US Eagles get SA 'royalty' for tour
Eastern Province Kings No.8 JJ Gagiano heads the growing list of professional players from around the globe that will bolster the United States Eagles for their first international tour in four years.
The domestically-based players mustered at the Newark Airport and departed for London on Wednesday.
However, the Eagles in the professional ranks – those based abroad – will join the team as they are released from their respective club duties.
All players in the touring squad will be assembled by Sunday, November 7.
There are 11 domestic (non-professional) players included in the squad, outnumbered by the pros – an indication that the quality of players coming out of the States is on the rise.
That change is due to increasingly competitive collegiate and youth programs and successful age-grade pathways to high-level rugby.
The professional players will be trickling into the assembly over the course of a few days.
Eagles captain Todd Clever, who plays professionally in Japan, is the only professional player to have joined the team in Newark.
Louis Stanfill, Inaki Basauri, and Mike Petri will join the team on Thursday.
Eagle rookie and brother of Alipate, Seta Tulievuka, will join the squad on Friday.
Mike MacDonald and Kevin Swiryn arrive on Saturday.
Sunday will see the rest of the squad arrive as Mate Moeakiola, John van der Giessen, Hayden Smith, Tim Usasz, Chris Wyles, Paul Emerick, Takudzwa Ngwenya, Shawn Pittman, and JJ Gagiano complete the 28-man touring squad.
With the 2011 World Cup less than a year away, the next team assembly after the November tour will be the Churchill Cup in June of next year.
The 2011 Churchill Cup will be hosted in England by the RFU.
The Eagles coaching staff will be analysing each player’s performances very closely as those performances will play a part in selection for the 2011 assemblies.
“Our goal is to win the two ranking Tests [against Portugal and Georgia], but we’re looking to gain experience ahead of the World Cup,” said Eagles head coach Eddie O’Sullivan.
While in London, the team will train at the Old Albanians training ground.
The Eagles will play Saracens, an English Premiership team, next Tuesday, November 9.
After that match, they take on Portugal, Scotland ‘A’, and Georgia.
