This Is American Rugby

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Another week is in the books for Americans overseas. There weren't a lot of players in action as some were rest, some injured, and some still with the Eagles in the Americas Rugby Championship. However, one player that did play was Eric Fry who returned from injury to play for Vannes. Other players that got in on the action include Chris Wyles and Will Hooley. For his part Hooley kicked a converson and two penalties for Bedford.

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British Isles:

Aviva Premiership

Chris Wyles started and played 80 minutes while Titi Lamositele was not in the line-up for Saracens as they beat Sale 13-3 on Friday. AJ MacGinty was not in the line-up for Sale and is injured.

Nick Civetta was not in the line-up for Newcastle as they beat Bath 29-12 on Friday.

Joe Taufete'e and Andrew Durutalo were not in the line-up for Worcester as they beat Gloucester 25-15 on Saturday. Taufete'e is injured.

Chris Baumann was not in the line-up for Leicester as they beat the Harlequins 33-18 on Saturday.

Guinness Pro 14

Callum Black was not in the line-up for Ulster as they lost to Edinburgh 17-16 on Friday.

Greg Peterson was not in the line-up for Glasgow as they beat the Cheetahs 37-23 on Friday.

Blaine Scully was not in the line-up for Cardiff as they beat Munster 25-18 on Saturday.

RFU Championship

Ronnie McLean started and played 80 minutes for Richmond as they lost to Yorkshire Carnegie 28-22 on Sunday.

Nick Civetta was not in the line-up for Doncaster as they beat Hartpury 48-38 on Saturday. Robbie Shaw was not in the line-up for Hartpury.

Dino Waldren was not in the line-up for London Scottish as they lost to Bristol 55-15 on Saturday. Waldren was with the Eagles. Thretton Palamo was not in the line-up for Bristol.

Will Hooley started, played 80 minutes, and had a conversion and two penalties for Bedford as they beat Rotherham 18-15 on Saturday.

Other

Conor Kearns plays with Oxford University.

Ollie Drew plays with Romsney.

Louis Mulholland plays with with Cheshunt.

All Ireland League

Pierce Dargan, Roman Salanoa, and Old Belvedere beat Dolphins 34-19 on Saturday.

Tim Maupin and St. Mary's College lost to Lansdowne 16-9 on Friday.

Kevin O'Connor, Alex McDonald, Will Sims, Liam Smith, and Trinity beat the Buccaneers 21-17 on Saturday.

Kalei Konrad and Terenure College beat Clontarf 19-18 on Friday.

Women's Premiership

Jess Wooden started for the Harlequins as they beat Worcester 80-7 on Saturday.

France:

Top 14

Samu Manoa was not in the line-up for Toulon as they beat Stade Francais 43-5 on Saturday.

Dave Ryan started and played 59 minutes for Agen as they lost to Toulouse 52-25 on Saturday.

Pro D2

Eric Fry came off the bench and played 31 minutes minus a yellow card with one minute left in the match for Vannes as they lost to Perpignan 16-12 on Thursday.

David Tameilau was not in the line-up but Siaosi Mahoni came off the bench and played 21 minutes for Narbonne as they lost to Biarritz 56-24 on Friday.

Christian Ostberg was not in the line-up for Aurillac as they lost to Bayonne 26-22 on Friday.

Other

Victor Camptat plays for the Brive Reserves.

Mose Fualaau plays for the Clermont Academy.

Inaki Basauri plays for Stade Nantais.

Nafi Maafu plays for the Perpignan reserves.

Italy:

Eccellenza

Roland Suniula started and played 80 minutes for Reggio as they beat Fiamme Oro Roma 42-33 on Saturday.

New Zealand:

Mitre 10 Cup

Toni Pulu and Counties Manukau have finished their season.

Tony Lamborn, Pas Dunn, and Hawke's Bay have finished their season.

Other

Michelle Wong is training and playing with Sydenham.

Steven Knight is training in the Southland system.

Australia:

NRC

Marcel Brache and the Perth Spirit have finished their season.

James Hilterbrand and the Sydney Rays have finished their season.

Shute Shield

James Hilterbrand and Manly have finished their season.

Canada:

BC Premier League

Graham Harriman and James Bay lost to Nanaimo 40-20 on Saturday.

The playoff chances of the Seattle Saracens took a big hit over the weekend as they lot to Capilano 37-14 at Klahanie Park in Vancouver. The two teams were right next to each other in the standings for the final playoff spot but now after the loss the Saracens face an uphill battle. Seattle currently sit in seventh place with 33 points. Capilano are in fifth with 41 points. The only thing helping out the Saracens over the weekend was the fact that James Bay also lost meaning that sixth place is well within reach for the Saracens. James Bay have 34 points. The top six teams make the playoffs at the end of the season. The reserve team lost to Capilano 37-20.

The women were much more successful. They returned from a long break with a 22-15 win over Capilano. That result has the team in fourth place in the standings. They are within two points of third place Burnaby Lake and ten points from second place Capilano. No one is touching Westshore at the top of the table.

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National Teams:

Nate Augspurger was happy with the way the Eagles performed against Chile.

The latest editions of the Red, White, and Black Eye and Earful of Dirt podcasts are out.

Will Hooley had a good weekend. More in Eagles Abroad.

Major League Rugby:

The Houston SaberCats faced their toughest test yet but still beat NYAC.

The local news has another nice feature on the Utah Warriors.

Take the jump to read more.

Club/College:

The Seattle Saracens split a pair of matches against Capilano with the women winning and the men falling shore.

Jackie Finlan has a nice piece on John Brown who are improving. She also notes that Austin are unbeaten.

Rugby League:

It was another win for the Toronto Wolfpack who face a big match next week.

World:

Scotland, Italy, and France have all named their teams for the weekend.

Tragedy has struck the Doncaster Knights with Ian Williams passing away in training.

Photo: Jerry Roberts

Through two weeks only two teams remain unbeaten in the Pacific Rugby Premiership. Both OMBAC and Belmont Shore took care of business over the weekend. It sets up a huge match between the two clubs this weekend.

