Eagles Faces Portugal, As Three Rising Stars Make International Debuts
Eagles Faces Portugal, As Three Rising Stars Make International Debuts
The USA Men’s Eagles face Portugal on Nov. 9 in Coimbra, kicking off a three-match tour. Three MLR stars debut, as the Eagles aim to build momentum.
The USA Men’s Eagles are set to make a comeback on the international rugby scene this Saturday, as they open their three-game November tour with a faceoff against Portugal in Coimbra, Portugal - a charming city just north of Lisbon.
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The match will feature the return of seasoned players, including fly-half AJ MacGinty, while three emerging stars will make their debut appearances for the Eagles.
The USA vs. Portugal game on Nov. 9 kicks off at 11 a.m. ET and will be streamed live on FloRugby.
Three up-and-coming players from Major League Rugby are stepping into the international spotlight for the first time.
Shilo Klein from San Diego Legion, Tomas Casares of the Miami Sharks and Erich Storti, the 2024 first overall draft pick from Anthem Rugby Carolina, are making their debuts.
Klein will take on the starting hooker role, while Casares and Storti will be ready to contribute off the bench.
Casares joined the roster as a late addition, replacing Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, while Michael Grandy of Anthem stepped in for Thomas Tu’avao.
This is the third consecutive year the Eagles are meeting Portugal, with the last two encounters resulting in a tie and a loss for the USA.
Ten players from last summer’s roster are set to play again this weekend, promising an exciting rematch against a similarly experienced Portuguese side.
Head coach and general manager Scott Lawrence shared his perspective on the upcoming match.
"Our goal for this tour is the same as it was in the Pacific Nations Cup—to compete and improve each week," he said. "This Saturday is our first chance to do that. We’ll consider what Portugal brings to the game, but our focus will remain on our own performance objectives.
"Portugal just finished a cohesive Rugby World Cup campaign, so they’ll be a great test of our ability to stay focused and perform for a full 80 minutes as a young team.”
USA Eagles
1. Jack Iscaro - Old Glory DC - 10 caps
2. Shilo Klein - San Diego Legion - Debut
3. Alex Maughan - RFCLA - 6 caps
4. Jason Damm - RFCLA - 6 caps
5. Greg Peterson (C) - San Diego Legion - 48 caps
6. Viliami Helu - San Diego Legion - 11 caps
7. Cory Daniel - Old Glory DC - 7 caps
8. Paddy Ryan - San Diego Legion - 11 caps
9. Ruben de Haas - Cheetahs - 33 caps
10. AJ MacGinty - Bristol Bears - 37 caps
11. Nate Augspurger - Chicago Hounds - 46 caps
12. Tavite Lopeti - Seattle Seawolves - 17 caps
13. Dominic Besag - Saint Mary's College - 6 caps
14. Conner Mooneyham - Anthem RC - 5 caps
15. Mitch Wilson - Anthem RC - 11 caps
Replacements
16. Kapeli Pifeleti - Saracens - 15 caps
17. Jake Turnbull - Anthem RC - 11 caps
18. Pono Davis - Houston SaberCats - 3 caps
19. Tomas Casares - Miami Sharks - Debut
20. Tesimoni Tonga'uiha - NOLA Gold - 9 caps
21. Ethan McVeigh - Old Glory DC - 2 caps
22. Erich Storti - Anthem RC - Debut
23. Luke Carty - Unattached - 21 caps
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