USA

USA coach Eddie O’Sullivan has named his starting line-up for the Eagles’ Rugby World Cup Qualifying Match against Canada at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston on Saturday.

This first match of a home and away series not only marks a great opportunity for the Eagles to get a leg up on their North American rivals before facing them on Canadian soil, but will also prove vital in showcasing the sport to the American public.

"This summer has been non-stop rugby. The boys have worked very hard to get here and we are really starting to see the benefits of getting so much time together," captain Todd Clever said.

"It’s fantastic to be featured on the 'big stage' and this is a huge step in boosting exposure to our sport and increasing its following on a national level. The team is looking forward to playing in Charleston again and celebrating America’s birthday with our fans."

Led by Clever at flank, the forward pack is very similar to the lineup the U.S. used in its most recent test match against Georgia with the only difference being that Louis Stanfill will now move to the other flank spot and Hayden Smith will jump in at lock. On the bench, Brian McClenahan will serve as the replacement hooker and J.J. Gagiano takes a spot as a forward reserve.

The American backline is also very similar as it sees only two changes, with U.S. Sevens standout Kevin Swiryn stepping in at wing and Roland Suniula getting a start at inside center. Ata Malifa is the only change on the bench for the backs, as he takes the place of his twin brother, Nese.

The squad similarity is not surprising as O’Sullivan can’t help but feel confident with a lineup that won 33-13 over the Georgians, helping break a six-match losing streak and boost the USA’s international ranking to 18th. 

"We’ve had several matches this season to help build toward this test against Canada," O’Sullivan said. "After beating Georgia [in the Churchill Cup Bowl Final], we were pretty much where we wanted to be, but we’re well aware that a victory against Canada is hard to come by and we’ll have to play hard for it on Saturday."

The U.S. holds a current record of 11-31-1 against the 13th-ranked Canadian National Team and the Eagles look to win their first match against Canada since 2005.

The winner of the North American Qualification series will claim the Americas 1 spot in Pool A of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and face the host nation, as well as France, Tonga and the top Asian qualifier.

The loser moves on to face Uruguay, the winner of the South American Qualification Playoff, in a two game series to determine the Americas 2 qualifying side, which will take its place in Pool C of the World Cup against the likes of Australia, Ireland, Italy and the Europe 2 qualifier.

A four-team Final Place playoff will be held to decide the 20th qualifying team in the Rugby World Cup. This would include the third place Americas team versus the second place Asian team in a semifinal, with the winner playing the victor of the European 3 team against the African 2 team to claim the final spot in the RWC.

USA: 15. Chris Wyles (Saracens FC), 14. Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz Olympic), 13. Paul Emerick (Overmach Parma), 12. Roland Suniula (Pearl City RFC), 11. Kevin Swiryn (Old Puget Sound Beach), 10. Mike Hercus (Sunshine Coast Stingrays), 9. Tim Usasz (Nottingham RFC), 8. Nic Johnson (Denver Barbarians), 7. Todd Clever (Lions) - captain, 6. Louis Stanfill (New York Athletic Club), 5. Hayden Smith (Saracens FC), 4. John Van der Giessen (Denver Barbarians), 3. Shawn Pittman (Bayside RFC), 2. Chris Biller (California), 1. Mate Moeakiola (Park City Haggis)
Replacements 16. Brian McClenahan (Olympic Club) 17. Mike MacDonald (Leeds Carnegie RFC)18. Alec Parker (Gentlemen of Aspen) 19. J.J. Gagiano (Univ. of Cape Town)   20. Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club) 21. Ata Malifa (Belmont Shore RFC) 22. Alipate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers)