U.S.A. vs. Canada: Eagles Player Grades

We grade each of the Eagles following their disappointing loss to Canada in Charleston yesterday.

Shawn Pittman (5)- In the scrum Pittman had a good game but elsewhere he didn't make much of an impact.

Chris Biller (5)- Biller might have had the hardest job under the new scrum laws but he did well. Other than that he was essentially invisible the rest of the match.

Eric Fry (4.5)- Again, better in the scrum. He was at fault for missing a tackle against van der Merwe that set up Canada's second try.

Lou Stanfill (4.5)- It was another decent match from Stanfill, especially in matching up against Jebb Sinclair. Still, as a leader on the team he needed to step up.

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Samu Manoa (5.5)- Manoa tried to will the team at times. His defense was strong as were his abilities in the line out. Overall it wasn't his best match. Look for him to step up next week.

Scott LaValla (4.5)- It was too quiet of a match for LaValla. He is one of the most talented players on the team and he needs to make his impact felt throughout the match.

Peter Dahl (4)- Wasn't as effective as he would have liked to be in his one half of duty.

Todd Clever (4)- It looked as if Clever had several small injuries that limited his impact but even still it wasn't the best game from the captain. He wasn't nearly as active as in the past and he didn't contribute much on offense. As captain he needs to set the tone on the field.

Mike Petri (3.5)- Petri kicked far too often and when he did those kicks weren't very good. His distribution also wasn't very creative, allowing Canada to get up quickly.

Toby L'Estrange (3)- His defense may be solid but it's just not working out for him as a playmaker.

Blaine Scully (4.5)- He was partly responsible for some of the backline defensive errors. Didn't see much of the ball.

Andrew Suniula (5)- Suniula was one of the more active players on the pitch but most of that was on the defensive end. Too quiet on offense.

Seamus Kelly (4.5)- Kelly suffered a knock fairly early on in the match which limited his effectiveness. He was replaced by Roland Suniula in the first half.

Taku Ngwenya (5.5)- What he had the ball he had an impact. The problem was when he did get the ball he was never in a position to use his speed. His defense has vastly improved over the past few years. One of the better Eagles on the day.

Chris Wyles (5)- He'll be disappointed with missing two penalties but he settled down and gave the Eagles some points. Uncharacteristically one of his weaker defensive matches.

Substitutes:

Roland Suniula (4.5)- He came on for Kelly and did well but didn't provide a spark the team needed.

Brian Doyle (5)- After coming on for Dahl, Doyle made an impact on the match. His scrummaging was good and his defense was up to par.

Phil Thiel (5)- Thiel came on a scrummed well and was generally active around the pitch.

Robbie Shaw (6)- Shaw was another of the players that made a positive impact when coming on. His distribution put the ball in dangerous areas. Could replace Petri next week.

Zach Fenoglio (4.5)- Fenoglio was pretty silent after he came on for Biller.

Cam Dolan (5)- Could have been an N/A. Was a good as the rest of the flankers on the day, which either says that he did well or the other flankers didn't put in a starter-worthy performance.

Folau Niua (7)- He made a very positive impact after coming on for L'Estrange. He made several darting runs that we're used to seeing out of him on the 7's pitch and got the Eagles going forward. He gave the team a positive lift. Should probably start next week. Made his test debut.

Titi Lamositele (7)- He didn't have too much time on the pitch but he didn't stand out as not belonging. Points for becoming the youngest Eagle of all time. Well deserved.

Check out Patrick Johnston for ratings of the Canadian players.