ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The USA Rugby AIG Men's Junior All-Americans Filter Camp for the upcoming World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier against Canada begins Friday, Jan. 15, at Lindenwood University.

Thirty-four athletes will work with interim Head Coach JD Stephenson, as well as the Lindenwood director of rugby's Camp coaching staff, to familiarize themselves with the attacking and defensive strategies ahead of the Feb. 13 battle with Canada's under-20s. The winner of the one-off playoff will represent North America in the U20 Trophy in Zimbabwe.

The MJAAs were felled twice by Canada in 2015, but the athletes chosen for the two-match series in British Columbia padded their international experience under the tutelage of the coaching staff, including former Eagles Luke Gross and David Williams. Unavailable for December's Winter Camp, longtime age-grade standouts and 2015 selections Ben Cima and Hanco Germishuys return to the MJAAs for the Filter Camp. Nick Kwasniewski and Darien Pickett also represented the U.S. against Canada, and pushed on through the Arizona assembly to garner an invite to the weekend's camp.

In all, 20 Filter Camp attendees were at Casa Grande Academy the week prior to the Christmas holiday. The additional athletes, including Boys High School All-Americans alumni Connor Cudeback, Siaso Mahoni, and Joeli Tikoisuva, were unable to attend Stephenson's previous camp, but have kept in touch with the coaching staff to work out availability for 2016.

"The interim work between assemblies has focused on player and team development of those identified in the process and the implementation of our systems, policies, and practices, of which the foundation was laid in the December Camp," Stephenson said. "This has been carried out through weekly Skype calls, email and phone discussions with unit-specific groups, and the availability of our online resources to the playing group as a whole."

Six athletes play for senior clubs across the country and two others attend school abroad, while the remaining young men continue to juggle the new academic semester – in high school or college – with their aspirations to advance through the ranks of the national team pathway. D1A Rugby's University of Arizona, Cal Poly State University, Life University, Lindenwood University, and Louisiana State University will each be without at least one student-athlete during the duration of the Camp.

Following the assembly in Austin, Texas, and the match – to be held alongside the USA Men's Eagles' Americas Rugby Championship clash with the Canadian senior side – the MJAAs' schedule for 2016 will fall into place. With a defeat of Canada and entry into the U20 Trophy, the MJAA athletes would travel to Africa for competition dates in the final two weeks of April.

"When we discuss the buy-in of players and coaches alike to the All-American program, those involved understand the strain that the absence from school can place on their academics and their respective rugby program's cohesion," Stephenson said. "In the two upcoming assemblies, we have been sure to build in study halls and utilize tutors for the players to ease the burden on their academics and try not to overwhelm them mentally during the assembly process to avoid player burnout when they head back to their program.

"We are extremely grateful to the programs that assist in the identification process of players and put forward players. We hope that we can continue to add value to that player through continued development on and off the pitch and the ability to represent their country at the highest age-grade level."

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Filter Camp

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Coaching Staff
JD Stephenson - Interim Head Coach
Justin Goonan - Strength and Conditioning & Skills Coach
Pete Borlase - Forwards Coach
James Walton - Video Analyst
Michael Engelbrecht - Backs Coach & Manager
David Fee - Skills Coach
Scott Lawrence - Technical Advisor
Kevin Battle - Skills Coach & Academy Manager

HOUSTON – JD Stephenson has selected a USA Rugby AIG Men's Junior All-American squad of 26 young athletes to take on Canada's under-20s Saturday, Feb. 13, at Dell Diamond in Austin, Texas.

Featuring four players that were part of last year's losing effort to the Canadians north of the border, the MJAAs will face their rivals in a one-off World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier following the Americas Rugby Championship senior fixture earlier in the evening. Kickoff between the age-grade sides is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. CT with a live stream available on USA Rugby TV.

