The end game for 2011 World Cup hopefuls commenced with today's release of a 35-man training squad to muster next weekend.
'This is the first and only assembly for domestic Eagles in 2011,' head coach Eddie O'Sullivan said in announcing the squad.
Little more than a dozen are likely to make the final 30-man roster. USARFU has invested a great deal of energy sending leading players abroad, and last fall trumpeted that at last the majority of its test team was professional.
Further, the window for newcomers and recalls is all but closing quickly. June's three-game Churchill Cup slate in England is the USA's final outing before the roster is due in mid-July.
Fourteen of the training squad are internationals, including 2007 RWC caps Todd Clever (the sole professional invited to the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista), Paul Emerick, Alec Parker, John van der Giessen, and John Vitale. Additionally, 13 are 7s Eagles and all but a handful have previously been to a US squad camp.
None are collegians, although the union identified 8 students as 'considered but unavailable'. All of them, including 7s Eagles Ryan Roundy and Blaine Scully, will be competing in next weekend's College Premier Division playoffs.
Fiore Screnci, a past Italian international, has replaced Bill LeClerc as scrum coach, while one-time USA test points leader Chris O'Brien will serve as kicking coach.
United States training squad, May 2011
Forwards: Chris Baumann (Glendale), Chris Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate), Will Brazier (Old Blue), Ryan Chapman (Utah Warriors), Todd Clever (Suntory Sungoliath), Pat Danahy (Life Univ.), James Denise (New York AC), Tala Esera (Tama Laie Lions), Eric Fry (Las Vegas Blackjacks), Tom Katzfey (New York AC), Alec Parker (Gentleman of Aspen), Brendan Purcell (OMBAC), Ben Nelson (Kansas City Blues), Phil Thiel (Life Univ.), John van der Giessen (Utah Warriors), Jon Vitale (Chicago Lions), Jesse Witkowicki (OMBAC)
Backs: Matthew Byrd (Utah Warriors), Paul Emerick (Life Univ.), Tai Enosa (Belmont Shore), Colin Hawley (Olympic Club), Jordan Kohn (undeclared), Kelly Kolberg (Dallas Reds), Valenese Malifa (Glendale), Folau Niua (San Francisco Golden Gate), Andrew Osborne (Life Univ.), Mike Palefau (Utah Warriors), Mike Petri (New York AC), Mile Pulu (San Francisco Golden Gate), Volney Rouse (San Francisco Golden Gate), Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins), Roland Suniula (Boston), Shalom Suniula (Brisbane), Zack Test (undeclared), Alipate Tuilevuka (Old Puget Sound Beach)
No Seta Tuilevuka. I wonder why that is. I would think it hard to pass on a US-eligible starter in the French Top 14.
Posted by: East Coast | 26 April 2011 at 20:00
The players at this camp are domestic players.
Posted by: kevin | 26 April 2011 at 22:28
Ah, okay, that explains it. Saw Clever on there and I guess that confused me. But no Wyles, "Supersonique", etc., so I should have figured it out I guess. Thanks for clarifying for me.
Posted by: East Coast | 27 April 2011 at 05:35
Let the rosterbation begin!
Posted by: benito | 27 April 2011 at 05:46
There's no one from my hurlding academy there :(
Posted by: Icanhazrugbyball? | 27 April 2011 at 09:12
There has never been less interest in the Eagles, never!
Posted by: U-S-A | 27 April 2011 at 11:22
Dear U-S-A,
Speak for yourself. Everyone I know has huge interest in the Eagles.
Flush you negativity down the toilet.
Posted by: Rugby Fan/Eagle Fan | 27 April 2011 at 15:14
why is LeClerc dumped?
Posted by: what the? | 27 April 2011 at 16:18
Just stating the obvious. Very few fans attending Eagles matches, no matter where they are staged. Little official kit sales. No donations. Little to no sponsorship. Mostly negative comments on the message sites about coaches salaries and a misguided direction of union resources. True, I'm only speaking for myself, but I have been watching the Eagles for a long time and I have never seen less interest.
Posted by: U-S-A | 27 April 2011 at 18:03
OK -sort of off topic but I had to chuckle while looking at wearerugby and the article reporting that the numbers viewing the 2007 RWC were lower than officially reported as noted in the publication "We Are Rugby" - published in 2008. Do they get their updates over there via messages sent in a bottle?
Posted by: I played drek rugby - and loved it | 28 April 2011 at 09:12
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