USA Men’s National Team Head Coach Mike Tolkin has named his starting lineup for the Eagles’ June 16 test match against Georgia at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo.

Tolkin has made three key changes, bringing in Taylor Mokate for his first USA start at flanker in favor of Andrew Durutalo, starting Shawn Pittman at loosehead prop over Mike MacDonald, and replacing Will Holder with Roland Suniula at flyhalf. 

Suniula might well have started last week, but was nursing a slight injury and Tolkin held him out. Holder, said Tolkin, did well in his debut for the most part, and is expected to get minutes Saturday.

Mokate is expected to share minutes with Durutalo at flanker, although he slides in at #6, with Scott LaValla moving to openside flanker.

At prop, Pittman had a strong second half for the USA against Canada, and unseats the USA’s all-time-leading caps-earner, MacDonald, for the moment.

Todd Clever returns as captain and No. 8.

Apart from Suniula in for Holder, the backline remains unchanged. The same goes for the subs bench, where Shaun Davies is the backup scrumhalf (and still waiting for his first cap), Holder is a sub, and Colin Hawley is the backup outside back.

On the bench for the forwards are Derek Asbun, MacDonald, and Durutalo. One change on the subs bench, Lock Tom Katzfey does not make the 22, while prop Andre Liufau is there, implying Tolkin is looking for more cover up front against a tough-scrummaging Georgia side.