Tolkin shuffles team for Boks
USA coach Mike Tolkin has made 12 changes to the starting line-up that lost to Scotland for their clash against South Africa on Wednesday.
Only twice have the Eagles made more changes between World Cup matches, having made 14 changes between their second and third, and between their third and fourth, matches in 2011 in New Zealand.
Only Phil Thiel, Samu Manoa and Blaine Scully have retained their place in the starting line-up from the Scotland match.
The matchday 23 includes seven players who have not played in the World Cup 2015 so far. Five of them – Louis Stanfill, Matthew Trouville, Niku Kruger, Zach Test and Andrew Suniula – will start and two others – Joe Taufetee and Mate Moeakiola – are on the bench.
The match will be a big occasion for Kruger who was born in South Africa.
"Niku [Kruger] will be thrilled to be in his first World Cup match and playing versus South Africa," Tolkin said. "He is a young man with a lot of potential and it is great that our young talent is getting an opportunity to play and gain valuable experience."
Trouville, Kruger and Test will make their World Cup debuts, while Taufetee could do the same by coming on as a replacement.
If he comes off the bench, Moeakiola [37] will become the third oldest player to represent USA at the World Cup, behind flyhalf Mark Williams [38 in 1999] and prop Fred Paoli [37 in 1991]. He would also become the eighth USA player to feature in three World Cups.
Stanfill will equal a team record with his third World Cup participation, something six Eagles have achieved before him, including Chris Wyles, Mike Petri and Takudzwa Ngwenya.
Manoa will captain the Eagles for the first time in his test career.
USA: 15 Blaine Scully, 14 Brett Thompson, 13 Folau Niua, 12 Andrew Suniula, 11 Zach Test, 10 Shalom Suniula, 9 Niku Kruger, 8 Samu Manoa (capatain), 7 John Quill, 6 Danny Barrett, 5 Matthew Trouville, 4 Louis Stanfill, 3 Chris Baumann, 2 Phil Thiel, 1 Oli Kilifi.
Replacements: 16 Joe Taufetee, 17 Zach Fenoglio, 18 Mate Moeakiola, 19 Titi Lamositele, 20 Cam Dolan, 21 Al McFarland, 22 Mike Petri, 23 Chris Wyles.
Date: Wednesday, October 7
Venue: Olympic Stadium, London
Kick-off: 16.45 (15.45 GMT; 17.45 SA time; 11.45 EDT)
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
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