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Written by Pat Clifton    Tuesday, 02 August 2011 15:33    PDF Print Write e-mail
Eagles Aim to Settle the Score With Canada
National Teams - USA Men

In their last eight matches against Canada, dating back to 2009, the Eagles have posted a 2-6 record.

Their combined winning margin in the two victories (20-19 in ‘05 and 12-6 in ‘09) is just that of a converted try. Their average margin of loss is 26.5.

The last time the Eagles played in Canada, in 2009 during the World Cup qualification process, they were shellacked 41-18.

Those scores will be irrelevant when the Eagles take BMO field against Canada Saturday in Toronto, but they won’t be forgotten.

“I’ve felt the defeats and I’ve felt the wins, and its tough to go out there,” USA captain Todd Clever said.

“Playing Canada means everything. It means exactly the same for Canada. With this rivalry, it’s a blood rivalry,” added prop Mike MacDonald, who has a chance to tie Luke Gross as the most-capped Eagle of all time when Canada visits Glendale, Colo. a week from Saturday.

“They’ve gotten the better of us, in the last game. We won slightly before that. They’ve played really well in the last two Churchill Cups. The boys are aware of the challenge that’s ahead of them.”

The Eagles take the Canada game personally. Asked if beating Canada really meant more than beating the likes of Tonga or another Tier Two opponent, Louis Stanfill replied:

“Yes. Hands down it does. They're our neighbors to the North. They're our rival. We play them most often, and the past few years they've had our number, so it's time for us to turn that table.”

The question is, how?

“Try to be as aggressive as we can, and the veteran players try to build expectation of what to expect in the game,” MacDonald said.

“I know that we’re playing for more than each other. We're playing for the country and the fans and all that, but when you’re in there and you have a task, you really have to focus. You’ve really got to have that mentality of doing it,” added Clever...

“That’s the sort of attitude we need to bring in, and have faith in each other and trust...If they cross our line, they’re going to have to work their ass off to do so.”

USA and Canada kick off at 2pm Eastern. The game will be aired live on Universal Sports and webcast live on Universalsports.com. Check back to RUGBYMag.com for photos and a full report after game.

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Written by RUGBYMag.com News Release    Tuesday, 02 August 2011 14:00    PDF Print Write e-mail
USA Rugby, Sports Authority Begin Ball Campaign
School Age - Youth

Sports Authority and USA Rugby are excited to announce a new program that will launch on August 2 aimed at enabling educators to encourage their kids to pick up the ball and run with it. The “Ball for All Schools” program provides educators with a FREE Rookie Rugby ball and access to great resources like lesson plans, instructional videos and much more in order to introduce the newest Olympic sport to their students. USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville praises the partnership, “This is an exciting initiative for the development of the game of rugby across America. It will provide thousands of children the opportunity to experience the latest Olympic sport of rugby for the very first time.”

Educators can sign up for the program and receive their ball and free Rookie Rugby resources here

ABOUT THE ‘BALL FOR ALL SCHOOLS’ PROGRAM
Any educator can get involved with the Ball for All Schools program; all you need is basic information to verify a relationship with a school and submit that informationhere. A Rookie Rugby ball will ship almost immediately after registration.

This program was made possible through the generosity of Sports Authority, who will supply rugby balls to educators that enroll in the Ball for All Schools program.

$25 DISCOUNT AT SPORTS AUTHORITY
Members of USA Rugby will receive special discounts and coupons from Sports Authority. A percentage of purchases made with those special coupons will go into a fund to replenish the supply of rugby balls for the program. 


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Written by Jackie Finlan    Tuesday, 02 August 2011 10:01    PDF Print Write e-mail
USA Names Starting XV vs England
National Teams - USA Women

The USA and England have named their starting lineups for the opening round of the Women’s Nations Cup. This evening’s match will mark the Eagles’ first international test since the Women’s Rugby World Cup last September. England, however, is coming off its sixth consecutive Six Nations championship.

Kim Magrini, seen here vs England at the 2010 RWC, captains the Eagles tonight. (Bill English photo)

England is using its match against the USA to vet six new caps, but the familiar faces of Margaret Alphonsi, Katy McLean, Alice Richardson, Emily Scarratt and Danielle Waterman will help anchor the Roses.

"The USA are one of the best sides in the world and always present a fully committed and physical challenge,” England coach Gary Street said. “With a new coaching set-up we are not sure what to expect of them but we are excited at the prospect of this match."

USA coach Pete Steinberg was a little more conservative in breaking in uncapped players against the world’s second-ranked team. Penn State’s Sadie Anderson will earn her first senior XVs cap tonight at flyhalf, as will fullback Sam Pankey from DII club James River.

