USA v All Blacks: who are the US Eagles?
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http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/31/usa-all-blacks-who-are-super-eagles Version 0 of 1. 1 Eric Fry (Newcastle Falcons) Age 27 Caps 26 Loosehead has gained valuable experience at the sharp end of the Premiership. Worked his way to Kingston Park the old-fashioned way, with stints at Manawatu, in New Zealand, and London Scottish. 2 Phil Thiel (Life University) Age 30 Caps 22 Had a trial with Saracens this autumn, having previous played with CinderfordTough, experienced and potentially even thicker-bearded than captain Todd Clever. Known to rap from time to time. 3 Olive Kilifi (Seattle Saracens) Age 28 Caps 7 What’s known in technical terms as “a big unit”. Relatively short for a tighthead but certainly bulky enough. Like Thiel and Fry, knows what it is to have to dig in and hang on for dear life – a key part of any front-rower’s art. 4 Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints) Age: 29 Caps: 9 San Francisco-born force of nature but yet to light up the international stage: stayed with Saints rather than play in the 2011 World Cup. May thus have something to prove, with hard-charges, harder hits and beautifully deft hands. Star turn. 5 Hayden Smith (Saracens) Age: 29 Caps: 21 Australian-born basketballer-turned-rugby-player-turned-New-York-Jets-tight-end-turned-rugby-player-again. Caught one pass in his stay in the NFL; given good service, will catch more than that in the lineouts on Saturday afternoon. 6 Todd Clever (NTT Shining Arcs) Age: 31 Caps: 59 Seasoned captain has played provincially in New Zealand and in Super Rugby in South Africa, and has three World Cups of experience. Seriously hard-hitting .Most likely to end up bloodied. 7 Scott LaValla (Stade Français) Age: 26 Caps: 26 ude calendars and all, the shaven-headed flanker is also big enough to play lock. Not, then, your classic fetcher; more a carrier. A trooper who missed last year’s Maori match with a warm-up injury. 8 Danny Barrett (USA Sevens) Age: 24 Caps: 3 Hard-charging Californian with a hand-off from a cannon. A triallist with Gloucester, he has displaced the highly regarded Cam Dolan. Out of University of California, he was an All-American try scorer in a 2013 victory over New Zealand Universities. 9 Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club) Age: 30 Caps: 44 Guardian World Cup diarist, math teacher (no “s”) in New York City and long-time Eagles No9. Had spells with Sale and Newport before going amateur again; has had a strong 2014, tightening his hold on the jersey. 10 Adam Siddall (New York Old Blue) Age: 26 Caps: 6 New Zealand-born fly-half and sometime tennis star whose 2014 has been clouded by concussion. Highly thought of by his New York club coaches and by the Eagles – has a chance to lay claim for a World Cup place in a problem position. 11 Brett Thompson (Edinburgh) Age: 24 Caps: 1 Big wing, at 6ft 4in and 205lbs – unsurprisingly, played football at the University of Arizona. Scored the winner on debut in June’s tremendously entertaining and gleefully celebrated 38-35 victory over Canada. 12 Andrew Suniula (New York Old Blue) Age: 32 Caps: 30 Back in the US after a stint with Wasps. From American Samoa, he grew up in New Zealand and played provincially there and in Australia’s National Rugby League. “Straight-running” – ie: extraordinarily tough and always up for a hit. 13 Seamus Kelly (California Golden Bears) Age: 23 Caps: 11 New York native and University of California star shares a nickname, “Famous Seamus”, with a Nobel-winning poet; inevitably, he’s the more creative of the Eagles centres. Another triallist with Gloucester; could be a Premiership prospect yet. 14 Blaine Scully (Leicester Tigers) Age: 26 Caps: 20 Another star from Cal – coach Jack Clark’s college rugby powerhouse – now employed by the slightly less sunnily optimistic Richard Cockerill in the slightly less sunny but pricelessly professional surrounds of Welford Road. A finisher. 15 Chris Wyles (Saracens) Age: 31 Caps: 44 Born in Connecticut, raised in England, a long-term success at Sarries. Likely to start with the kicking duties, or share them with Siddall. Solid at the back but also used wide by his club – can capitalise on any ball that reaches him. 16 Tom Coolican (Sydney Stars) Age: 26 Caps: 5 Big hooker born in Cleveland and raised in Australia, currently playing in second-tier Aussie competition. Reckoned to have pushed Thiel hard; will be introduced, inevitably, in the second half. 17 Nick Wallace (Glendale Raptors) Age: 25 Caps: 10 Former Western Washington football player who now turns out for a powerful Colorado club. Has great mobility, as demonstrated with a sprint for a try in last year’s impressive win in Georgia, but has struggled recently in the scrums. 18 Mate Moeakiola (Castenet) Age: 36 Caps: 26 Big prop long employed in the lower tiers of French rugby, he famously scored a try in a 28-10 defeat by England in Lens in the 2007 World Cup. Also famously, was then playing for the magnificently named Park City Haggis. 19 Tai Tuisamoa (London Scottish) Age: 34 Caps: 3 Big Californian lock was a latecomer to internationals, impressing against the Maori All Blacks in Philadelphia last year, winning a first cap in a win over Russia at Saracens’ Allianz Park and subsequently a contract with Scottish. 20 Louis Stanfill (Seattle Saracens) Age: 29 Caps: 48 Charismatic second or back row, eighth-most capped Eagle and big hitter – in the RWC qualifier against Uruguay he was penalised for tackling not too high but “too hard”. As bemused as the rest of us by that. Will launch himself off the bench. 21 Shalom Suniula (Seattle Saracens) Age: 26 Caps: 5 Younger brother of Andrew (and of Roland, another Eagle), he is, valuably, able to cover scrum-half and fly-half. Has extensive experience in the HSBC Sevens World Series. 22 Folau Niua (USA Sevens) Age: 29 Caps: 9 Centre or fly-half who spent time with Glasgow last season and, like Suniula, has played in the Sevens World Series. Like Danny Barrett, he is a full-time member of the USA’s Sevens squad, aiming for Olympic qualification in 2016. 23 Troy Hall (New York Athletic Club) Age: 32 Caps: 2 Educated in Waikato, New Zealand, Hall is now a development officer for Rugby Oregon. Plays his club rugby, conveniently, on the other side of the continent. |