More and more American players are going overseas, but getting playing time is both always easy. There are restrictions on the number of non-local athletes who can play, and plenty of competition for places .

 

The player who is probably the biggest star right now is Samu Manoa. 

 

At Northampton, Manoa has been seeing time at No. 8, rather than lock, which is where he has normally played for the Saints in recent years. This has allowed Manoa a little more space off the back of the scrum, naturally, and Manoa was a key instrument in the Saints’ win over London Irish that put them back in 1st in the Aviva Premiership.

 

Manoa’s success on the best team in the Premiership puts him top our Americans Overseas ratings, although he has some competition from Scott LaValla, who has been a regular starting for Stade Francais in the French Top 14. LaValla was on the bench Saturday, though, and came on in the final 20 in a loss to Toulouse.

 

USA captain Todd Clever got the week off, as did his entire team. Cleverl got the starts at No. 8 in a Satellite League win over NEC. Clever has not seen time with the Top League side so far this season, which as to be a frustration, but time on the field is important, too.

 

Some other updates: Chris Wyles has been all over the backline for Saracens, and Saracens have been fairly consistent wherever he plays, but they lost their first game of the year Friday 21-11 to Bath.

 

We haven’t seen much of the other Americans at Saracens, but with Titi Lamositele and Thretton Palamo nursing injuries, that’s not so much of a surprise. Lamositele is out until the New Year. But Hayden Smith and Phil Thiel did start for the Saracens Storm in the Premiership A League, and helped the Storm win again last week to move to 3-0.

 

Also active in the A league were Gloucester trialists Danny Barrett and Seamus Kelly, who started and scored for Gloucester United in a 53-29 loss to Newcastle last week. It was a USA scoring spree as Eric Fry started at prop for the Newcastle side, and scored twice. Fry is on long-term contract for Newcastle and has started for the Premiership side. He is expected to do so again.

 

Barrett is leaving Gloucester to play for the USA 7s team, but could be back. Kelly is waiting to see if his trial will become something more long-term.

 

Gloucester’s first team was doing just fine, beating Blaine Scully (who started at wing) and Leicester 33-16. 

 

Northampton leads the Premiership with a 4-1 record. Saracens, also 4-1, is third, and Leicester sits 9th at 2-3. Newcastle won their first game of the season, over Exeter, but Fry was not used as he played earlier in the week.

 

Elsewhere: Nick Civetta has been playing regularly for Viadana but wasn’t used in the team’s Eccellenza opener against his old club, Lazio (Viadana won). Tai Tuisamoa was on the bench for London Scottish against Plymouth Albion. Taku Ngwenya wasn’t in the squad for Biarritz as his club lost to Beziers to drop to 3-3.