As interim head coach, Stephenson has worked with more than 40 athletes throughout the fall and winter to prepare for the playoff, be it in camps in Arizona and Missouri or via communication with those unable to attend camps. The 26-man squad is made up of 14 players currently playing collegiate rugby domestically, each able to balance studies along with learning the patterns of Stephenson's game plan.

Included in the squad are four Lindenwood University student-athletes that are coached by the school's director of rugby and head coach, Stephenson, in addition to nine other D1A Rugby representatives.

"Familiarity of players is a bonus when designing processes and roles for individuals in the side," Stephenson said. "However, there is also the added pressure to the Lindenwood players of expectations and standards that they need to hold themselves to given they are accountable to them on a daily basis. Nevertheless, we have closely watched and have been in contact with all players in our squad, which allows for familiarity of all players."

Aiding the communication between the coaching staff and MJAA-hopefuls, BridgeAthletic's software has provided strength, conditioning, and skill training program management; test data management; and performance logging since athlete identification and selection began last year.

On top of the professional tools available, however, has been the commitment of the young athletes to ensure they are fully prepared for a match that holds the key to an international tournament appearance. A win in Austin would book the team's trip to Zimbabwe for the U20 Trophy, a tournament in which the U.S. has not featured since 2014 – a third-place performance.

"As a coaching staff we have leveraged all forms of technology to ensure that a clear message of roles and responsibilities have been conveyed to the players," Stephenson said. "There has been a considerable amount of prep work done between camps to ensure playbooks, terminology, processes, and outcomes are aligned between player and coaching staff.

"We are fortunate to have a very respectful and diligent playing group that is willing to go the extra mile to be successful."

Austin Blacks, runners-up in this past year's USA Rugby Division I Club National Championship match, will host the MJAAs during their stay in Texas, and will offer controlled scrimmages as a warm-up to the fixture at Dell Diamond. The MJAAs are set to arrive in Austin Saturday, Feb. 6.

The Men's Eagles' match against the Canadian senior side in the Americas Rugby Championship will be broadcast live on ESPN 3 at 6 p.m. CT Feb. 13, with the MJAA match to follow on USA Rugby TV at 8:45 p.m. CT.

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier

Unavailable
Leki Fotu
Malcolm May

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Coaching Staff
JD Stephenson - Interim Head Coach
Justin Goonan - Strength and Conditioning & Skills Coach
Pete Borlase - Forwards Coach
James Walton - Video Analyst
Michael Engelbrecht - Backs Coach & Manager
David Fee - Skills Coach
Scott Lawrence - Technical Advisor
Kevin Battle - Skills Coach & Academy Manager

ROUND ROCK, Texas – Hanco Germishuys will captain JD Stephenson's AIG Men's Junior All-Americans Saturday in their World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier against Canada at Dell Diamond.

Germishuys is one of four MJAAs to have missed out on last year's international competition due to an aggregate defeat to Canada north of the border. Saturday's match will kick off after the Men's Eagles' Americas Rugby Championship clash with Canada's senior side, and will be streamed live on USA Rugby TV.

Stephenson, the interim head coach for the MJAAs, made his 23-man team selections following an intense week of training in Austin, where the squad utilized the facilities of local Austin Blacks Rugby and even scrimmaged the Red River Division I side. The assembly follows the Winter Camp, attended by 52 players over the New Year holiday, and last month's Filter Camp, which gave the coaching staff time to work with athletes spread across the country.

"It's been a very physically- and mentally-tough week on the players," Stephenson said. "The combination of two sessions, film, and daily one-on-ones can be taxing for the players. Our recovery protocol has been imperative to ensure that players are rested and that injuries are managed."

Ben Cima and Louis Mulholland were part of the Eagles' Rugby World Cup 2015 Training Squad leading up to the eighth quadrennial, and retain the fly half and scrum half shirts, respectively, they wore in the two-match Trophy qualifier last March. Along with Germishuys, who will join the senior side when it travels to South America at the end of the month, and Nick Kwasniewski, the half-back pairing will serve as veterans on the team.

