Men's Selects roster announced for Americas Pacific Challenge 2018

UPDATE 9/28 Harry Bennett replaced Tadgh Leader. Kapeli Pifeleti was added. Changes reflected below. 
UPDATE 10/4 Angus Maclellan replaces Olive Kilifi due to injury. Changes reflected below. 

LAFAYETTE, CO. – Head Coach Scott Lawrence has named his 28 Men’s Selects (15s) for the Americas Pacific Challenge 2018 (APC), taking place Oct. 6-14 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Of the 27 athletes selected, nine return from the 2017 tournament, 12 are capped Men’s National Team players and three are 2018 1st Team All-Americans (15s) named from the recent Men’s Collegiate All-American Selection Camp. Together, the Selects will face Tonga A, Uruguay XV and reigning two-time champion Argentina XV as they strive to topple their runner-up finish from the previous year.

Broadcast information for the 6-team Americas Pacific Challenge 2018 will be announced closer to date.

“The makeup of this year’s touring squad is an exciting evolution leading into a World Cup year,” said Head Coach Scott Lawrence. “Not only are there a handful of current Eagles that we’re looking to build cohesion with, there are also a number of new Major League Rugby and Varsity collegiate athletes that have the film and the metrics to back up their inclusion.”

The Men’s Selects bring an accomplished group of players to the developmental tournament; allowing emerging talent to learn both from the structure of the competition and their peers. The 2017 tournament itself saw three Selects move on to become capped Men’s National Team players.

Among them, are none other than Psalm Wooching and Brendan Daly who will both feature again this October.

Men’s Eagle Hanco Germishuys joins the two, as well, having scored an instrumental try in the United States’ June upset over then No. 6 Scotland. Germishuys also appeared at last year’s APC, having already earned his first cap.

Experience and new flair combine with the addition of three of this year’s 1st Team Men’s Collegiate All-Americans (MCAAs), including Alex Maughan, Chance Wenglewski, and Mitch Wilson. Maughan represents both the capped Eagle and All-American sides of the squad.

The Men’s Selects will begin training camp for the third annual Americas Pacific Challenge later this month, adapting to the warm climate in Fort Lauderdale as a key part of preparation.

The 6-team tournament — which also includes Canada A and Samoa A — will begin on Oct. 6 with the U.S. facing Tonga A at 12:30 PM ET. Uruguay XV and Argentina XV will follow, after which the team with the most points in the first-past-the-post competition will be named champion.

 

2018 USA Men’s Selects Roster

Player Name Position Club Notes
Dylan Audsley Center San Diego Legion Men’s Eagle
Harry Bennett Flyhalf  New York Athletic
Nick Boyer Scrumhalf San Diego Legion  
Nate Brakeley Lock New York Athletic Men’s Eagle
Brendan Daly Flanker San Francisco Golden Gate Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC
JP Eloff Center NOLA Gold Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC
Cam Falcon Hooker NOLA Gold  
Devereaux Ferris Scrumhalf Life West Gladiators  
Kelepi Fifita Prop Glendale Raptors  2017 APC
Hanco Germishuys Flanker Austin Elite Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC
John Hayden Prop unattached  
Matt Jensen Lock Utah Warriors Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC
Conor Kearns Flyhalf San Diego Legion  
Olive Kilifi Prop Seattle Seawolves Men’s Eagle
Taylor Krumrei Lock Seattle Seawolves  
Mika Kruse Center Glendale Raptors  
Angus Maclellan Prop Utah Warriors Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC
Ryan Matyas Wing San Diego Legion Men’s Eagle
Alex Maughan Hooker Life University

Men’s Eagle; 1st Team All-American;
2017 APC

Tim Maupin Wing NOLA Gold Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC
Pat O’Toole Hooker San Diego Legion  
Kapeli Pifeleti Hooker Saracens Academy 
Thomas Robles No. 8 unattached  
Anthony Salaber Center San Diego Legion  
Vili Toluta’u Flanker Seattle Seawolves Men’s Eagle
Chance Wenglewski Prop Lindenwood University 1st Team Collegiate All-American;
2017 APC
Mitch Wilson Fullback Life University 1st Team Collegiate All-American;
2017 APC
Psalm Wooching Flanker unattached Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC
Holden Yungert Scrumhalf NOLA Gold 2017 APC

USA Men’s Selects Staff

Head Coach | Scott Lawrence
Assistant Coach | David Williams
Assistant Coach | Blake Bradford
Strength & Conditioning Coach | Huw Bevan
Performance Analyst | Jimmy Harrison
Team Doctor | Marc Kowalsky
Head Athletic Trainer | Kevin Ng
Assistant Athletic Trainer | Santiago Aguirre
Team Manager & Operations | Kevin McCorry II

Americas Pacific Challenge 2018 Schedule

Montevideo, Uruguay

vs Tonga A
Sat, Oct. 6 – 12:30 PM ET

vs Uruguay XV
Wed, Oct. 10 – 12:30 PM ET

vs Argentina XV
Sun, Oct. 14 – 12:30 PM ET

*Schedule subject to change; broadcast information confirmed closer to date.