OMBAC 24-12 Life West

Arguably the most intense match of the round was OMBAC against Life West. Both teams won last week and are favorites to finish at the top or near the top of the table. The Gladiators ran out to a 12-0 lead after a couple of tries. However, that didn't last as OMBAC responded with a couple of tries of their own through Tai Tuisamoa and Charlie Purdon. Mike Dillon added a couple of penalties to put OMBAC up 17-12. Tim Stanfill would finish off the match with a try.

Take the jump to read more.

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Belmont Shore 54-25 Olympic Club

Belmont Shore kept pace with OMBAC with a big win over Olympic Club. Belmont's offensive explosion for the second week in a row was enough to give them the bonus point and a lead in the standings thanks to OMBAC not picking up a fourth try against Life West.

Olympic Club have always been able to stay relatively even with most teams but have struggled later in matches that can lead to some yawning scorelines. That was the case once again on Saturday as it was close early but Belmont Shore pulled away late. At halftime it was 39-10.

SFGG 21-5 Santa Monica

Golden Gate made the trip down to Southern California and came away with a hard earned victory over an improving Santa Monica side. SFGG haven't been as dominant as in years past but they are still third in the table with 6 points and can make a move as the season progresses. For Santa Monica the result had a lot of positives, especially after struggling as this level the past few years.

It was 0-0 at halftime. Langilangi Haupeakui then opened things up with a try in the second half that was followed by efforts from Allen Corruth from Santa Monica and Sem Peri from SFGG. Haupeaukui had a final try for SFGG.

Standings

Belmont Shore 2-0-0 (10 points)
OMBAC 2-0-0 (9 pts)
SFGG 1-1-0 (6 pts)
Life West 1-1-0 (5 pts)
Olympic Club 0-2-0 (1 pt)
Santa Monica 0-2-0 (0 pts)

Week Three Schedule

Santa Monica at Olympic Club
Life West at SFGG
OMBAC at Belmont Shore

Photo: Connie Hatfield

So far head coach Gary Gold hasn't been inclined to make many changes to his team unless forced. With that in mind we actually don't envision many changes this week. Here's who we think (and are almost certainly wrong about) is going to get the start this week.

Prop: Huluholo Moungaloa, Angus MacLellan; Tony Purpura, Paddy Ryan

Last week we thought that Dino Waldren was headed back to London Scottish but he stayed. If we were to make an educated guess we'd suspect he'd head back to England this week. So who comes on in his place? Angus MacLellan has been on the bench the last few weeks and we think this week he steps up to start alongside Huluholo Moungaloa who started last week against Chile. Tony Purpura and Paddy Ryan are our bench replacements. Chance Wenglewski is another option and it wouldn't shock us to see him in place of Ryan.

Hooker: James Hilterbrand; Dylan Fawsitt

Last week James Hilterbrand got the start. There is a chance that his time commitment has come to an end and he has to head back to Australia but he doesn't have any club duties at the moment. In the end we think he stays and starts. Where we might see a change is in the back-up. Peter Malcolm hasn't been in the team the first three weeks so maybe he gets the nod. At the same time, Gold loves consistently so we're going to go with Fawsitt.

Take the jump to read more.
Lock: Matt Jensen, Nate Brakeley; Ben Landry

This week the Eagles have Matt Jensen available to play and we expect him to be put into the starting line-up based on his recent form. Jensen has done a lot of things well over the last year but it still stuck in a logjam at lock. A big performance might boost him up. If Nate Brakeley is available we think he starts. We say if because he may end up having work commitments (he is a Cambridge graduate after all). If that is the case we see Ben Landry starting once again with Brendan Daly as the back-up.

Back-row: Psalm Wooching, Tony Lamborn, Cam Dolan; Malon Al-Jiboori

No reason to change things up here. They only thing we can see changing is Hanco Germishuys coming back into the starting line-up if available. Maybe Aladdin Schirmer makes his way to the bench in favor of Malon Al-Jiboori but it seems that Gold and staff (and former coach John Mitchell for his part) don't view the ARC as development so there is less experimentation. They view tournaments like the APC for that as well as club play. In the end it wouldn't surprise us if some players that were called into camp actually don't get a shot.

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Scrumhalf: Nate Augspurger; Ruben de Haas

Shaun Davies wasn't available last week and it's unclear if he'll be available this week. If he is then we can see him as the back-up once again (it's important to remember that most of these players aren't full-time professionals, even with MLR, and they have work commitments). If he's not available then we see Ruben de Haas getting another shot. Overall, however, we think that Nate Augspurger gets another start. He has been as steady as they come for the Eagles.

Flyhalf: Will Magie

The keys have been fully turned over to Will Magie to be the starting flyhalf at the ARC. He's started every match so far and done well. Ben Cima should be the back-up.

Center: Dylan Audsley, Bryce Campbell

This is another area in which we envision little change. Both Campbell and Audsley have done well with their opportunities. Plus, there aren't a whole lot of other options.

Wing: Ryan Matyas, Paul Lasike; Josh Whippy

We actually see one change here. Given his strong performance last week we think Paul Lasike starts this week with Josh Whippy on the bench. Maybe a player like Peni Tagive or Alex Elkins gets a chance.

Fullback: Mike Te'o

Maybe a player like Audsley or Cima slides back here but we think Te'o gets the start again.

So here is who we see as starting:

1. Moungaloa

2. Hilterbrand

3. MacLellan

4. Brakeley

5. Jensen

6. Wooching

7. Lamborn

8. Dolan

9. Augspurger

10. Magie

11. Matyas

12. Campbell

13. Audsley

14. Lasike

15. Te'o

16. Fawsitt

17. Purpura

18. Ryan

19. Landry

20. Al-Jiboori

21. de Haas

22. Cima

23. Whippy

Our Pacific Rugby Premiership Power Rankings are back. With two rounds in the books there are two clear favorites at the top but that could change as the season wears on.