As well as working with the local community during the build-up week, preparing for the one-off match with a trip to Zimbabwe on the line, the MJAAs will receive a pep talk from Eagles Head Coach John Mitchell at Friday's jersey ceremony.

"It's a great vibe to be on the same pitch as the senior side, playing in a great venue, and it has rubbed off on the playing group," Stephenson said.

Ten young athletes in the starting XV have progressed through the age-grade ranks from Salty Thompson's Boys High School All-Americans, connecting the pathway from the under-18 level to the senior level. Additionally, nine starters are members of D1A Rugby collegiate teams.

The MJAAs have only defeated Canada twice since the spring of 2012, but, discounting the winless U20 Championship campaign in 2013, hold an overall record of 9-5 in that time span.

"The starting XV is the best reflection of how the Men's Junior All-Americans want to play rugby on Saturday evening," Stephenson said. "All 26 players in our greater squad play a vital role of getting the best out of each other, and this should be reflected in the starting XV."

Kickoff from Dell Diamond is tentatively scheduled for 8:45 p.m. CT Saturday, Feb. 13, with the live stream broadcast on USA Rugby TV. Match updates will also be provided on Twitter (@aarugby).

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | v. Canada
1. Connor Cudeback
2. Steven Branham
3. Nick Kwasniewski
4. Sean Coleman
5. Malon Al-Jiboori
6. Uki Taumoefolau
7. Brennan Falcon
8. Hanco Germishuys (C)
9. Louis Mulholland
10. Ben Cima
11. Deion Mikesell
12. Brian Hannon
13. Lorenzo Thomas
14. Tyler Sousley
15. Mitchell Wilson

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Reserves
16. Zachary Haley
17. Chance Wenglewski
18. Mason Pedersen
19. Joshua Warnock
20. George Fotu
21. Ruben de Haas
22. Rodney Giles
23. Devin Lim

Canada | v. USA
1. Cali Martinez
2. Andrew Quattrin
3. Matt Tierney
4. Reegan O'Gorman
5. Conor Keys
6. Adrian Wadden
7. Nakai Penny
8. Luke Bradley
9. Cole Keffer
10. Robbie Povey
11. Theo Sauder
12. George Barton
13. Phil Berna
14. Trenton Cooper
15. Andrew Coe (C)

Canada | Reserves
16. Conor Sampson
17. Brendan Blaikie
18. Curtis Delmonico
19. Matt Beukeboom
20. Peter Milazzo
21. Keaton Porter
22. Mitch Richardson
23. Aaron Evison

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Coaching Staff
JD Stephenson - Interim Head Coach
Justin Goonan - Strength and Conditioning & Skills Coach
Pete Borlase - Forwards Coach
James Walton - Video Analyst
Michael Engelbrecht - Backs Coach & Manager
David Fee - Skills Coach
Scott Lawrence - Technical Advisor
Kevin Battle - Skills Coach & Academy Manager

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The USA Rugby AIG Men's Junior All-Americans followed their senior counterparts with a 19-18 defeat of Canada at Dell Diamond Saturday, cementing their place in this spring's World Rugby U20 Trophy.

Fly half Ben Cima nailed a last-second penalty goal from beyond midfield to propel the MJAAs to the win in what was a physical encounter between the border rivals. The victory ends a four-match losing streak to the neighbors in interim Head Coach JD Stephenson's first match at the helm of the under-20 national team.

"[The win] is a testament to the boys," the Lindenwood Director of Rugby said following the climactic end to the one-off U20 Trophy qualifier. "They're extraordinary leaders on and off of the pitch. We've been working on pressured scenarios all week and a lot of situational awareness."

Cima kicked off the scoring in the third minute of play, kicking his first of four penalties for a 3-0 lead to the All-Americans. Canada hit right back with a try in the corner from wing Trenton Cooper before the 10th minute, however, to take a 5-3 advantage.

The MJAAs received contributions from all over the pitch in the win, as efficient work in the breakdown and assured tackling on defence helped set up the boot of their fly half for a 9-5 lead in the 26th minute.

