TOOWOOMBA, Queensland - The USA Rugby Men's Collegiate All Americans have been named to face Darling Downs Saturday in Toowoomba for the first game of the team's three-game tour.

Head Coach Gavin Hickie has named Central Washington University loose forward Aladdin Schirmer the captain. The former Eastside Lions age-grade player has already been capped by the USA senior team, and is expected to bring some age and experience to the group.

"Aladdin was named captain as he has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities from the start of tour," Hickie told USA Rugby here. "Obviously as an Eagle, Aladdin is a senior member of our tour. We want to facilitate him getting back into the Eagles squad and we expect him to be a standout on the pitch to match his leadership off the pitch. The challenge of performing and leading this team has been laid out to Aladdin and he has responded exceptionally well. He has demonstrated maturity and confidence as the squad leader."

The team had some delays getting to Australia, but Hickie said they handled all of that well enough and got down to business, working hard in training and forming a team out of a disparate group of players.

Hickie said in an earlier article that the pattern the team is working on is a simplified version of that used by the senior USA team. The Eagles coaching staff has worked closely with Hickie and his staff.

The USA age-grade programs have a strong hand in this lineup. Props Chance Wenglewski (Lindenwood) and Mason Pedersen (Arizona), and lock Malon Al-Jiboori (Lindenwood) all played for the USA U20s in Zimbabwe this past spring. Both Al-Jiboori and Wenglewski played for Union HS in Oklahoma, while Pedersen played with Wilson HS in Southern California.

Chad Gough (Utah) was a Scholz Award nominee and clearly the Utes' best player. He played his high school rugby for Snow Canyon HS in Utah. Schirmer played for the Eastside Lions in Washington, and was in the USA age grade system in 2012.

Vili Helu (Saint Mary's) is another who made it through the age grades. He played for the Danville Oaks in Northern California, and was a High School All American, touring South America in 2014. 

This year, with the Varsity Premier in Northern California, Jesuit had a tough league schedule, but they also augmented that with hosting Kahuku, as well as a New Zealand team.

In the backs, Nick Boyer (Cal), played for Jesuit of Sacramento and was on the 2012 USA U20 team that won the Junior World Rugby Trophy. He partners with Conor Kearns, who went to high school overseas but was in the USA U20 program and played in the Junior World Championships in 2013. That was a tough experience for most players, but they came out of it tougher - four of those players have been capped at the senior level, and more are to come. Kearns matriculated to Dublin University where he played - and plays very well - for the Trinity rugby team. Kearns usually plays fullback, but slots in at flyhalf Saturday.

In the backs, Cody Melphy (Life University) played for Littleton in Colorado. He lines up at inside center, alongside Indiana star and Scholz Award nominee Bryce Campbell, who played his rugby for Royal Irish in the Indianapolis area. On the wings, Deion Mikesell was somewhat under the radar playing 7s in the Iowa HS league for SE Polk before he was recruited by Lindenwood, was named a Goff Rugby Report Player of the Week, and toured with the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy 7s team last summer. Since then he has played for the USA U20s, and the USA senior team, and this selection makes it his third national team within nine months.

On the other wing is Kutztown speedster Vetekina Malafu, who played his HS rugby in Hawaii. At fullback is Tua Laei (BYU), who got a look with the USA 7s team and was a standout for Lowland in Utah. He toured South Africa with the HS All Americans in 2011 and played for the USA U20s as well.

Of the 15 starters, only flanker Wes Hartmann (Kutztown) learned his rugby overseas without any USA influence (such as Kearns playing in the age-grades). Big BYU lock Matt Jensen is the only starter without significant HS experience.

Ten of the starting 15 went through USA age-grade programs, and three more were successful high school players in their own right.

This will be a testing-out game for the All Americans. The players will have to show that they can raise their level of play, but also that they can play within the system.  Only a starting 15 was named, but it's likely this will be an open subs or liberal-subs game.

(There apparently may be a live stream of this game - well get you the link when we can.)

AIG Men's Collegiate All-Americans | v. Darling Downs Select Side
1. Chance Wenglewski - Lindenwood University
2. Chad Gough -  University of Utah
3. Mason Pedersen - University of Arizona
4. Malon Al-Jiboori - Lindenwood University
5. Matt Jensen - BYU
6. Wes Hartmann - Kutztown
7. Aladdin Schirmer - Central Washington
8. Vili Helu - Saint Mary's
9. Nick Boyer - California
10. Conor Kearns - Trinity (Dublin University)
11. Deion Mikesell - Lindenwood University
12. Cody Melphy - Life University
13. Bryce Campbell - Indiana
14. Vetekina Malafu - Kutztown
15. Tua Laei - BYU

Rest of squad:Malon Al-Jiboori - Lindenwood University
Dylan Audsley - Saint Mary's College of California
Niall Barry - University of California, Los Angeles
Alec Barton - Saint Mary's College of California
Roland Blackiston - California State University, Long Beach
Zach Bonte - University of California, Los Angeles
Scott Dean - Central Washington University
Cody Jerabek - Sacramento Express (PRO) / University of Wyoming
Timothy Katz - James Madison University
Alex Maughan - Life University
Kevin O'Connor - Saint Mary's College of California
Mike Ruther - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Alexander Vorster - Brigham Young University
Dino Waldren - Saint Mary's College of California
Calvin Whiting - Brigham Young University

Darling Downs Select Side
1. Jack Cook
2. Sam Hogarth
3. Brett Corish
4. Sonny Power (C)
5. Sam Tweedy
6. Lachlan Tulloch
7. John Vinson
8. Tom Simpson
9. Will Gilbert
10. Andrew Turner
11. Zac Boland
12. Harry Hawker
13. Cameron Griffin
14. Nick Poole
15. Mic Jamieson

Darling Downs Reserves
16. Brett Huth
17. Baci Wilson
18. Matt Roberts
19. Robert Patterson
20. Luke Johnston
21. John Moloney
22. Steve McVeigh
23. Eric Donaldson
24. Paul Maguire
25. Dan Ostwald