1. Belmont Shore, 2-0-0 (Last Week: 4, beat Olympic Club 54-25): We were one of the teams that slept on Belmont Shore before the season began but no longer. The team, which has infused a number of young players, has had an excellent start to the season with wins over SFGG and Olympic Club. Can it last for the whole season? There is no reason to think that it can't but the big test will come next week against OMBAC. Up next: OMBAC

2. OMBAC, 2-0-0 (LW: 1, beat Life West 24-12): As expected OMBAC picked up yet another win. They were one of the favorites heading into the season and they are living up to that so far. We expect them to get even better as the season rolls along as they rely on veterans like Tai Tuisamoa, Tim Stanfill, and others. Up next: Belmont Shore

Take the jump to read more.

3. Life West, 1-1-0 (LW: 2, lost to OMBAC 24-12): It wasn't the result that Life West wanted over the weekend and they'll be disappointed they didn't get more from OMBAC. At the same time all the pieces are there for a strong run. Unlike potentially OMBAC and Belmont Shore, they might not lose players to MLR as that season approaches. Again, potentially. Up next: SFGG

4. SFGG, 1-1-0 (LW: 3, beat Santa Monica 21-5): Maybe it's their history that puts a higher expectation on the club that others but so far SFGG are not where they want to be. The win in week one was disappointing and although Santa Monica are definitely an improved team SFGG should have had more. Up next: Life West

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5. Santa Monica, 0-2-0 (LW: 6, lost to SFGG 21-5): The Dolphins showed a lot of grit in their result against SFGG. Like many teams in the round they would have liked to have had more but Santa Monica are improving. For a program that has struggled the last few years they are headed in the right direction. Up next: Olympic Club

6. Olympic Club, 0-2-0 (LW: 5, lost to Belmont Shore 54-25): The old issue of defense crept in once again for Olympic Club. They continue to be right there early only to see it slip away. If they can ever figure that out they will have a good side. Up next: Santa Monica

Press Release

The Northeast Olympic Development Academy (ODA) has named its Men’s and Women’s squads to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational March 1-3, 2018. “In line with our mission of exposing established and developing players to the highest level of Sevens competition, the teams include a mix of experience and new blood”, said Academy Director John McGeachy, “and as always, we look forward to the competition”. In addition, the Northeast Academy will be entering a team in the High School Boys competition as part of the Community Olympic Development program (CODP) with PlayRugby USA.

The Men’s team, coached by Dom Wareing, sees a youthful group led by veterans Derek Lipscomb and Mike St.Claire of Old Blue but also featuring 5 players making their debut, Ludo Mukwaka (Boston), Arif Taruz (North Shore), Tyrell Moore (Village Lions), as well as a pair of athletes from the Buffalo area, Erik Peterson and Sean Porratta (both Rochester).

Take the jump to read more.
On the Women’s side, the Northeast will be bolstered by the return of USA Eagles Natalie Kosko and Sarah Buonapane and feature the core of a squad which has been developing nicely under the tutelage of Coach Ryszard Chadwick. Northeast Academy founder Steve Lewis will assist Chadwick in coaching duties and noted, “We are very proud of the progress the Women’s program has made in providing opportunity and pathways for our athletes and coaches over this last year, and they have responded by raising their individual and collective standards”. Lisa Roselin of New York will captain the team which includes one newcomer, her club teammate Justina DeBruzzi as well as representatives from Boston, Beantown and Old Blue. The management team is completed by Thomas Clark and Amy Beth Skenderian.

“We are also extremely grateful to new kit sponsors Paladin for their assistance and look forward to showcasing their quality products”, said McGeachy, “as well as our new tech partner SportsYou whose software platform will allow us to manage the communications and logistics of the team more efficiently”.

Women: Tahlia Brody, Sarah Buonopane, Jess Davis, Justina De Bruzzie, Natalie Kosko, Hannah Mackay, Deanna Nash, Lisa Roselin (C), Jennifer Salomon, Kristen Siano, Paige Stathopoulos, Claire Stingley

Men: Arif Taruz, Bobby McMahon, Derek Lipscomb, Erik Petersen, Jake Feury, Jimmy Sheridan, Ludo Mukwakwa, Mike St. Claire, Phil Salter, Sean Porrata, Tyrel Moore

Chris Baumann will make his 2018 debut for the Eagles this weekend as they take on Brazil. Baumann was not with the team for the first three weeks of the Americas Rugby Championship and not included on the original roster but after missing out on action for Leicester has been made available this weekend. He's one of a few changes head coach Gary Gold has made to his squad.

Joining Baumann in the front-row is Huluholo Moungaloa, who started last week, and Dylan Fawsitt, who was on the bench last week. James Hilterbrand, who started last week at hooker is not in the squad this week giving Peter Malcolm a spot on the bench. Other front-row replacements Tony Purpura and Angus MacLellan.

The same group remains in the locks with Ben Landry and Nick Civetta starting. There i a change in the back-row with Hanco Germishuys replacing Tony Lamborn. Psalm Wooching and Cam Dolan keep their starting spots. Matt Jensen is the lock replacement and Lamborn is on the bench.

Take the jump to read more.
There will also be a change at scrumhalf. Shaun Davies will get his first chance to start while Nate Augspurger moves out to the wing. The move keeps Augspurger on the field while giving a chance to Davies. Ruben de Haas is on the bench.

Will Magie starts once again at flyhalf. The wings will be Augspurger and Josh Whippy. Bryce Campbell and Dylan Audsley are the centers with Mike Te'o at fullback. Ben Cima and Paul Lasike are the backs replacements.

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Forwards: Huluholo Moungaloa, Dylan Fawsitt, Chris Baumann, Ben Landry, Nick Civetta, Psalm Wooching, Hanco Germishuys, Cam Dolan

Backs: Shaun Davies, Will Magie, Josh Whippy, Bryce Campbell, Dylan Audsley, Nate Augspurger, Mike Te'o

Bench: Peter Malcolm, Tony Purpura, Angus MacLellan, Matt Jensen, Tony Lamborn, Ruben de Haas, Ben Cima, Paul Lasike

Press Release

The Seattle Seawolves have announced the signing of University of Oregon graduate and Seattle Saracens lock, Taylor Krumrei.

