PRO Rugby Preview – San Diego

The lone remaining team to take the pitch in PRO Rugby hits the pitch this weekend as San Diego plays host to Sacramento. An early favorite, this bunch is poised to make their mark on the PRO season and have a bevy of talented players at their disposal. The Southern-most Californian side is loaded with internationals – five with 30 caps or more – and boasts one of the most balanced rosters in the league.

“Like all good international professionals they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our group,” said Head Coach Ray Egan. “This helps the coaches with our new professionals as now they have great teachers around them to help them in their learning process. We are very fortunate with our players as they are all behind the San Diego team and PRO league in making this a success!”

PROP

The San Diego front row is anchored by one of the most experienced players in the entire competition, Canadian ARC captain and loosehead Hubert Buydens. Fellow Canuck Jake Ilnicki looks set to pack down on the tighthead side, with Tongan heavyweights Epeli Kalemani and Sam Taungakava also in contention. Kalemani played his club rugby with Santa Monica while Taungakava hails from the Seattle Saracens. The front row is definitely an area of strength in the side.

HOOKER

San Diego is blessed with two young and talented hookers in Joseph Taufete’e and Mike Sosene-Feagai. Taufete’e was one of the breakout performers for the USA in 2015 and is capable of playing prop as well, but should spend the majority of his time in the middle. An impressively mobile player for his size, Taufete’e should have an big impact as a primary ball carrier.

He’ll get a run for his money from the abrasive Sosene-Feagai. The Hawke’s Bay product out of New Zealand, also a Samoa u20 representative, picked up his five caps during the ARC and is part of a deep group of young talented hookers in the USA camp. San Diego will see little, if any, dropoff between their two main options.

LOCK

Former Eagles lock Brian Doyle should be close to if not the best lineout operator in the league. Expect him to get a lot of minutes in the engine room. Who partner him is the question. Ian Carpenter is a big lumpy sort from Belmont Shore who seems a nice contrast, with Naval Academy graduate David Dolinar is not short on fitness but more of a lock/blindside utility than an out-and-out second row option.

A wild card might be Sione Tu’ihalamaka, an arena football convert whose future looks to be in the front row but for the time being will play lock or loose forward. Despite his Tongan heritage he doesn’t appear to have much, if any, senior experience in the sport. He certainly won’t have a problem with the contact aspect. Another former Eagle, Tai Tuisamoa, does not appear to be with the squad at the moment.

BACK ROW

Where the tight five looks reasonably well stocked, the back row is a bit of a conundrum. Bollocking no8 Nikola Bursic from Chile is the only South American ARC player in the competition and the only capped player in the group. He could also end up playing a bit of second row, though he’s not exactly spring-heeled in the lineout. Santa Monica’s Jabari Zuberi is another powerful runner with a low center of gravity who prefers the back of the scrum but should also see time as a flanker.

Tim Barford and Cecil Garber are flank options. Barford moved from Boston RFC to OMBAC recently and actually played hooker for the Junior All-Americans, so could be seen as an emergency option there, but should be a prime contender for the openside spot. Garber comes from Seattle Saracens and covers all across the back row but also looks to be primarily a no7 on this team.

An interesting name to emerge in recent weeks was Jean-Baptiste Gobelet. The former France 7s standout and Biarritz winger actually played three games for OMBAC as a loose forward. He will not be part of the San Diego franchise but was consulted about the possibility of developing some sort of 7s exponent within the PRO structure. We may well hear more on that after the Olympics.

SCRUMHALF

Tom Bliss and Charlie Purdon will compete for playing time at scrumhalf. Bliss is a former national u20 Captain that picked up his first senior cap during the ARC. Having come through rugby nursery Loughborough University, Wasps Academy, and most recently Ealing Trailfinders, he will have no trouble adopting American professionalism. Bliss brings a high tempo style of play that should suit the attack oriented San Diego side.

Purdon, three years his senior, should push Bliss for playing time. A native of South Africa, Purdon came up through the Sharks Academy system before moving to the USA where he played for Santa Monica in the PRP. Another high tempo scrumhalf, he will take his chances if the defense gives him space.

