Nafi Ma’afu is in the frame to make a long-awaited Eagles debut after being named in a 39-man extended USA squad to prepare for the Pacific Nations Cup. The 27-year-old impressed with Biarritz in the Pro D2 this past year and will soon make the jump to the Top 14 after signing with Montauban. Ma’afu has been bracketed at lock but could also get a run at No8.
There are nine other additions to the squad that were not part of the July test series. Prop trio Jake Turnbull, Alec McDonnell, and Maliu Niuafe are joined by second rows Jason Damm and Rick Rose, loose forwards Lance Williams and Paddy Ryan, and Old Glory DC pair Ethan McVeigh and Tommaso Boni. McDonnell, Niuafe, Rose, and Williams are uncapped.
Boni’s recall makes it four players in the squad who have previously played test rugby for another country. The Italian midfielder was recently followed by former Samoa prop Ezekiel Lindenmuth, ex-Germany flyhalf Christopher Hilsenbeck, and three-time Scotland international winger Rufus McLean. Niufe turned out for New Zealand u20s in 2023.
Last month’s starting eightman Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz will miss out, as does second row Sam Golla who recently underwent shoulder surgery. Towering France-based lock Renger van Eerten is another notable absentee, while lock or back row Tomás Casares was part of the July training group but did not appear in the tests.
This year’s PNC will double as qualifier for the 2027 World Cup. The USA are one of four teams vying for three tickets to Australia that are up for grabs – the others are Canada, Samoa, and Tonga. One of those should be all-but decided in the tournament opener against the Maple Leafs at Calgary next Friday. Both Canada and the USA missed out on France 2023.
NOTE: club affiliations are from most recently completed domestic season
LOOSEHEAD PROP
Jack Iscaro (Old Glory DC) 16 caps
Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Houston SaberCats) 1 cap
Payton Telea-Ilalio (San Diego Legion) 3 caps
Jake Turnbull (Anthem RC) 14 caps
HOOKER
Kaleb Geiger (New England Free Jacks) 4 caps
Shilo Klein (San Diego Legion) 5 caps
Kapeli Pifeleti (Provence, FR) 20 caps
TIGHTHEAD PROP
Pono Davis (Houston SaberCats) 8 caps
Tonga Kofe (Utah Warriors) 3 caps
Alec McDonnell (Miami Sharks) uncapped
Maliu Niuafe (RFC Los Angeles) uncapped
SECOND ROW
Jason Damm (RFC Los Angeles) 9 caps
Nafi Ma’afu (Biarritz, FR) uncapped
Tevita Naqali (Old Glory DC) 3 caps
Marno Redelinghuys (Houston SaberCats) 3 caps
Rick Rose (Miami Sharks) uncapped
BACK ROW
Makeen Alikhan (Anthem RC) 2 caps
Benjamín Bonasso (capt., Miami Sharks) 10 caps
Cory Daniel (Old Glory DC) 13 caps
Vili Helu (San Diego Legion) 17 caps
Christian Poidevin (San Diego Legion) 2 caps
Paddy Ryan (San Diego Legion) 14 caps
Lance Williams (Utah Warriors) uncapped
SCRUMHALF
Ruben de Haas (NOLA Gold) 39 caps
Ethan McVeigh (Old Glory DC) 4 caps
JP Smith (Seattle Seawolves) 9 caps
FLYHALF
Christopher Hilsenback (Chicago Hounds) 2 caps
AJ MacGinty (Bristol Bears, UK) 42 caps
Tom Pittman (Chartres, FR) 2 caps
MIDFIELD
Dom Besag (St. Mary’s Gaels) 12 caps
Tommaso Boni (Old Glory DC) 9 caps
Tavite Lopeti (San Diego Legion) 21 caps
Erich Storti (Anthem RC) 5 caps
OUTSIDE BACKS
Nate Augspurger (Chicago Hounds) 51 caps
Noah Brown (Chicago Hounds) 1 cap
Toby Fricker (Anthem RC) 5 caps
Lauina Futi (Seattle Seawolves) 5 caps
Rufus McLean (Houston SaberCats) 1 cap
Mitch Wilson (Anthem RC) 15 caps