The pack is pretty experienced, with four of the five having played in the Rugby World Cup, and the most interesting starter in the back row is Lynelle Kugler, who has typically played outside center for the Eagles.

Captain Kim Magrini is paired with the youngest player on the team, Anderson at flyhalf, but has a lot of experience down the line. Centers Pam Kosanke and Amy Daniels, and wing Vix Folayan and Vanesha McGee all have RWC playing time. All told, nine of the 15 starters played in last year’s RWC.

The England v USA match will kick off at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Although the match was originally supposed to be streamed live via Rugby Canada’s UStream (www.ustream.tv/channel/live-rugby), technical difficulties might prevent a live broadcast.

England Roster
1. Rochelle Clark, 2. Victoria Fleetwood, 3. Laura Keates, 4. Rebecca Essex, 5. Tamara Taylor, 6. Joanna McGilchrist, 7. Margaret Alphonsi, 8. Sarah Hunter, 9. La Toya Mason, 10. Katy McLean (c), 11. Kay Wilson, 12. Alice Richardson, 13. Emily Scarratt, 14. Francesca Matthews, 15. Danielle Waterman.

Substitutes: 16. Amy Garnett, 17. Sophie Hemming, 18. Rowena Burnfield, 19. Jennifer Brightmore, 20. Natasha Hunt, 21. Sarah McKenna, 22. Claire Allan.

USA Roster
1. Farrah Douglas, 2. Lisa Butts, 3. Jamie Burke, 4. Stacey Bridges, 5. Stacy Baker, 6. Shaina Turley, 7. Lynelle Kugler, 8. Kate Daley, 9. Kim Magrini (c), 10. Sadie Anderson, 11. Vix Folayan, 12. Pam Kosanke, 13. Amy Daniels, 14. Vanesha McGee, 15. Samantha Pankey.

Substitutes: 16. Devin Keller, 17. Sarah Chobot, 18. Laura Miller, 19. Kitt Wagner, 20. Carrie White, 21. Sylvia Braaten, 22. Katie Dowty.

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Written by RUGBYMag Staff    Tuesday, 02 August 2011 13:32    PDF Print Write e-mail
Video: Bears NT Paea Talks Rugby
Blog - RugbyMag.com Blog

Stephen Paea first burst into the national spotlight this spring when he churned out a record 49 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at the NFL combine. The Auckland New Zealand-born, Tonga-raised nose tackle was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. Paea grew up playing rugby. Below are videos in which he talks about his rugby past.

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Written by Alex Goff    Tuesday, 02 August 2011 00:20    PDF Print Write e-mail
Record Appearance Approaches for Big Mac
National Teams - USA Men
Mike MacDonald has been playing for the Eagles since 2000. Ian Muir photo

Mike MacDonald, Luke Gross Comparison

Position: MacDonald, Prop   -   Gross, Lock
Original Team: Lamorinda U19s  -  Cincinnati Wolfhounds
College Team: California - Played basketball for Indiana St., Marshall
USA Caps:   60                      -   62
Tries for USA:    6                  -     0
Games v. Canada:    14         -    13
Games v. Japan:        4         -      9
World Cups:              2         -      3* (injured in 2007 and dnp)

The most important thing for the USA National Team going into the next two months is to win as many test matches as possible.

Individual accolades can come later.

But it’s worth noting that one big record is about to be broken. USA prop Mike MacDonald, who was first capped by the USA as a 20-year-old in 2000, is set to break the all-time USA caps record.

MacDonald sits at 60 caps right now, two behind all-time great and Luke Gross. Gross is currently with the USA women’s national team working as a lineout coach. He played 62 times for the Eagles. His final appearance was in a non-cap game in 2007, but injury prevented him from appearing in the 2007 World Cup. Gross’s last capped match was against France in the 2003 World Cup.

MacDonald made his debut in 2000 against Fiji July 1 and has been a regular on the national team ever since. The only major interruption was spring of 2010, when he was dropped from the Churchill Cup squad.

Big Mac says he is aware of the record, but isn’t going to let is distract him.

“I know,” he said. “It’s been in the back of my mind. It’s something I have strived for and as a personal achievement I am proud of it. But it’s not going to stop me from doing what I need to do. If anything, it will make me train that much harder. I don’t want to be the guy hanging on for it. I want to rightfully earn it, and the chemistry around this team is that things aren’t handed to you – you have to earn everything you get.”

MacDonald, who played 19 times for the USA with Gross as a teammate, said the former USA lock is comfortable with the prospect of losing his record.

“I talked to Luke about it,” MacDonald told RUGBYMag.com. “He’s given me a lot of encouragement.”

The Leeds prop and former Cal All American needs two appearances for the Eagles to tie Gross, and his next appearance after that, whether it’s a start or as a sub, will be the record-breaker.

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