Lamositele Making His Mark
Lamositele Making His Mark
In the recent Saracens 19-13 win over Bath in the Aviva Premiership in England, USA players had a big influence - Hayden Smith came on to solidify the lineout, and Chris Wyles made several big players throughout the game, but the man who really stood out was Titi Lamositele.
The former Chuckanut and HS All American prop came on in the 57th minute and was central to his club's comeback from a 13-0 deficit. He ran the ball a few times, but what really mattered was his clearout and his work in the scrums and lineouts. Lamositele is a thick-legged prop who is light of foot, and holds the record for being the youngest USA player ever. He has 16 test caps at prop, and won't turn 21 until next week (Feb. 11 to be exact). For most American props, their first cap doesn't come until they are in their mid-20s. The only other prop who was capped so young was Mike MacDonald, who was capped at 19 and currently holds the record for most caps by an Eagle at 67.
Lamositele was first capped when he was 18 and seven months. By the time he reached MacDonald's debut age, he had been capped eight times.
Now at Saracens, Lamositele is starting to get some serious firsrt-team time. He has notched some starts and is now a regular fixture on the subs bench.
"It was great," Lamositele told reporters after the comeback win over Bath. "It was good to come on and make an impact."
In an article about him on www.saracens.com, Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall said Lamositele coming on against Bath changed the game.
That statement is notable, as is the fact that the Saracens website has chosen to highlight the American prop (see their article here). It's clear Lamositele is starting to make the transition from a youngster with lots of promise to a player achiueving that promise. As long as he stays healthy, he has every chance of being a star for Saracens, and the USA, for a long, long time.
See video reaction after the win over Bath, with Lamositele getting to say his piece.
