

Will Holder All-Army - All Games

Madison Hughes Men's Eagles Sevens All Games

Martin Iosefo Men's Eagles Sevens - All Games

Matthew Jensen Brigham Young University - All Games

Tony Lamborn Hawke's Bay Magpies (NZL) - All Games

Titi Lamositele Saracens (ENG) - Maori, Romania

Matai Leuta Men's Eagles Sevens - All Games

Angus MacLellan Chicago Lions / PRO Ohio Aviators - All Games

Siaosi Mahoni PRO San Francisco Rush - Maori only

Samu Manoa RC Toulonnais (FRA) - Romania, Tonga

Alex Maughan Life University - All Games

Al McFarland New York Athletic Club - All Games

Taku Ngwenya Brive (FRA) - Romania, Tonga

Folau Niua Men's Eagles Sevens - Maori only

Thretton Palamo Bristol Rugby (ENG) - Romania, Tonga

Blaine Scully Cardiff Blues (WAL) - Romania, Tonga

Shalom Suniula Unattached - Maori only

Joe Taufete'e PRO San Diego Breakers - All Games

Mike Te'o PRO San Diego Breakers - All Games

Stephen Tomasin Men's Eagles Sevens - All Games

Dino Waldren Blackrock College (IRL) - Romania, Tonga

USA Coaching Staff 
John Mitchell - Head Coach 
Mike Friday - Attack Coach 
Phil Greening - Defense Coach 
Rob Hoadley - Backs Coach 
Marty Veale - Forwards Coach 
Paul Goulding - Analyst 
Alex Ross - Strength & Conditioning 
Simon Hurry - Mental Skills 
Brian Finn - Physiotherapist 
Rob Wassilak - Physiotherapist 
Dr. Marc Kowalsky - Team Doctor

Men's Eagles | November Tour 
v. Maori All Blacks - Friday, Nov. 4 @ Toyota Park - Chicago 
v. Romania - Saturday, Nov. 12 @ Stadionul Arcul de Triumf - Bucharest 
v. Tonga - Saturday, Nov. 19 @ Estadio Anoeta - San Sebastián, Spain