Men’s Selects roster announced for Americas Pacific Challenge 2018

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Men’s Selects roster announced for Americas Pacific Challenge 2018
27 players to assemble in Fort Lauderdale, FL this month for training camp

LAFAYETTE, CO. – Head Coach Scott Lawrence has named his 27 Men’s Selects (15s) for the Americas Pacific Challenge 2018 (APC), taking place Oct. 6-14 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Of the 27 athletes selected, 10 return from the 2017 tournament, 11 are capped Men’s National Team players and four 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 four of this year’s 1st Team Men’s Collegiate All-Americans (MCAAs), including Alex Maughan, Chance Wenglewski, Mitch Wilson and Zach Young. 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
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
Cam Falcon	Hooker	NOLA Gold
Devereaux Ferris	Scrumhalf	Life West Gladiators
Kelepi Fifita	Prop	Glendale Raptors
Hanco Germishuys	Flanker	Austin Elite	Men’s Eagle
John Hayden	Prop	unattached
Matt Jensen	Lock	Utah Warriors	Men’s Eagle
Conor Kearns	Flyhalf	San Diego Legion
Olive Kilifi	Prop	Seattle Seawolves	Men’s Eagle
Taylor Krumrei	Lock	Seattle Seawolves
Mika Kruse	Center	Glendale Raptors
Tadhg Leader	Flyhalf	San Diego Legion
Ryan Matyas	Wing	San Diego Legion	Men’s Eagle
Alex Maughan	Hooker	Life University	Men’s Eagle & 1st Team All-American
Tim Maupin	Wing	NOLA Gold	Men’s Eagle
Pat O’Toole	Hooker	San Diego Legion
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
Mitch Wilson	Fullback	Life University	1st Team Collegiate All-American
Psalm Wooching	Flanker	unattached	Men’s Eagle
Zach Young	Center	Arkansas State University	1st Team Collegiate All-American
Holden Yungert	Scrumhalf	NOLA Gold