"We couldn't have picked a better group to represent the U.S.," Stephenson said after the match. "We couldn't have picked a better group of guys for what it stands for and who have pride in that jersey. It's just awesome."

A penalty goal attempt from midfield 10 minutes from the end of the first half fell short for Cima, and Canada's Robbie Povey cut into the lead with a kick of his own before Peter Milazzo dotted down in-goal on the stroke of halftime.

Scrum half Louis Mulholland looked to give his team the edge in the opening minutes of the second half, intercepting a pass at midfield. The MJAAs drew a penalty, but the combined distance and angle kept Cima from cutting into the 15-9 deficit.

The MJAAs got the ball back before the 48th minute, however, and capitalized on a five-meter lineout. Mulholland provided quick ball to Cima in front of the posts, and the fly half dummied his way towards the line before offloading to Lorenzo Thomas in contact for the center to dot down in-goal. Cima nailed the conversion to give the MJAAs a 16-15 lead with 30 minutes to play.

The teams traded errors and shots at goal in the remaining minutes of the second half, and Canada thought it had the last word with a successful penalty goal in the 76th minute. The MJAAs kept at it with ball in hand, and nearly crossed the try line in the 79th minute only to draw a penalty in the corner. Captain Hanco Germishuys pointed to the posts, but the touch-line attempt from Cima was just wide.

Unlike his 30th-minute attempt, the fly half made no mistake with the last play of the game.

"Ben controlled the ship well, used his foot effectively, and played smart rugby," Stephenson said of the young club player that was part of the Men's Eagles' Rugby World Cup 2015 training squad last year. "Sometimes he had us pulling our hair, but, ultimately, that's what good players do: they step up and they execute in the end when the game's on the line."

With the rivalry matchup behind them, the MJAAs will now turn their attentions to the U20 Trophy, the international tournament on which they missed out in 2015. To be held in Zimbabwe in the second half of April, the U20 Trophy field includes the host, Fiji, Hong Kong, Namibia, Samoa, Spain, and Uruguay.

"We'll break down the film and discuss the building blocks as we build towards the U20 Trophy now," Stephenson said. "This is just step one of our journey, and on to the next."

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | v. Canada
1. Connor Cudeback
2. Steven Branham
3. Nick Kwasniewski
4. Sean Coleman
5. Malon Al-Jiboori
6. Uki Taumoefolau
7. Brennan Falcon
8. Hanco Germishuys (C)
9. Louis Mulholland
10. Ben Cima
11. Deion Mikesell
12. Brian Hannon
13. Lorenzo Thomas
14. Tyler Sousley
15. Mitchell Wilson

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Reserves
16. Zachary Haley
17. Chance Wenglewski
18. Mason Pedersen
19. Joshua Warnock
20. George Fotu
21. Ruben de Haas
22. Rodney Giles
23. Devin Lim

Canada | v. USA
1. Cali Martinez
2. Andrew Quattrin
3. Matt Tierney
4. Reegan O'Gorman
5. Conor Keys
6. Adrian Wadden
7. Nakai Penny
8. Luke Bradley
9. Cole Keffer
10. Robbie Povey
11. Theo Sauder
12. George Barton
13. Phil Berna
14. Trenton Cooper
15. Andrew Coe (C)

Canada | Reserves
16. Conor Sampson
17. Brendan Blaikie
18. Curtis Delmonico
19. Matt Beukeboom
20. Peter Milazzo
21. Keaton Porter
22. Mitch Richardson
23. Aaron Evison

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | 19
Tries: Thomas
Conversions: Cima
Penalties: Cima (4)

Canada | 18
Tries: Cooper, Milazzo
Conversions: Povey
Penalties: Povey (2)
Discipline: Cooper (Yellow)

AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Coaching Staff
JD Stephenson - Interim Head Coach
Justin Goonan - Strength and Conditioning & Skills Coach
Pete Borlase - Forwards Coach
James Walton - Video Analyst
Michael Engelbrecht - Backs Coach & Manager
David Fee - Skills Coach
Scott Lawrence - Technical Advisor
Kevin Battle - Skills Coach & Academy Manager

LAS VEGAS – USA Rugby Boys High School All-Americans Head Coach Salty Thompson has selected an assembly squad of 16 young rugby players for this week's Las Vegas Invitational in Nevada.