"Taylor’s height and strength is an important contribution to our forward pack” said coach Tony Healy. “His aggressive style of play will help significantly with our close field play in our upcoming matches.”

Taylor Krumrei first began playing rugby his senior year in high school for Lamorinda Rugby Club in Moraga, California. He then went on to play in college for the Oregon Ducks for his entire collegiate career. At 6 feet 5 inches, Krumrei fit perfectly as a lock, serving as the glue for their forward pack. After graduating from a successful college rugby career, Krumrei traveled up to Seattle to play for the Seattle Saracens for the last two years. He moved to New Zealand in mid-2017 to train with the Waikato Premier Rugby Club for four months and has since returned to Seattle to begin training with the Seawolves.

“I'm very grateful and excited for the opportunity to join the Seawolves,” said Krumrei. “I am looking forward to the work ahead and being a part of the growth of Professional Rugby in North America.”

Press Release

Major League Rugby today announced the assignment of Paki Sonasi Afu to the Utah Warriors from Austin Elite Rugby for the 2018 Major League Rugby (MLR) season.

Afu, a former Sydney Rooster’s National Rugby League standout and Mate Ma'a Tonga representative, has switched codes to Rugby Union and made a recent debut with Tonga A in 2017. The 6’3” and 250 lb utility back will bring professionalism and experience to the MLR.

As part of the player re-allocation, Austin Elite Rugby have been granted undisclosed accommodations from Major League Rugby that come to them via the Utah Warriors.

Take the jump to read more.
“We wish Paki all the best as he continues with his MLR journey” commented Alain Hyardet, Austin Elite Rugby Head Coach.

“Major League Rugby is committed to the best interest of players and teams, and this re-assignment fairly positions both Austin and Utah to put forward the most competitive teams possible for the upcoming season,” commented Nic Benson, Deputy Commissioner Major League Rugby.

Utah Warriors CEO and GM echoed Benson’s sentiment.

“We’re excited to welcome such a dynamic player like Paki to the Warriors family,” Kjar said, “He’ll easily add some power to our backline and we’re looking forward to seeing him in the Black and Red.”

National Teams:

Chris Baumann will make his 2018 debut for the Eagles as the team has named their starters to play Brazil.

Aaron Castro has a preview of the Eagles-Brazil match tomorrow. The latest Earful of Dirt podcast is also out.

Major League Rugby:

In a MLR first Paki Afu has been reassigned from Austin to Utah.

The local news has noticed the NOLA Gold with a profile.

The Seawolves have signed a former University of Oregon standout. Seawolves player Riekert Hattingh was recently on the Rugby City podcast.

Take the jump to read more.

PRP/ODA:

The Northeast Academy has named their men's and women's teams for Vegas.

In case you missed it here is a recap of last week's PRP action as well as our power rankings.

Club/College:

The Rugby Evangelist Grant Cole sat down with Seattle Saracens president Kevin Flynn.

Cal are ready to host UBC this weekend in the first leg of The World Cup.

Alex Goff notes the latest women's college commitments and the same for the men.

Lindenwood are looking to push past their disappointing loss to Life.

The Capital All-Stars are ready to take on Life this weekend. Staying with Life, they and BYU recently picked up wins.

The Coast Guard Selects will make their debut in Vegas.

World:

The crew at Rugby Wrap Up previews this weekend's play overseas.

It is going to be one of the busiest days of the year for watching rugby. Not only is the Eagles-Brazil match available on The Rugby Channel but there is also the rest of the ARC, the Six Nations, Super Rugby, the Top 14, Pro 14, and top domestic action like Glendale vs. St. Mary's.

If you know of an event or a tournament that is not on our list, please share it with us at thisisamericanrugby@gmail.com.

Friday:

Leinster vs. Southern Kings, 2:35 p.m. et/11:35 a.m. pt (live on The Rugby Channel)
France Men vs. Italy Men, 3:00 p.m. et/12:00 p.m. pt (live on NBC Sports Gold)
Scotland Women vs. England Women, 3:00 p.m. et/12:00 p.m. pt (live on FloRugby)
Colomiers vs. Beziers, 3:30 p.m. et/12:30 p.m. pt (live on FloRugby)
Sunwolves vs. Brumbies, 11:15 p.m. et/8:15 p.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)
Crusaders vs. Chiefs, 1:35 a.m. (Saturday)/10:35 p.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)

Take the jump to read more.

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Saturday:

Waratahs vs. Stormers, 3:45 a.m. et/12:45 a.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)
Lions vs. Jaguares, 8:05 a.m. et/5:05 a.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)
Ireland Men vs. Wales Men, 9:15 a.m. et/7:15 a.m. pt (live on NBC Sports Gold)
Ireland Women vs. Wales Women, 10:00 a.m. et/7:00 a.m pt (live on FloRugby)
Bulls vs. Hurricanes, 10:15 a.m. et/7:15 a.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)
Scotland Men vs. England Men, 11:45 a.m. et/8:45 a.m. pt (live on NBC Sports Gold)
Davenport vs. Life, 1:00 p.m. et/10:00 a.m. pt (live on FloRugby)
Chile vs. Uruguay, 1:00 p.m. et/10:00 a.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)
Scarlets vs. Ulster 2:35 a.m. et/11:35 a.m. pt (live on The Rugby Channel)
France Women vs. Italy Women, 3:00 p.m. et/12:00 p.m. pt (live on FloRugby)
USA vs. Brazil, 3:35 p.m. et/12:35 p.m. pt (live on The Rugby Channel)
Glendale vs. St. Mary's, 4:30 p.m. et/1:30 p.m. pt (live on FloRugby)
Argentina XV vs. Canada, 6:00 p.m. et/3:00 p.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)
Capital All-Stars vs. Life Women, 7:00 p.m. et/4:00 p.m. pt (live on FloRugby)
Arkansas vs. Baylor, 7:15 p.m. et/4:15 p.m. pt (live on FloRugby)
Uruguay vs. Argentina 7:05 p.m. et/4:05 p.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)
Canada vs. Brazil, 9:30 p.m. et/630 p.m. pt (live on ESPN3/WatchESPN)