FLYHALF

Once he arrives, 30-cap Tongan World Cup veteran Kurt Morath should be first choice at flyhalf. Born in New Zealand, he is a top class goal kicker and has scored a Tongan record 338 points since his debut in 2009. In recent years Morath has played professionally for the Kubota Spears in Japan and Biarritz Olympique in France where he was clubmates with fellow San Diego player Takudzwa Ngwenya.

Pono Haitsuka and Kalei Konrad provide depth at flyhalf. Both are capable playmakers that can also fill in at other positions which should make them very valuable over the course of the season. Haitsuka was a regular with the Eagles 7s side during the 2013-14 season before falling out of contention. Konrad is an up-and-comer that could blossom in a professional setup. After a stellar career at San Diego State, he spent time in New Zealand with Auckland’s academy system before returning stateside with OMBAC.

CENTER

There isn’t any lack of experience at center, where the team boasts three capped internationals. Eagles veteran Andrew Suniula leads the charge along with Canadian international Phil Mackenzie. The two could make for one of the most formidable combinations in a league of midfield killers. Mackenzie could also find himself on the wing in the early goings until Ngwenya joins the team in a few weeks.

Recently capped Ryan Matyas, a rare New York signing from Old Blue, adds depth to the center position and also versatility. He has the ability to cover outside center, wing, or fullback, an ideal attribute with limited roster numbers. Belmont Shore’s hard charging Arnold Meredith, a former Samoa 7s extended squad member, gives the team another quality center option.

WING

If speed is what you want in a winger than there’s no question that San Diego is winning the race. Ngwenya – the biggest name in a backline full of domestic stars – will see out the rest of his contract with Biarritz, whose season ends on May 20, before joining the team. Seattle’s Tim Stanfill is only slightly less rapid, and the two in combination will form a deadly finishing duo that would be the envy of many European clubs, let alone shiny new American ones.

Mackenzie will likely fill in for Ngwenya for now but UCLA flyer Sebastian Sharpe is no slouch and could be the sleeper of the bench. The London, England, native is an exceptional 7s player and a handy goal kicker as well. He is another like Matyas whose skills could translate across all the outside back positions.

FULLBACK

While he’s been shuffled around for most of his career up until now – including during the ARC – it looks as though Mike Te’o has settled at fullback, at least for now. His robust physique belies quick feet and excellent ball handling skills. Expect him to be a real difference-maker. Matyas, Konrad, and Sharpe will provide cover if Te’o is required at scrumhalf or elsewhere.

OUTLOOK

Many would-be pundits are picking San Diego as favorites to walk away champions in the inaugural PRO season, and certainly the depth of talent available in the backline suggests they have the firepower to do just that. The only question seems to be whether their forwards can supply them with a steady stream of ball to attack with. It’s not exactly a weak spot, but if there is an area of uncertainty it’s in pack, particularly the second and back rows.

Moving the ball wide early and often should be an appealing strategy for this team, and expect them to provide plenty of highlight reel action. Even if the pack does prove slightly under-powered the amount of x-factor behind them should be enough to do damage with sub-optimal possession. On paper it’s just impossible to ignore. Look for San Diego to be at or damn close to the top of the table come business time in July.

“We hope that this is the start of something great for USA rugby,” added Egan. “We are excited to be playing games finally and we hope the public gets behind all the teams so that we can grow over the next few years. This now will give our youth players a league that they can watch regularly and meet their home team players up close and personal. This now fills a very big piece for the long term player development of our next internationals!!”

HOME FIELD

The team will play out of Torero Stadium on the University of San Diego campus. It features a grass surface and a capacity of 6,000, and has been used extensively for soccer, lacrosse, and NCAA football.

COACHING STAFF

Irish-born Ray Egan will head up a strong group of coaches. Formerly an Elite Development Coach for Munster and the IRFU, Egan has been Head Coach of Belmont Shore since late 2011 and is also a Regional Academy Director for Tiger Rugby.

Former Wasps and London Irish midfielder Rob Hoadley was the attack coach for the Eagles during the ARC. He is also a highly regarded defense coach having worn the hat with several professional teams and most recently with Stanford University.

Former Eagles 7s captain and coach Matt Hawkins will also act as an assistant. A flanker in XVs, he will work with the forwards and also assumes the role of Director of Operations for the franchise.

ROSTER

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