The BHSAAs, supported by Aircraft Charter Solutions, have won the Cup in the under-18 sevens division three times in the past five seasons – most recently in 2014. There were two American teams in the competition last year, with the first conceding the Cup to perennial British Columbia Rugby Union.

Four high school seniors – Luke Bienstock (Conn.), William Brennan (Wash.), Christian Dyer (Calif.), and Leki Fotu (Utah) – return from the 2015 team, with the LVI veterans buoyed by seven teammates that went on the 15s tour to Belgium and France last spring.

"We will work hard early this week so the 16-man squad will be narrowed to 14 on game days," Thompson said. "This also gives us a safety net if players pick up injuries in training."

Several former BHSAAs have continued their rugby careers through to the college and club games, while a select few have already been capped at the international level. BHSAA graduate Lorenzo Thomas played for the AIG Men's Junior All-Americans one week last month before making his senior debut with the Eagles in the inaugural Americas Rugby Championship the next, and longtime All-American Hanco Germishuys won his first senior cap over the weekend.

Seth Halliman was also a part of the 2014 squad that won the tournament, and will be in Las Vegas as part of one of Mike Friday's Eagles – for the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event – or Falcons in the LVI's America's Cup division.

"Seeing players such as Hanco Germishuys, Lorenzo Thomas, and Deion Mikesell as Eagles within a year or two of high school is motivating," Thompson said.

Eleven states are represented in the 16-man training group, with BHSAA alum Sim Mander the only U.S.-eligible athlete competing abroad. Joining Germishuys and Thomas last month with the MJAAs in a thrilling World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier defeat of Canada were Ruben de Haas and Fotu, who will be trying to send the All-American patch to the top of the LVI standings at Heritage Park, Silver Bowl Sports Complex, and Star Nursery Fields March 3-5.

The BHSAAs have been grouped in Pool A with a select side from the southeast – National Athletic Village Selects – Maryland Exiles, and Utah Rugby Academy. Defending tournament champion British Columbia is in Pool D.

"There's no doubt the boys will be excited to perform and achieve as a team," Thompson said. "A captain has not been named yet but we have experience and a point to prove following last year's loss to BC in the Final."

USA Rugby Boys High School All-Americans | 2016 Las Vegas Invitational

Boys High School All-Americans | Las Vegas Invitational
v. Maryland Exiles - Friday, March 4 @ 9:20 a.m. PT
v. National Athletic Village Selects - Friday, March 4 @ noon PT
v. Utah Rugby Academy - Friday, March 4 @ 2:40 p.m. PT

LAS VEGAS – The USA Falcons presented by Penn Mutual had their time at Sam Boyd Stadium cut short Sunday in the Las Vegas Invitational's Women's Elite 7s Cup Semifinal, a 24-5 loss to France Select.

Jules McCoy's squad could not follow in its male counterparts' footsteps following the men's team's undefeated Americas Cup 7s run that concluded in the Final Saturday. The Falcons eased through pool play earlier in the week, conceding just five points in two matches Thursday before two additional shutouts – in the final match of pool play and the Cup Quarterfinal.

Developmental sides from Canada and England played to a last-second decision in the first Semifinal at Sam Boyd Stadium, which is hosting the fifth round of the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, while the U.S. developmental side played France's in its knockout match.

France received the opening restart and slowly moved down the pitch with the Falcons giving up a few meters at the most at any given phase. The opening try-scorer was able to stay out of Meya Bizer's reach along the touch line for France's 5-0 lead after two minutes.

