Oso

#mlr2026 let's go boys! #NEFJ

@T2Rugby It's possible he got an offer and just wasn't interested. Wouldn't be the first and won't be the last to choose a normal career. Harsh to call out USAR/MLR like this unless you actually know they didn't try.

So 🇺🇸 USA's tighthead prop Pono Davis, who only switched to rugby age 24 in 2021 and by 2025 was named the top tighthead in MLR last year, was the starting prop in the final, and held his own vs England last July, has now not got an MLR team with all the squads for 2026 announced. This is negligent, clueless, stupidity from USA Rugby to let this happen. It is 4 years worth of work to make him a rugby player thrown in the trash can and one less option for the Eagles in a position where finding depth is challenging. Since he was a late starter to rugby he probably had more upside potential yet to be realised as well. It is ridiculous no MLR side has picked him up, seeing as plenty worse props than him in squads, and one of them Anthem Carolina USA Rugby has some control over.

So it’s going to be a huge legal battle worth a trillion dollars that the government will now lose, and we will have to pay

RT @USARugby: Eagles win in Romania to clinch the Persian Cup TRIES | Ryan, McLean CONV | de Haas, Carty PEN | Carty (4) https://t.co/i47i…

@raysrugby I agree with you. There's a load of MLR guys who ought to have been capped in the lead up to PNC 2025 and it's infuriating for a USA fan. Scott got some lifeline by beating Samoa. If he doesn't ring the changes now, he should be fired.

@Oso_802 Soon???? Some of these guys should have been in the squad a year ago. This is selection malpractice.

Connor Buckley was the in-form US-eligible scrumhalf during the MLR season. Can't even get on the plane. Scott Lawrence instead picks Ethan McVeigh, Buckley's backup at DC, and gives him 9 minutes of game time on the wing in a blowout game. Explain that one to me.

@raysrugby Agreed he ought to be capped, for sure, and Scott must bring in the guys who perform at positions of need in MLR, soon. Feels like there are a dozen players who should be capped by now but we're still rolling out the vets or playing guys out of position.

@Oso_802 Buckley was even training with the Eagles at one point... there's no reasonable explanation why that kid hasn't been capped at some point this year.

@raysrugby If true, hope they consider grandfathering any Canadians on a multi-year deal. Would be very unfair to teams and players to pull domestic status mid-contract.

Very awful rumors regarding status of Canadian players. If MLR goes through with them it will be very difficult for me to continue to support the league.

Mission accomplished. #PacificNationsCup #USAvSAM

@USARugby Yes boys, amazing performance, incredible toughness to pull that off after an up and down summer.

@AmerRugbyRising Hmmm, so was he ever actually available to the Eagles for the PNC?

Nafi Ma'afu starts at lock when Montauban open their Top14 campaign against Stade Français Paris Saturday. ⏰ Sat., 7am ET 📺 LIVE on FloRugby

@usmlr @AnthemRugby @NEFreeJacks @SeawolvesRugby @OldGloryDC @HoundsChicago @HOUSaberCats @utwarriorsrugby UVM! Yessssssss!

ROUND THREE 🔒 #MLRDraft

@raysrugby Do you know why Fricker is unavailable? Really annoyed with player management from the Eagles and Anthem regarding back three selections. So many minutes given to guys who aren't even in the 23 for this crucial match.

Still no Nafi Ma'afu. Ruben de Haas hurt, Toby Fricker unavailable. Not the strongest Eagles lineup.

@T2Rugby @raysrugby Ah, sounds about right. I was trying to sort by birthdates and thought it was either Ainu'u (who joined very young) or Deion Mikesell but Wooching/Baska/Al-Jiboori were definitely after them, just signed later in life.

@Oso_802 Not many lately. In 2021 Wooching & Baska joined Rouen in Pro D2 for a time and Al-Jiboori joined Ealing very briefly. Before that going back to Ainuu & Maafu in 2017 who still there. @raysrugby may know if others. In Espoirs contracts an American joined Bordeaux this summer.

@T2Rugby trying to figure this out in the MLR Discord. Who is the most recent American-trained player to sign a first time European pro contract? Exclude guys who have played in Europe before or were trained outside the US.

@T2Rugby *Senior pro contract

@raysrugby Yeah, I feared worse. And given the delays and losing Redelinghuys early and some new caps, I'm not happy but I'm OK.

@Oso_802 really? I mean it could always be worse... but this hasn't been great

Eagles started ok, but have been on the back foot for about 20 minutes. Problems with the lineout and disjointed on kick chase. England would have a couple more tries on the board if they had been more accurate.

@raysrugby Ha, well from a starting point of 57%, yes low bar. Scrum was up and down but with Lindenmuth on seemed good for the level of opponent. Not a good game but I feel a bit better now versus the shambles last week.

@Oso_802 better than the low expectations maybe... but still not good enough

USA on 🔝 TRIES: H. Rogers, E. Jarrell-Searcy, E. Coulibaly, R. Johnson, E. Henrich. CONV: M. Hawkins (3)