For the second year in a row a player will go straight from the USA U20 team into the full Eagles squad, and both times that has occurred at a position normally reserved for the hard-bitten veteran - prop.

Last years phenom, Titi Lamositele, is now with Saracens and nursing an injury. This year’s fast-mover is Ben Tarr, who will be on the bench for the USA against Romania for his 1st cap.

Tarr played at a high level as an age-grader in Queensland, Australia, and now plays for Souths in Brisbane. He grew up in Indianapolis and is a classic two-country athlete. He performed well for the U20s at the Junior World Rugby Trophy, and was drafted into the USA Selects team for the Americas Rugby Championship. There, Tarr showed that he can stand up to more experienced props, especially in the scrum.

“He’s a good scrummager,” said USA Head Coach Mike Tolkin. “He has shown some signs. There’s definitely promise there and he’ll get some minutes. He’s kind of a more old-fashioned prop. Scrummaging is his thing, and open-field play, self-admittedly, is not his thing. But he’s working on that and if he can win us ball then great.”

Tarr knows that, too.

“It's going really well,” Tarr told Goff Rugby Report of his assembly with the Eagles. “I am just trying to learn as much as I can from the veterans, who have been so accepting. I am overjoyed [to be on the team] and plan to work long and hard into the future to maximize my capacity to contribute towards the team.”