Sunday:

Toulouse vs. Brive, 6:30 a.m. et/3:30 a.m. pt (live on The Rugby Channel)
La Rochelle vs. Toulon, 10:50 a.m. et/7:50 a.m. pt (live on The Rugby Channel)

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It is once again a mixed weekend for Americans overseas. Some teams with Americans have the week off in order to focus on the Six Nations. That includes the All Ireland League and the RFU Championship. But of those that are playing maybe the most notable is Saoisi Mahoni getting the start for Narbonne with David Tameilau coming off the bench. Other than that Eric Fry is once again involved for Vannes.

Take the jump to read more.

British Isles:

Aviva Premiership

Chris Wyles will start while Titi Lamositele is not in the line-up for Saracens as they play Leicester on Sunday. Chris Baumann is with the Eagles and not in the line-up for Leicester.

AJ MacGinty is not in the line-up for Sale as they play Bath on Saturday. He is injured.

Nick Civetta is not in the line-up for Newcastle as they play Harlequins on Saturday. He is with the Eagles.

Joe Taufete'e and Andrew Durutalo are not in the line-up for Worcester as they play London Irish5on Saturday. Taufete'e is injured.

Guinness Pro 14

Callum Black is not in the line-up for Ulster as they play Scarlets on Saturday.

Greg Peterson is not in the line-up for Glasgow as they play Munster.

Blaine Scully is on the bench for Cardiff as they play Zebre on Sunday

RFU Championship

Ronnie McLean and Richmond have the weekend off.

Nick Civetta and Doncaster have the weekend off. Civetta is with the Eagles.

Robbie Shaw and Hartpury have the weekend off.

Dino Waldren and London Scottish have the weekend off.

Thretton Palamo and Bristol have the weekend off.

Will Hooley and Bedford have the weekend off.

Other

Conor Kearns plays with Oxford University.

Ollie Drew plays with Romsney.

Louis Mulholland plays with with Cheshunt.

All Ireland League

Pierce Dargan, Roman Salanoa, and Old Belvedere have the weekend off.

Tim Maupin and St. Mary's College have the weekend off.

Kevin O'Connor, Alex McDonald, Will Sims, Liam Smith, and Trinity have the weekend off

Kalei Konrad and Terenure College have the weekend off.

Women's Premiership

Jess Wooden and the Harlequins have the weekend off.

France:

Top 14

Samu Manoa and Toulon play La Rochelle on Sunday.

Dave Ryan will start for Agen as they play Stade Francais on Saturday.

Pro D2

Eric Fry is on the bench for Vannes as they play Nevers today.

David Tameilau is on the bench while Siaosi Mahoni will start for Narbonne as they play Grenoble today.

Christian Ostberg is not in the line-up for Aurillac as they play Dax today.

Other

Victor Camptat plays for the Brive Reserves.

Mose Fualaau plays for the Clermont Academy.

Inaki Basauri plays for Stade Nantais.

Nafi Maafu plays for the Perpignan reserves.

Italy:

Eccellenza

Roland Suniula and Reggio have the weekend off.

New Zealand:

Graham Harriman and James Bay play Capilano on Saturday.

Photo: Connie Hatfield

Coming off a perfect home stand in which the Eagles dispatched Argentina XV, Canada, and Chile, all in impressive fashion, the team now heads to South America where they will take on Brazil. Like last week against Chile this is a match the U.S. should easily win on paper. However, all we have to do is look a few years back when the U.S. found themselves similarly unbeaten on their way to South America only to lose embarrassingly to Brazil. A repeat of that situation doesn't seem likely but Brazil is a team that is consistently improving and if the U.S. aren't careful they could be bitten.

While a win is never guaranteed the U.S. needs to be focused not just on beating Brazil this week but picking up the maximum number of bonus points. If they do and results go there way in other matches the U.S. could seal up the Americas Rugby Championship title for the second year in a row, and with a game to play. In order to do that the U.S. would need the maximum five points and for both Canada and Chile to get surprise results.

In all likelihood the U.S. need the maximum five points to give themselves a cushion heading into Uruguay next week. Argentina XV did the U.S. a favor by beating Uruguay last week but if the U.S. slip up against Brazil by not taking away maximum points and they fail to pick up points next week against Uruguay then Argentina could claim the title. In the end it comes down to making the most out of the match against Brazil.

Take the jump to read more.
The match will be at 3:40 p.m. et/12:40 p.m. pt and will be shown live on the Rugby Channel and then on delay on ESPN3/WatchESPN later.

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The Team

Head coach Gary Gold hasn't been known to make many changes to his team but this week he's made a few. A few surprises are into the team from Europe with Chris Baumann being released from Leicester to play in the match and Nick Civetta being made available once again. That's the type of experienced the Eagles will need to avoid a let down. Returning starters from last week include Huluholo Moungalo, Ben Landry, Psalm Wooching, Cam Dolan, Will Magie, Josh Whippy, Bryce Campbell, Dylan Audsley, Nate Augspurger, and Mike Te'o. Of all of those players only Augspurger gets a position shift as he moves from scrumhalf, where Shaun Davies will get an opportunity, to the wing. Augspurger has shown on multiple occasions that he can be effective on the wing. Look at his performance against Argentina XV last year.

The team will be missing some key players that had success the previous few weeks, including Tony Lamborn and Ryan Matyas. Overall, the U.S. has experience while also blending in some new names. The bench has plenty of power and fitness on it so as Brazil begins to tire the Eagles should be able to pull away.

