|
USA Head Coach Mike Tolkin has named his squad to face Uruguay Saturday in the Americas Rugby Championship final round.
This USA Selects team features five players who often play lock. With No. 8 Cam Dolan out with a knee injury, flanker Taylor Mokate out with a broken toe, and flanker John Quill under a one-game suspension, Tolkin has been forced to make wholesale changes in the back row. Kris Headlee comes in at openside flank, Eric Duechle steps in at blindside flank, and Tom Katzfey comes in at No. 8. Nick Civetta and Graham Harriman return at lock.
This is a back five with a lot of height and power, but perhaps not quite as much mobility as the previous group. But Tolkin isn't concerned so much with mobility. He has chosen Tim Paulsen at tighthead prop, and Paulsen is not one to cover a lot of ground, either. Paulsen is there to anchor a scrum that desperately needs to hold up against the Uruguay pack. Zach Fenoglio is the other prop, and Derek Asbun, perhaps the fastest of all the forwards, returns at hooker after missing the last game due to a sprained ankle.
In the backs, Tolkin has made one major change, putting Zach Pangelinan in at flyahlf after one game at wing and another at fullback.
"I want to give Zach a run there and see what he can do," said Tolkin.
Gearoid McDonald, who was flyhalf for the first two matches, slides out one spot to inside center. This is a big change for Tolkin, who had used the powerful Jack Tracy to some effect at #12. Now he puts in two flyhalves.
Dean Gericke remains at outside center, while Cornelius Dirksen returns from an injury to play on the right wing, with Miles Craigwell moving to left wing.
Chris Chapman is fullback.
Having lost three forwards, Tolkin has brought in Will Haydock from Seattle and Aaron Fry from Old Puget Sound. The two took the ferry in to Victoria and will be on the bench, along with hooker Stan Moaalii, prop Nick Wallace, scrumhalf Benny Mateialona, center Jack Tracy, and fullback Joe Cowley.
USA ROSTER 1. ZACHARY FENOGLIO 2. DEREK ASBUN 3. TIM PAULSEN 4. NICHOLAS CIVETTA 5. GRAHAM HARRIMAN 6. ERIC DUECHLE 7. KRIS HEADLEE 8. TOM KATZFEY 9. SHAUN DAVIES (C) 10. ZACHARY PANGELINAN 11. MILES CRAIGWELL 12. GEAROID MCDONALD 13. DEAN GERICKE 14. CORNELIUS DIRKSEN 15. CHRIS CHAPMAN
16. STAN MOAALII 17. NICK WALLACE 18. WILL HAYDOCK 19. AARON FRY 20. BENNY MATEIALONA 21. JACK TRACY 22. JOE COWLEY
URUGUAY ROSTER 1. ALEJO CORRAL 2. ARTURO AVALO (C) 3. JUAN ROMBYS 4. MATHIAS PALOMEQUE 5. CRISTOFER SOARES DE LIMA 6. FRANCO LAMANNA 7. JUAN DE FREITAS 8. DIEGO MAGNO 9. FRANCISCO VECINO 10. ALEJO DURAN 11. RODRIGO SILVA 12. RODRIGO MARTINEZ 13. SANTIAGO GIBERNAU 14. GASTON MIERES 15. JERONIMO ETCHEVERRY
16. RODOLFO DE MULA 17. OSCAR DURAN 18. SEBASTIAN SAGARIO 19. MATEO SANGUINETTI 20. GUILLERMO LIJTENSTEIN 21. AGUSTIN ALONSO 22. FEDERICO FAVARO 23. PABLO BUENO
|