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By Alex Goff (Will lock Brian Doyle get a chance to shine? Numina Photo)
USA men’s national team head coach Eddie O'Sullivan said the America’s Rugby Championship is going to be a crucial step for him in evaluating talent leading up to 2011.
Speaking to RUGBYMag.com, O’Sullivan said he will be picking a squad for the USA Selects chiefly of domestic players who played in the Churchill Cup, along with players who have been at domestic camps or were close to selection earlier. Some of those players, such as Mile Pulu, Tai Enosa and Cameron Dolan, were unavailable due to injury. Still others O’Sullivan felt he just didn’t see enough of.
 “There are some guys who I want to see more of who I didn’t see in the Churchill. It’s a good level of competition and it’s going to be good for guys I haven’t seen who want to promote themselves to the [full Eagles] pool,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m going to pick the pool for the Fall Tour based on the overseas contingent and what I see in the ARC. So it’s possible for a guy who gets in the ARC who wasn’t in the Churchill to push his way into the pool at the fall. And the guys who were in the Churchill have to get to the ARC and perform.”
O’Sullivan is sending out his player evaluations in August to players who were in the Churchill Cup, and he also has been in contact with all those who were invited to camps but didn’t make the Eagles.
“We pretty much told all those guys not to get too down on themselves because they’d get a shot at the ARC,” O’Sullivan explained. “Their chance will come again.”
O’Sullivan said the key thing for players trying to get onto the ARC squad is to be sure they are fit.
“This time of year we might not expect them to be in full game shape, but they need to come to camp fit,” he said.
O’Sullivan hasn’t made his picks known, but it’s highly likely that, barring injury, he will bring in Pulu, Enosa and Dolan. NYAC lock forward Brian Doyle, USA 7s crossover Tommy Saunders, and Denver Barbarian Mark Bokhoven all look likely to get a shot, too. The coach picked some players – Leonard Peters – for the Churchill Cup and then didn’t give them much playing time. He’ll likely want to see more of “Junior” in Argentina.
The USA Selects will play three games in about a week in Cordoba, Argentina, facing the Argentina Jaguars, Canada A and Tonga A.
“It’s a good competition,” O’Sulivan told RUGBYMag.com. “It’s a step up from club or territorial rugby but not full test. My only main complaint is we can only take 26 players.”
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