Forwards: Huluholo Moungaloa, Dylan Fawsitt, Chris Baumann, Ben Landry, Nick Civetta, Psalm Wooching, Hanco Germishuys, Cam Dolan

Backs: Shaun Davies, Will Magie, Josh Whippy, Bryce Campbell, Dylan Audsley, Nate Augspurger, Mike Te'o

Bench: Peter Malcolm, Tony Purpura, Angus MacLellan, Matt Jensen, Tony Lamborn, Ruben de Haas, Ben Cima, Paul Lasike

The Opponents

Had this match been three years ago most of the Brazilian team wouldn't have much international experience. Now, after two and a half years of the ARC and an increased profile there are a number of Brazilian players with experience. Players like Lucas Piero, Yan Rosetti, Moises Duque, and Felipe Sancery all have 25 caps or more. There are a few newcomers to the team but they aren't green. The Eagles in particular need to watch Duque and Sancery. Where the U.S. should have an advantage is in the forwards.

Forwards: Michel Gomes, Yan Rosetti, Jardel Vettorato, Lucas Piero, Cleber Dias, Artur Bergo, Matheus Daniel, Andre Arruda

Backs: Laurent Bourda-Couhet, Josh Reeves, Robert Tenorio, Moises Duque, Felipe Sancery, Stefano Giantorno, Lucas Tranquez

Bench: Angelo Marcucci, Lucas Abud, Matheus Rocha, Diego Lopez, Michael Moraes, Daniel Lima, Ariel Rodrigues, De Wet van Niekerk

Keys to the Match

Start Strong: The Eagles didn't off to the first half they would have liked last week against Chile and it made the game closer than it should have been early on. This week they need to come out flying against Brazil. They have the horses off the bench to pile it on so while not expend yourself early?

Kicking: Brazil are going to want to kick and the U.S. need to be up to task to respond. Look for Mike Te'o to have a big game. To his credit he has really settled in as a fullback with more time in the position and is looking good.

Finish: Matches like this are the perfect opportunity to gain confidence finishing. Being clinical here leads to confidence in converting chances against better teams.

The Takeaway

This is a match the Eagles should win. It may not be easy, especially on the road, but it is one in which they should win by 40-50 points. They definitely need to take away a bonus point and doing it in the first half would be a plus. We think that the Eagles win and that they jump out by three tries early.

The first official meeting between two Major League Rugby sides occurs this weekend as the Houston SaberCats host the NOLA Gold in pre-season action in Sugarland, Texas. Both teams have already been active in the pre-season with the SaberCats facing a number of teams like the Chicago Lions, Vancouver Ravens, Uruguayan national team, and most recently NYAC. Houston is 4-2 so far in pre-season defeating every American side they've face while losing to Uruguay and the Ravens. Last week they edged NYAC by a point in what was their closest match of the season. For their part the Gold took on the Capital Selects a few weeks back. They triumphed in that match and will be looking to test themselves against the SaberCats.

The match features several tasty match-ups at multiple position. Maybe the most watched area will be the back row where Kyle Sumsion, Cecil Garber, and Matt Trouville will suit up for Houston and Vince Jobo, Matt Hughston, and Sebastian Kalm suit up for the Gold. There are some very experienced players in the group that will turn a bunch of heads.

Take the jump to read more.
Another area to watch is the front-row where on paper the Gold have an advantage. The trio of Hubert Buydens, Eric Howard, and Ben Tarr has the opportunity to be in the best front-row in the competition. This isn't to say that Houston's front-row doesn't have talent, they absolutely do, but they don't come with the same reputation.

On the flip side, Houston should have an advantage in the backs. Both backlines look very strong but the ability of the SaberCats to bring a player like Zach Pangelinan off the bench is a major advantage. In particular, we're watching the halfback battle between Connor Murphy and Sam Windsor for the SaberCats and Holden Yungert and Taylor Howden for the Gold.

No matter the result this is a big opportunity for these teams to test each other against MLR competition. Playing club sides and select sides is good but it's not the same as coming up against a fellow professional side.

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You can listen to the match which starts at 8:00 p.m. et/5:00 p.m. pt on Sunday.

Houston SaberCats

Forwards: Adam Macklin, Lindsey Stevens, Paul Mullen, Robert Meeson, Justin Allen, Kyle Sumsion (C), Cecil Garber, Matt Trouville

Backs: Connor Murphy, Sam Windsor, Josua Vici, Conor Mills, Malacchi Esdale, Alex Elkins, Osea Kolinisau

Bench: Diego Maquieira, Kenneth Hepburn, Jake Turnbull, Charlie Hewitt, Chris Parker, Chris Coyle, Chris Slater, Zach Pangelinan, Dan Paul, Chauntez Jackson

NOLA Gold

Forwards: Hubert Buydens, Eric Howard, Ben Tarr, Myles McQuone, John Sullivan, Vince Jobo, Matt Hughston, Sebastian Kalm

Backs: Holden Yungert, Taylor Howden, Jojo Tikoisuva, Zack Stryffeler, Tesimoni Tongauiha, Ratu Rinakama, JP Eloff

Bench: Derrek van Klein, Cam Falcon, Matt Wirken, William Waguespack, Bobby Johns, Michael Baska, Melvin DeSouza, Alec Janotka, John Stapleton, Todd Dupre

Press Release

Chasing Great, a documentary that chronicles New Zealand Rugby legend Richie McCaw will have a premiere showing in the United States on February 28 th at Cineopolis Chelsea in New York City in advance of its national rollout. Abramorama, an industry leader in film distribution, marketing and promotion, will release the feature documentary across the United States and Canada with national support from Augusto, Oktane Media and Falco Ink. Through the theatrical and subsequent digital release, fans and moviegoers will have ample opportunity to watch this intimate portrait of the New Zealand hero.

Chasing Great follows Richie McCaw through his final season as he attempts the goal of captaining the All Blacks to the first ever-back- to back Rugby World Cup Wins. Woven through that final season the film tells the story of Richie's life. With unprecedented access to Richie and a remarkable family video archive Chasing Great is the story of how a shy farm boy went on to be one of the greatest rugby players of all time. Until now Richie McCaw's achievements have been well documented, but little is known about the man himself. Chasing Great takes the audience inside his world. What emerges is a very personal insight into high level international sport and a psychological profile of the mind of a champion.

