Gary Gold has released his starting roster for this weekend’s matchup with Chile, and he pulled no punches. USA Rugby is seeking its third consecutive title in the Americas Rugby Championship, and the quest starts Saturday. Having finished in last in 2018, Chile should be a manageable contest, even if the Eagles were to try out an experimental lineup. But looking at the firepower Gold has brought to bear, the margin of victory on Saturday should be significant.

It may be the most complete roster Gold has fielded. At least since the historic win against Scotland. But beyond this ARC awaits the 2019 Rugby World Cup. As important as the three-peat would be, Gold is surely thinking with the sport’s ultimate event in mind.

Return of the MacGinty

The Eagles welcome back to action star fly half AJ MacGinty. The Sale Shark missed November internationals with injury and has yet to return to game action. Gary Gold had mentioned in an insightful interview with The Rugby Wrap Up that they were hoping AJ would be fit and available for two games. We know now he’s fit, so that suggests he will play this Saturday and then in the next and most crucial fixture against Argentina XV.

That’s helpful, as the Argentina XV match should be the Eagles’ toughest test in this tournament.

With Will Hooley not on the matchday roster, one imagines he must still be injured from his club play. That means Will Magie slots in at 15. It will be interesting to see if AJ needs a spell, who comes into fly half. Magie has manned the ship for the USA many times before, but un-capped Tadhg Leader waits on the bench. He appears to be the next man up.

Mighty Joe Runs for Glory

It is hard to fathom, really. USA hooker Joe Taufete’e has 14 tries in only 19 appearances. That is an incredible scoring rate for a front row player. Now, in what looks like a day that will see the Eagles cross the whitewash with some regularity, Taufete’e may very well make history.

Keith Wood is currently the highest scoring front row in World Rugby history. He sits on 15. He accumulated those 15 tries over a nine-year career. Mighty Joe made his debut in 2015.

It is well within imagination that Taufete’e could dot down twice Saturday and take his place in the record books.

Speaking of the Front Row

The only real “surprise” in the starting 15 is the return of Dino Waldren to the starting tight-head spot. Dino had been making a strong push for the job last year when he fell to injury. Enter Paul Mullen, who rose quickly to the starting role. A spot he held even after the return of Waldren in the fall.

Much remains uncertain. Gary Gold is known for consistency, and he wouldn’t often make a switch of this kind unless it represented a long-term change in his thinking. But, in this instance, there are more factors involved. Mullen just returned from Europe to re-sign with the Houston SaberCats, and with so much transition going on in his life, Gold may be giving him a break in the opener.

Given that Dino is a European player (London Scottish) and likely not available for the full ARC, it could also be an effort to get him more time ahead of the World Cup, knowing that Mullen will get the bulk of the load in the rest of the ARC. Every minute at tight-head for the USA will be valuable in Japan this fall.

And it can’t be ruled out that Dino had been injured too long and was not ready to start in the fall, even if he was ready to take bench minutes.

It will bear watching. If Waldren starts again in the Argentina XV match, it will look more like a change has been made to the Eagles’ first choice team.

Cap Watch

It is no secret that the USA has less international test experience than top tier rugby nations. And it’s no secret that, to grow more competitive, that gap needs to close.

New Zealand entered the 2015 World Cup with 1,484 caps. The average Tier 1 nation was around 1,000. The USA had 567 (in its full World Cup roster of 31)

One thing to watch as we head towards World Cup 2019 will be the number of caps the Eagles bring to Japan.

This week’s matchday 23 total 343 caps. The starters have earned an even 280. The full 35-man camp roster has 449. Mark these numbers now, and keep track of how they change as we get closer to the fall.

Prediction

It would be a dramatic reversal in form and fortune if the Eagles were to lose against Chile. The Chileans, as it happens, haven’t won an international match since they beat South Korea in 2016. A win that was quickly overturned, as they lost to the same South Koreans the next week.

Last time the USA played Chile in the ARC, the Eagles won 45-13. Don’t expect this to be as close.

USA by 42