LOS ANGELES, CA. - The Men's Eagles announce their match-day roster to begin the Americas Rugby Championship this Saturday (Feb. 3) at 5 PM PT against Argentina XV at StubHub Center. As defending champions, new Head Coach Gary Gold and the Eagles have spent the last week in a rigorous training regimen preparing to open the season against the 2017 runner-ups. Tickets for the match start at only $20 and are on sale now through AXS. A LIVE broadcast will also be available to viewers with a subscription to The Rugby Channel.
Saturday's match will also mark a full head coaching debut for Gary Gold. Having spent the past several weeks learning about his squad and identifying a plan of attack, Gold is prepared to begin the season strong.
"Focus around the camp has been for us all to get on to the same page as quickly as possible and to be well aligned as a group,' said Gold. "We also need to ensure we get the stuff we need to focus on done to the best of our ability. Having only been together for the week, we've worked really hard to put plans into place. The boys have bought in really well and we hope we are going to get some great returns.'
Headlining the team as Captain is wing Blaine Scully who led the Americans to a 46-17 win over Germany and almost upset of No. 12 World Ranked Georgia (20-21) in their November Test Series. Hooker Joe Taufete'e suits up as well, having made a considerable impact in scoring with his two tries against Georgia and hat trick against Canada in the Rugby World Cup Qualifier.
Fly half Will Magie will take over kicking duties with familiar faces in fullback Mike Te'o, lock Nick Civetta and scrum half Nate Augspurger to round out the bunch.
USA Men's Eagles Starters | USA vs Argentina XV | 2018 Americas Rugby Championship
| Player | Club | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Titi Lamositele | Saracens | Prop |
| 2. Joe Taufete'e | Worcester Warriors | Hooker |
| 3. Dino Waldren | London Scottish | Prop |
| 4. Nate Brakeley | New York Athletic Club | Lock |
| 5. Nick Civetta | Newcastle Falcons | Lock |
| 6. Hanco Germishuys | Austin Elite | Flanker |
| 7. Tony Lamborn | Hawkes Bay | Flanker |
| 8. Cam Dolan | Old Blue | Number Eight |
| 9. Nate Augspurger | Old Blue | Scrum Half |
| 10. Will Magie | Glendale Raptors | Fly Half |
| 11. Ryan Matyas | San Diego Legion | Wing |
| 12. Bryce Campbell | Glendale Raptors | Center |
| 13. Marcel Brache | Western Force | Center |
| 14. Blaine Scully (C) | Cardiff Blues | Wing |
| 15. Mike Te'o | San Diego Legion | Fullback |
USA Men's Eagles Reserves | USA vs. Argentina XV | 2018 Americas Rugby Championship
| Player | Club | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 16. James Hilterbrand | Manly Marlins | Reserve |
| 17. Huluholo Moungaloa | Life West | Reserve |
| 18. Angus Maclellan | Chicago Lions | Reserve |
| 19. Ben Landry | Glendale Raptors | Reserve |
| 20. Andrew Durutalo | Worcester Warriors | Reserve |
| 21. Shaun Davies | Glendale Raptors | Reserve |
| 22. Will Hooley | Bedford Blues | Reserve |
| 23. Dylan Audsley | San Diego Legion | Reserve |
USA Men's Eagles Staff | 2018 Americas Rugby Championship
Gary Gold: Head Coach
Greg McWilliams: Assistant Coach - Backs & Attack
Scott Lawrence: Assistant Coach - Defense
Shawn Pittman: Assistant Coach - Set Piece
Chris Hanson: Team Manager
Jimmy Harrison: Analyst
Kevin Ng: Head ATC
Brian Finn: Assistant ATC (Jan. 24 - Feb. 17)
Dr. Richard Kim: Team Doctor (Jan. 24 - Feb. 3)
Dr. Mark Sakr: Team Doctor (Feb. 4 - Feb. 10)
Dr. Deborah Light: Team Doctor (Feb. 11 - Feb. 17)
Dr. Jeff Mjaanes: Team Doctor (Feb. 18 - Mar. 4)
Dave Hodges: Men's Eagles General Manager
USA Men's Eagles | 2018 Americas Rugby Championship
vs Argentina XV
Sat, Feb. 3 | 8 PM ET
StubHub Center, Los Angeles, CA
vs Canada
Sat, Feb. 10 | 6 PM ET
Papa Murphy's Park, Sacramento, CA
vs Chile
Sat, Feb. 17 | 5 PM ET
Titan Stadium, Fullerton, CA
vs Brazil
Sat, Feb. 24 | 3:40 PM ET
Martins Pereira Stadium, Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil
vs Uruguay
Sat, Mar. 3 | 1:40 PM ET
Estadio Charrua, Montevideo, Uruguay
USA begins the new season at No. 17 in the World Rankings. Trends surrounding the matchup between Argentina XV and the United States should bode for an exciting and memorable match at StubHub Center. Having drawn their matches the past two years, yet taken a championship victory in the tournament from one another, the pace and anticipation surrounding the contest will be at an all-time high.
"We have a huge respect for Argentina and expect a really fast, tough encounter against them. They are an exciting attacking team so we need to be really prepared for what they are going to throw at us,' said Head Coach Gary Gold.
The match begins at 5 PM PT at StubHub Center in Los Angeles, CA. Tickets start at only $20 and are available for sale through AXS with the contest also broadcast LIVE on The Rugby Channel.