Take the jump to read more.

A full schedule of locations across the USA, as well as screening dates will be available at chasingreatfilm.com.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS FOR RUGBY CLUBS AND TEAMS

US based rugby clubs and teams can schedule screenings of the Chasing Great in local theaters, an event which can raise visibility for the team and be used as a fundraising event. Interested teams should contact John Broker at johnbroker@oktane.net for more details on this opportunity.

About Abramorama
Abramorama is the preeminent global rights management partner for music films today and is recognized for the consistent high quality of its work on award winning feature films. An innovator in the focused, personalized form of film distribution and event cinema, Abramorama provides invaluable alternatives to filmmakers and content owners. An industry leader in marketing, promotion, and global distribution, Abramorama continues to trail-blaze exciting new pathways for filmmakers to find their audience. For more information on Abramorama, go to www.abramorama.com.

World Rugby Press Release

USA produced a strong first-half display against Brazil to bag the bonus-point win that keeps them in pole position to defend their title.

Playing in their first away match of the 2018 competition, the Eagles showed no signs of travel-weariness as they took to their task from the start. Hard-running full-back Mike Te’o opened the scoring when he crossed in the left corner for an unconverted try in the fourth minute.

Josh Reeves struck back for Brazil by kicking an eighth-minute penalty, but the home side were struggling to live with their unbeaten opponents. Superior in the physicality stakes, the Eagles’ forwards regularly made good metres and the supply of quick, front-foot ball meant that inevitably holes started to appear in the home side’s defence.

Take the jump to read more.

Sandwiched between two mauled tries for prop Huluholo Mo’ungaloa Moungaloa and lively back-rower Hanco Germishuys, centre Bryce Campbell finished off a good team effort.

With the bonus point in the bag inside the opening half an hour, the Eagles looked well in command, but they were given a reminder of just how dangerous Brazil’s backline can be when winger Stefano Giantorno broke clean through after collecting an aimless kick from the USA and drew in the last defender to put Moisés Duque free down the left touchline.

Fly-half Reeves nailed the difficult conversion to add to his earlier penalty to make the half-time scoreline 26-10 to the USA.

Lifted by their dominant scrum and the introduction of livewire replacement Ariel Rodrigues, Brazil came out firing at the start of the second half.

Rodrigues was bundled into touch just short of the line before being called upon at the other end to stop Josh Whippy in his tracks with a brilliant cover tackle as the Eagles threatened to land a sucker punch on the counterattack.

Reeves kicked two penalties to close the gap to just nine points after both sides lost players to yellow cards for high tackles, Giantorno followed by Nick Civetta in spending 10 minutes on the sidelines.

But their comeback bid was thwarted when replacement second-row Diego López was also sent to the sin-bin for foul play, followed two minutes later by tight-head prop Jardel Vettorato, who had illegally sacked the maul which led to Tony Lamborn’s try.

Paul Lasike scored his second try in as many games off the bench, receiving a tip back from Whippy before reaching out and acrobatically planting the ball one-handed over the line. It was some finish from the American Football convert who has made an instant impression after switching codes.

Attacking straight from the restart, Germishuys got his second as the Eagles made 13-man Brazil pay for their ill-discipline and they nearly added another but Psalm Wooching was unable to keep hold of the ball with the line at his mercy.

National Teams:

With their win over Brazil last Saturday the Eagles have moved to 4-0 in the ARC and set up a big match against Uruguay this Saturday.

Next week in Vegas the U.S. will try to qualify for the Youth Olympics.

The Women Eagles 7s will play Australia in a five match series in Vegas.

The Falcons returned from Okinawa after finishing in 6th place.

Major League Rugby:

News outlets in Ireland are taking notice of Rugby Club New York.

Take the jump to read more.

Club/College:

Cal won the first round of the World Cup by three points over UBC.

In other college results Lindenwood beat Clemson, Life beat Charlotte, and St. Mary's beat the Glendale U-23s 58-12.

The locations for the spring college playoffs have been named but not the final.

Tiger 1823 are taking a very strong women's team to Vegas. The Scion Sirens are also taking a deep team.

World:

Scotland puled off the upset as they beat Scotland in the Six Nations. Ireland beat Wales and France beat Italy.

A documentary about Richie McCaw is coming to the United States.

New Zealand will bid for a stop on the women's Sevens Series.

Planet Rugby has their latest who's hot and who's not.

Eagles Abroad is brought to you by Grubber, makers of fine sporting apparel.

Once again there weren't a lot of Americans getting time overseas as some leagues took a break for the Six Nations and others were injured. For example, the entire RFU Championship was off last weekend. Leagues that did play include the Premiership where both Chris Wyles and Titi Lamositele got on the pitch for the Saracens. AJ MacGinty and Joe Taufete'e are injured for their respective clubs. In the Pro 14 Blaine Scully came off the bench for Cardiff.

Take the jump to read more.

British Isles:

Aviva Premiership

Chris Wyles started and played 80 minutes while Titi Lamositele came off the bench and played 24 minutes for Saracens as they lost to Leicester 28-20 on Sunday. Chris Baumann was with the Eagles and not in the line-up for Leicester.

AJ MacGinty was not in the line-up for Sale as they lost to Bath 33-32 on Saturday. MacGinty is injured.

Nick Civetta was not in the line-up for Newcastle as they beat Harlequins 28-10 on Saturday. He is with the Eagles.

Joe Taufete'e and Andrew Durutalo were not in the line-up for Worcester as they lost to London Irish 22-9 on Saturday. Taufete'e is injured.

Guinness Pro 14

Callum Black was not in the line-up for Ulster as they lost to Scarlets 34-10 on Saturday.

Greg Peterson was not in the line-up for Glasgow as they lost to Munster 21-10 on Friday.

