A little while ago we issued out 28 tickets to Europe, and now with the Americas Rugby Championship in the books and the Eagles opener against Russia only two and a half weeks away, it’s time to re-issue those tickets. Overall, not much has changed from the last go-around, except for a few notable exceptions. James Paterson has had to drop from the team for work commitments, while others that did not play well in the ARC were dropped.

Prop: Eric Fry, Shawn Pittman, Mike MacDonald, and David Estrella

Dropped: Tim Paulsen
Added: David Estrella

Fry has now finished up his strong season with Manawatu and is the most in-form prop in the Eagles pool. Pittman has been playing with Trinity in Ireland and should be in good shape for the tour. Rumors have him waiting on a visa to join Bourgoin. MacDonald has recovered from him shoulder injury and will likely be ready to go.

Dropped from the list is Tim Paulsen who did not have a very good ARC. He only appeared in two matches, and while he was good in the scrum (the only prop on the roster that can say that) he has some work to do elsewhere. The fact that Paulsen and the other props at the ARC didn’t perform well may mean that Tolkin takes a flyer on a player like David Estrella. The former Cal All-American has been playing in Japan the last few years and has seen time with Toshiba Fuchu Brave Lupus this year. He is in playing shape and could contribute. The only hold-up may be the distance and the reluctance to leave his club in the middle of the season.

Beyond Estrella, the only other prop that could come in and contribute is Mate Moeakiaola. However, the team needs to find younger players. Dave Ryan’s contract with Zebre is dependent on him being Italy-eligible and Callum Black can’t give up a steady paycheck to play with the Eagles.

Hooker: Chris Biller and Derek Asbun

Dropped: None
Added: None

Biller should be recovered from his injuries and ready to go but Asbun suffered an ankle injury at the ARC. However, he should be recovered in time. Asbun showed that he needed to work on his scrumming at the ARC, but also showed that he improved his hooking abilities.

Lock: Samu Manoa, Lou Stanfill, Inaki Basauri and Brian Doyle

Dropped: None
Added: Doyle

As we have mentioned before, there should be no reason for Manoa to be unavailable for the fall tour and he should be on the roster. Basauri has been getting good time with Tarbes and should get a recall. Stanfill has played his first two matches for Vicenza and should be on the team. Doyle is added to the squad as a result of openings in other parts of the team. He is a good player but will be challenged by the three players in front of him.

Back-row: Todd Clever, Scott LaValla, John Quill, and JJ Gagiano

Dropped: None
Added: None

Clever and LaValla’s position on the team is set in stone, but there is some question as to who will join them. Andrew Durutalo is still out with injury and Taylor Mokate did not have a good ARC. Cam Dolan had a fantastic ARC but tore up his knee and will be out for the tour. If he wasn’t injured, Dolan would have definitely been on the roster and could have even been a starter. John Quill was good at the ARC before he got a reckless red card against Canada. Normally Quill is a leader on and off the field so hopefully the red card is an aberration. Unless he is suspended, he should still be on the fall roster.

Previously, the back-row was one of the deepest spots for the Eagles, but now it looks suddenly thin. JJ Gagiano can certainly help the team but is he willing to travel up from South Africa? Odds are he is and will subsequently be chosen for the team. In a pinch, Manoa, Basauri, or Stanfill can all play back-row.

Scrumhalf: Mike Petri, Robbie Shaw, and Shaun Davies

Dropped: None
Added: None

Petri is the starter and Shaun Davies showed enough at the ARC to continue to have a spot on the Eagles. Davies can also play along the backline. Shaw is now playing regularly with Richmond RFC and has been known to want another look at the Eagles. With the team near his home and the Eagles needing experience, he should get another shot.

Fly-half: Roland Suniula, Toby L’Estrange, and Gearoid McDonald

Dropped: None
Added: None

No fly-half as emerged for the Eagles over the last few weeks so it looks as if Roland Suniula will once again handle the duties. He does well, but he has been playing center for Auch and prefers that position. Toby L’Estrange has recovered from his broken arm and will likely get his long-delayed call-up.

McDonald didn’t play extremely well at the ARC, but as a project player, Tolkin can afford to take McDonald on tour to get him more experience. He needs time to mesh with the team and to gain his confidence. The odds are that he won’t play on the tour so why not bring him along for the experience; much like Todd Clever was brought into camps for several years before getting a chance. The same could be said of Will Magie but he has school commitments.

Center: Andrew Suniula, Paul Emerick, Marcel Brache, and Dean Gericke

Dropped: None
Added: Gerick

Suniula has recovered from his injuries and is back playing for the Chicago Griffins. Emerick hasn’t played yet for Wasps in the Premiership or Amlin Challenge Cup, but has played in the ‘A’ League. He will once again be a leader on the team.

I still stand by our prediction that Brache will be called into the team. What does he have to lose? He has gotten time for Western Province in the Currie Cup but he is still down the depth-chart for the Stormers. Why not play for the Eagles and see what opportunities come from it?

Gericke has a strong ARC and showed himself capable of playing international rugby. In particular, he is good at kicking for field position. Jack Tracy also played well at the ARC but Gericke was just a touch better.

Wing: Chris Wyles, Taku Ngwenya, Cornelius Dirksen, and Chris Chapman

Dropped: James Paterson, Luke Hume
Added: Cornelius Dirksen

Paterson apparently has work commitments and will not be available for the Eagles in November. Hume could also be unavailable due to his participation on the U.S.A. 7’s team. Currently, Hume has been flying into San Diego only a few days before the teams takes off to its destination due to his work commitments. With the Dubai and South Africa 7’s coming right after the Eagles tour, it may be impossible for him to take off a month and half.

The absence of Paterson and the likely absence of Hume mean that Chris Chapman will definitely be on the team and that an opportunity will open up for Cornelius Dirksen. It will likely be a battle between Dirksen and Miles Craigwell for that last spot but Dirksen’s experience will see him through.

Even with the changes on the backline, Chris Wyles and Taku Ngwenya bring a load of experience to the team. They should help steady the Eagles and keep the backline as strong as ever.

So to recap, here are the 28 players we think will be on the team:

Prop: Eric Fry, Shawn Pittman, Mike MacDonald, and David Estrella
Hooker: Chris Biller and Derek Asbun
Lock: Samu Manoa, Lou Stanfill, Inaki Basauri and Brian Doyle
Back-row: Todd Clever, Scott LaValla, John Quill, and JJ Gagiano
Scrumhalf: Mike Petri, Robbie Shaw, and Shaun Davies
Fly-half: Roland Suniula, Toby L’Estrange, and Gearoid McDonald
Center: Andrew Suniula, Paul Emerick, Marcel Brache, and Dean Gericke
Wing: Chris Wyles, Taku Ngwenya, Cornelius Dirksen, and Chris Chapman

If the roster is only 26 players, then McDonald and Doyle are left off the roster. One player to keep an eye on for a surprise selection is Eric Deuchle.

Curtis Reed is the editor and founder of This Is American Rugby and can be found at www.thisisamericanrugby.com or on Twitter @ThisIsAmerRugby