The Falcons held onto possession following the try and drew a few penalties with strong runs and clinical work in the breakdown to protect the ball. France did not pile players into the tackle area, however, instead opting to spread the defense and pressure the U.S. scrum half, which forced a turnover. While the Falcons regained possession and drew more penalties, France pounced on a loose pass to bring the halftime score to 10-0.

See the Women's Eagles Sevens in Atlanta >>

France extended its lead with a converted try when a Falcons knock behind their 22 gifted the scoring play with a set piece. Rachel Griendling and Kate Zackary combined for an attacking run on the ensuing kickoff that brought the Falcons within scoring position in France's half, and Zackary finished off the attack a few phases later by beating two defenders to the try line.

There was not enough time for the Falcons to mount a comeback, and France added a final try for a 24-5 score line.

McCoy had previously discussed the team's play heading into the final day at Sam Boyd Stadium, knowing there was still work to do as always. Several of these athletes will move on to the invitational tournaments alongside the next men's Series stop in Vancouver, hoping to cement a place with the Women's Eagles Sevens for their own home tournament – HSBC Atlanta 7s.

"I'm never satisfied with our performance because every coach wants a perfect performance, even though we know full well there's no such thing," McCoy said at the end of the second day of competition. "I am happy for the players, because, when they get to operate as a team doing something together, they're happy about their experience.

"Having a good experience versus having a good performance can be two different things. You can win games with a bad performance; you can lose games with a fantastic performance. The key is having a good performance with a good experience and getting those together all the time. I am happy for them because they're having a good experience."

Salty Thompson's Boys High School All-Americans were knocked out of their under-18 division Saturday in the Plate Semifinals after winning two of their pool matches earlier in the competition.

A loss to open the tournament saw the BHSAAs deal with some inconsistencies in the set pieces, though they battled through the adversity against Maryland Exiles in a 24-10 defeat. Thompson utilized the full complement of his roster by starting most of the first match's bench in the second, a 33-12 win against National Athletic Village Selects.

The BHSAAs finished out the day with a 24-7 defeat of a talented Utah Rugby Academy side.

"They played a little bit tense," Thompson said of the BHSAAs' early performances. "I think they put expectations on themselves. Getting that teamwork, getting that trust – I think we struggled at times.

"And this division gets more competitive [each year], because we had 111 guys that have been in [BHSAA] camps, they're spread all over these teams. They're coming out wanting to beat us for good reason: 'you didn't pick me.' There's some talent out here."

The ATAVUS All-Stars ended the BHSAAs' Cup hopes in the Quarterfinals, a close, 19-14, affair, and Eagle Impact Rugby Academy shut out the All-Americans, 40-0, in their final match.

The BHSAAs will next play rugby sevens in July, but will face Canadian opposition in the 15s game at the end of June. More details on those tours will be announced later.

USA Falcons sponsored by Penn Mutual | Las Vegas Invitational
1. Carmen Farmer
2. Meya Bizer
3. Kate Zackary
4. Ashley Perry
5. Nicole Heavirland
6. Irene Gardner
7. Ryan Carlyle
8. Hunter Griendling
9. Richelle Stephens
10. Jessica Javelet
11. Kristen Thomas
12. Naya Tapper

USA Falcons sponsored by Penn Mutual | Las Vegas Invitational
v. Brazil Women's 7s - W 36-0
v. Stars Rugby 2 - W 40-5
v. South Africa Select - W 22-0
Cup QF v. Stars Rugby 1 - W 34-0
Cup SF v. France Select - L 24-5

USA Rugby Boys High School All-Americans | 2016 Las Vegas Invitational

Boys High School All-Americans | Las Vegas Invitational
v. Maryland Exiles - L 24-10
v. National Athletic Village Selects - W 33-12
v. Utah Rugby Academy - W 24-7
Cup QF v. ATAVUS All-Stars - L 19-14
Plate SF v. Eagle Impact Rugby Academy - L 40-0