SACRAMENTO, CA. - Flying high from their first win of the season over Argentina XV (17-10), Head Coach Gary Gold announces starters for the Men's Eagles second match of the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) against Canada at Papa Murphy's Park on Sat, Feb. 10 at 3 PM. In addition to the renewal of a long-time rivalry, the trip to the Bay Area will mark a homecoming for Captain Blaine Scully and give three players an opportunity to earn their first cap.
Tickets for the contest are on sale now and may be purchased by visiting USARugby.org/tickets. The match will also be broadcast LIVE on The Rugby Channel.
Saturday's match between the United States and their northern neighbor will see the revival of a well-respected rivalry spanning over forty-years. After snapping a 7-match Canada win streak in 2014, the Men's Eagles have gone 6-0-1 against their rivals, most recently earning a birth to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan as the Americas top qualifier, winning the June series on aggregate.
Canada current sits at No. 21 in the World Rankings with USA up ahead at No. 17. This weekend's ARC test match is the first against Canada in 2018, with the CANAM trophy up for grabs.
Head Coach Gary Gold commends the way his players are training for the Canadians and acknowledges the heightened spirit around the matchup.
"The team is working incredibly hard to prepare for a tough matchup against Canada,' said Gold. "With a lot of emotion in this next game, knowing we need to keep our momentum alive, our focus will be on the areas we know we need to master as a team.'
Captain Blain Scully headlines the squad once more making an anticipated return to his hometown of Sacramento. As a graduate of Jesuit High School and Collegiate All-American with the Cal Bears, Scully is looking forward to taking the pitch in the city where he grew up.
"Representing the United Sates is always a tremendous honor. But to be able to do it in Sacramento, my hometown, in front of family and friends, makes it a little extra special,' says Scully. "Papa Murphy's Park is a great venue and the support we receive from the community is always fantastic. We can't wait for the match on Saturday.'
In addition to Scully, Canada will need to be prepared for Mike Te'o, who finished with a hat trick the last time both teams met; as well as Tony Lamborn who scored the Eagles' lone try in last weekend's win over Argentina XV.
The match will also mark a milestone for Dylan Audsley who earns his first cap with a spot on the starting XV; along with Will Hooley and Josh Whippy who have an opportunity to earn their first caps as reserves.
USA Men's Eagles Starters | USA vs Canada | 2018 Americas Rugby Championship
| Player | Club | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Titi Lamositele | Saracens (ENG) | Prop |
| 2. Joe Taufete'e | Worcester Warriors (ENG) | Hooker |
| 3. Dino Waldren | London Scottish | Prop |
| 4. Nate Brakeley | New York Athletic | Lock |
| 5. Nick Civetta | Newcastle Falcons (ENG) | Lock |
| 6. Hanco Germishuys | Austin Elite | Flanker |
| 7. Tony Lamborn | Hawkes Bay (NZL) | Flanker |
| 8. Cam Dolan | San Diego Legion | Number 8 |
| 9. Nate Augspurger | San Diego Legion | Scrum Half |
| 10. Will Magie | Glendale Raptors | Fly Half |
| 11. Ryan Matyas | San Diego Legion | Wing |
| 12. Bryce Campbell | Glendale Raptors | Center |
| 13. Dylan Audsley | San Diego Legion | Center |
| 14. Blaine Scully (C) | Cardiff Blues (WAL) | Wing |
| 15. Mike Te'o | San Diego Legion | Fullback |
USA Men's Eagles Reserves | USA vs Canada | 2018 Americas Rugby Championship
| Player | Club | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 16. James Hilterbrand | Manly Marlins (AUS) | Reserve |
| 17. Huluholo Moungaloa | Life West Gladiators | Reserve |
| 18. Angus Maclellan | Utah Warriors | Reserve |
| 19. Ben Landry | Glendale Raptors | Reserve |
| 20. Andrew Durutalo | Worcester Warriors (ENG) | Reserve |
| 21. Shaun Davies | Glendale Raptors | Reserve |
| 22. Will Hooley | Bedford Blues (ENG) | Reserve |
| 23. Josh Whippy | Utah Warriors | 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
Dave Hodges: Men's Eagles General Manager
Jimmy Harrison: Analyst
Kevin Ng: Head ATC
Brian Finn: Assistant ATC (Jan. 24 - Feb. 17)
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)
USA Men's Eagles | 2018 Americas Rugby Championship
vs Argentina XV - 17-10 (W)
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
The United States currently holds 4 points in the tournament while Canada hunts for points after suffering a loss to Uruguay in their first ARC match. Tickets for the event at Papa Murphy's Park are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting USArugby.org/tickets. The match will also be broadcast LIVE on The Rugby Channel with updates available by following @USARugby on Twitter.