Blaine Scully came off the bench and played 34 minutes for Cardiff as they beat Zebre 10-7 on Sunday

RFU Championship

Ronnie McLean and Richmond had the weekend off.

Nick Civetta and Doncaster had the weekend off. Civetta is with the Eagles.

Robbie Shaw and Hartpury had the weekend off.

Dino Waldren and London Scottish had the weekend off.

Thretton Palamo and Bristol had the weekend off.

Will Hooley and Bedford had the weekend off.

Other

Conor Kearns plays with Oxford University.

Ollie Drew plays with Romsney.

Louis Mulholland plays with with Cheshunt.

All Ireland League

Pierce Dargan, Roman Salanoa, and Old Belvedere had the weekend off.

Tim Maupin and St. Mary's College had the weekend off.

Kevin O'Connor, Alex McDonald, Will Sims, Liam Smith, and Trinity had the weekend off

Kalei Konrad and Terenure College had the weekend off.

Women's Premiership

Jess Wooden and the Harlequins had the weekend off.

France:

Top 14

Samu Manoa was not in the line-up for Toulon as they beat La Rochelle 27-20 on Sunday.

Dave Ryan started and played 54 minutes for Agen as they beat Stade Francais 36-24 on Saturday.

Pro D2

Eric Fry came off the bench and played 34 minutes for Vannes as they beat Nevers 34-26 on Friday.

David Tameilau came off the bench and played 9 minutes while Siaosi Mahoni started and played 52 minutes for Narbonne as they drew with Grenoble 29-29 on Friday.

Christian Ostberg was not in the line-up for Aurillac as they beat Dax 36-24 on Friday.

Other

Victor Camptat plays for the Brive Reserves.

Mose Fualaau plays for the Clermont Academy.

Inaki Basauri plays for Stade Nantais.

Nafi Maafu plays for the Perpignan reserves.

Italy:

Eccellenza

Roland Suniula and Reggio had the weekend off.

New Zealand:

Graham Harriman and James Bay had their match against Capilano postponed.

As we wind down our fundraising drive we thought we'd dust off a few ideas that we thought are worth another look. Today we look at college rugby.

A few years ago we wrote that the status quo in college rugby isn't working. That is definitely not to say that college rugby isn't entertaining or isn't a crucial part of American rugby. It most definitely is and there is an argument to be made that college rugby is the heart of American rugby. Many players get their first taste of rugby in college and the thousands or programs around the country help sustain the game. However, if you are looking at college rugby from an entertainment and a high-performance outlet there is still something missing.

Since we wrote that article a few years back things have changed. The Varsity Cup won't be played this year and for the first time in a very long time it appears that all the best college teams in the country will be playing for the same championship. That's going to be a great thing but from an entertainment perspective it leaves somethings to be desired.

Take the jump to read more.
College rugby has the potential to be the biggest thing in American rugby. If you really think about it there are built in fanbases for most of the teams. As long as they can integrate well into their school, like how Cal and St. Mary's do, then you can have thousands of people at your games and thousands more casually following. Professional teams, whether its PRO Rugby or now MLR, have to build their fanbases, college teams have that built in. These fanbases are passionate and will cheer for their team regardless (you'd be surprised how many people feel their college team gets slighted even though they aren't that good).

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The fact that this year's college quarterfinals are going to potentially pit teams like Cal and BYU or Life and St. Mary's against each other, with even better semi-finals, is only good for the game. This year's quarterfinals and semi-finals should draw a lot more interest than in past years.

At the same time there is still a lot left to be desired. Sure, intense playoff matches are great but they are also fleeting. What elite college level rugby needs--and this will come as no surprise to anybody--is better competition. Teams like Cal, BYU, St. Mary's, Life, and Lindenwood already do a great job of trying to find elite competition. Simply look at their schedules. However, there is a difference between playing teams in an ad hoc fashion and in a formal fashion.

St. Mary's and BYU or St. Mary's and Cal clashing in the spring is great but it doesn't bring the same intensity as in competition--hence the excitement around this year's playoffs. So as the article asked two years ago: what do we do about it?

The response then is the same one we'd give today: "So what should be done? In an ideal world the top men's teams should follow the example of the top women's DI elite and form a competition that focuses on the elite schools. Imagine eight of the top college teams in the country, let's say BYU, Cal, Life, St. Mary's, Central Washington, Lindenwood, Arkansas State, and the likes of a Utah or Army, and you have them play a seven or eight match regular season against each other spread out over the year. Who wouldn't want to see that?"

Not only would a competition featuring the top eight teams from around the country (and maybe you could throw the Glendale U-23 in here and other programs) given those teams more high-level competition that also leaves room for matches against traditional opponents, but it also creates something marketable. As we mentioned before, these teams already have built in, passionate fanbases but there isn't a good way to market them. Three weeks of post-season play isn't enough. Instead, you can now offer up a product that would be valuable to sponsors wanting to tap into the college markets and you could potentially sell television rights more easily.

This is a simplified and ideal version of things. If anything is true in college rugby it's that things are very complicated and there are a lot of actors involved. Still, it would be a major shame if college rugby at the lite level stayed the same over the next few years. Maybe there are plans going on behind the scenes. We hope so. There is a lot of potential in college rugby and it needs to be tapped.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

Saracens Split Against Capilano

Opening Kick

PRP: OMBAC, Belmont Shore Stay Unbeaten

Who Will Start For The Eagles Against Brazil?

PRP Power Rankings: A Clear Top Two

Northeast Academy Releases Squads For Vegas

Baumann Returns, Eagles Named To Face Brazil

Seawolves Sign Oregon Standout

Afu Reassigned From Austin To Utah

Opening Kick

Weekend Television Listings

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Preview

Preview: Eagles Head To Brazil

SaberCats, Gold Clash In Pre-Season Fixture

Richie McCaw Documentary Coming To The U.S.

Eagles Beat Brazil, Set Up Uruguay Showdown

Opening Kick

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

Recycled Idea: A Truly Elite College Competition