Match Preview: USA vs ENG | Rugby World Cup

OKINAWA, JPN. – The USA Men’s National Team XVs have named their match-day 23 to face England in the opening round of Rugby World Cup 2019 against England. Kick off is set for 6:45 AM ET (7:45 PM Local) at Kobe Misaki Stadium with the match broadcast LIVE on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports Gold.

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MATCH-DAY 23

Fourteen players will make their Rugby World Cup debut against England on Thursday including Toulouse’s David Ainu’u who stands as the youngest player in the group at 19.

Led by Captain Blaine Scully in his third World Cup, the strong U.S. side features a total of 519 cumulative test caps with a number of notable players to feature in the starting XV.

Among them is hooker Joe Taufete’e, the highest scoring hooker in international rugby; as well as No. 8 Cam Dolan who moves closer to his 50th test cap and flyhalf Aj MacGinty who serves as the leader in points within the current squad.

STARTERS

PLAYER NAME	POSITION	CLUB	CAPS
1. David Ainuu	Prop	Toulouse	8
2. Joe Taufete’e	Hooker	Worcester Warriors	23
3. Titi Lamositele	Prop	Saracens	28
4. Ben Landry	Lock	Ealing Trailfinders	22
5. Nick Civetta	Lock	Unattached	23
6. Tony Lamborn	Flanker	Melbourne Rebels (AUS) Hawke’s Bay Magpies (NZL)	19
7. John Quill	Flanker	Rugby United New York	36
8. Cam Dolan	No, 8	NOLA Gold	47
9. Shaun Davies	Scrumhalf	Glendale Raptors	25
10. Aj MacGinty	Flyhalf	Sale Sharks	24
11. Martin Iosefo	Wing	USA Sevens	6
12. Paul Lasike	Center	Harlequins	16
13. Marcel Brache	Center	Western Force	19
14. Blaine Scully (C)	Wing	Unattached	50
15. Will Hooley	Fullback	Bedford Blues	12

RESERVES

PLAYER NAME	POSITION	CLUB	CAPS
16. Dylan Fawsitt	Reserve	Rugby United New York	12
17. Olive Kilifi	Reserve	Seattle Seawolves	27
18. Paul Mullen	Reserve	Unattached	14
19. Greg Peterson	Reserve	Newcastle Falcons	26
20. Hanco Germishuys	Reserve	Glendale Raptors	17
21. Ruben de Haas	Reserve	Free State Cheetahs	13
22. Bryce Campbell	Reserve	London Irish	28
23. Mike Te’o	Reserve	San Diego Legion	24

STAFF

LAST MATCH AGAINST CANADA

Last time on the pitch, the USA Men’s Eagles made it three for three in matches with rivals Canada this year.

The Canadians emerged much improved from their matchup in Colorado during the Pacific Nations Cup, sporting an impressive kicking game that allowed them to remain on top of the scoreline for a significant chunk of the game.

Where the USA’s Dylan Fawsitt came off the bench to tie it up at 15 all, the final ten minutes of the game proved to be an all out arm wrestle.

Martin Iosefo ultimately emerged the hero, scoring in the 72nd minute to claim the 20-15 lead. From there and in the final minute, Canada had made it within five meters of the goal line where the U.S. defense contributed a massive shift to keep their rivals out of the try zone.

FULL MATCH RECAP | WATCH HIGHLIGHTS

THE MATCHUP | USA VS ENGLAND

The No. 13 United States and England last met nearly 12 years ago at Rugby World Cup 2007 in France where the Red Roses walked away with a 10-28 victory in pool play. It was the closest margin of points the U.S. has ever achieved over their English counterparts.

England will enter the match on a short-week, having beaten Tonga last night 35-3 after a close opening 20 minutes. The Eagles have spent the past week in Okinawa focused on preparation away from the hustle and bustle of the main Rugby World Cup match cities.

Much has changed for American rugby since the last time the USA and England have faced one another. From the launch of Major League Rugby to competitions like the Americas Rugby Championship, players have benefited from more competitive playing opportunities in domestic and international circles.

One thing is certain on Thursday, two respected foes will go head to head in what will be an anticipated matchup in Kobe City.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH GARY GOLD

“We’ve had a very good week in Okinawa where the facilities and hospitality have been exactly what we needed to focus on ourselves before this first game.

“We have massive respect for England as they are a very well-coached and talented rugby team. These are exactly the kind of competitive test matches we want to play to continuously test ourselves and grow as a rugby nation.

“Our guys have worked tirelessly over the past several months. We are really excited to get out on the field and show what we can do, not only for the incredibly supportive rugby fans in Japan but also for our community back home in the USA.”

RUGBY WORLD CUP POOL C UPDATE

England and France currently sit atop the Pool C standings with their respective victories in the first round. France came away with a 23-21 victory in an incredibly tight contest after Argentina’s Emiliano Boffelli missed a match-winning penalty kick in the final minute. England were strapped against Tonga in the first 20 minutes but ultimately overcame the Pacific Islanders win with a bonus point.

TEAM	W	D	L	TF	PF	PA	PD	BP	POINTS
ENGLAND	1	0	0	4	35	3	32	1	5
FRANCE	1	0	0	2	23	21	2	0	4
USA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
ARGENTINA	0	0	1	2	21	23	-2	1	1
TONGA	0	0	1	0	3	35	-32	0	0

WHERE TO WATCH

All USA matches in pool play are broadcast LIVE on NBCSN linear television network along with a collection of other games including the Rugby World Cup final. In addition to coverage on NBCSN, fans can also stream every game LIVE and on-demand with NBC Sports Gold’s rugby pass. To purchase rugby pass, click here. To find NBCSN in local listings, click here.