Player questions loom for the USA MNT going into the second Americas Rugby Championship game.

Canada is coming off a nice win over Uruguay 33-17, (see video below, if you don't see it, refresh the page). Interim Head Coach Francois Ratier's squad scored five tries, two from Dan Moor and one each from Nick Blevins, Phil Mackenzie, and Alistair Clark. Like the USA, Canada put several players (six) in their first international game. 

It's likely there will be more debuts for the USA.

Blaine Scully has returned to Cardiff, and so Coach John Mitchell will need to select a new fullback and a new captain. When it comes to captain, it appears Mitchell will select a long-term captain in June, along with a vice captain who is in the other half of the team (i.e., if the captain's a forward, then the VC is a back). It seems Scully is on the inside track to get the figurative C on his jersey.

“He reflects the values that we want to live by and been seen living by,” Mitchell told Goff Rugby Report. 

Mitchell also said he will be looking to veteran leadership for the remainder of the ARC, so look for an experienced player to take the job each game. Eric Fry and Todd Clever seem to be the natural choices at the moment, but it could be someone else.

Cam Dolan has also returned to Cardiff (he'd be another captain or vice captain candidate), leaving a hole in the back row, and Taku Ngwenya also is back with his club, a shame as he seemed to really relish playing for the Eagles Saturday. And Greg Peterson goes home, too, leaving very few experienced pros on the team.

If you take the lineup from Saturday and take out the players not available, you get this:

1. Eric Fry

2. Joeseph Taufete'e

3. Chris Baumann

4. Brodie Orth

5. -

6. -

7. Todd Clever

8. David Tameilau

9. Niku Kruger

10. James Bird

11. Kingsley McGowan

12. Moto Filikitonga

13. Chad London

14. - 

15. -

16. Michelangelo Sosene-Feagai

17. Olive Kilifi

18. James Hilterbrand

19. Ben Landry

20. Alec Gletzer

21. JP Eloff

22. Mike Te'o

23. Jake Anderson

Players who have joined the squad include: Luke Hume, Nic Edwards, Patrick Blair

Some logical moves might be to put Anderson in at fullback, and put experienced Luke Hume in at wing. Ben Landry seems another logical bump-up to a start, at lock. Gletzer would be a good fit in the back row, although if you ask us at Goff Rugby Report Headquarters we'd rather see Gletzer at #7 and Clever at #6.

This is Hilterbrand's final game before he has to go, so he will likely stick around. We might see Sosene-Feagai and Taufete'e shift - that depends on whether Mitchell likes to do that. he has said he needs to see players in game situations, but seems more concerned with unity of purpose.

Players who could move up into the subs bench: Tom Bliss at scrumhalf, Bruce Thomas as cover for the back row (injured). As for cover at lock, there isn't any, really. If there's an injury there you might end up seeing Clever or Tameilau in the engine room. (Word is the Eagles will announce the arrival of another lock into camp today.)

JP Eloff remains a very good guy to have as cover for a variety of positions. We might see Edwards come in as a sub who has the overall experience (no caps but he's been playing a while) 

Players we haven't yet found a spot for: Mike Te'o (can play anywhere in the backs and used to play hooker), Patrick Blair (back row), and Mike Garrity (back). All three could