South Africa-born Redelinghuys to captain overhauled USA XV against Australia A

Marno Redelinghuys, a South Africa-born blindside flanker, will captain a heavily rotated USA XV when they face Australia A at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey, following last weekend’s 61-12 loss in Nashville.

Coach Scott Lawrence has made sweeping changes to his starting lineup, with regular Eagles captain Jason Damm dropped from the matchday 23 entirely — the first time this season he has been absent. Paddy Ryan is the only forward retained in his position from the previous match, with Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz coming in at No. 8 and Nathan Den Hoedt joining Sam Golla in a new second-row pairing.

The front row has also been reshuffled, with Ezekiel Lindenmuth starting at loosehead, Kalbe Geiger replacing Shilo Klein at hooker, and Mason Pedersen at tighthead. In the backs, Ruben De Haas returns to No. 9 after coming off the bench last week, Luke Carty starts at fly-half, and former New England Patriots player Cassh Maluia lines up at inside centre alongside Wayne van der Bank. Both wings have changed, with Joe Mano and Conner Mooneyham coming into the side, and David Coetzer starting at fullback.

Australia A, coached by Wallabies great Stephen Larkham, were dominant in the first meeting, scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half after the USA XV trailed 26-12 at the break.

Lawrence explained the rationale behind the wholesale changes, framing them as part of a deliberate long-term development strategy ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

“It is widely accepted among international high-performance experts that developing an international-level player generally takes five to seven years of full-time professional rugby with meaningful minutes week in and week out,” Lawrence said.

“In previous years, the Eagles have often been one injury, one unavailable player, or one individual’s performance away from being unable to perform when it matters most. In 2026, we’ve set out to address that challenge by prioritising long-term development over short-term results during this two-to-three-month block.”

Lawrence added that the squad has been put through a schedule designed to replicate the demands of a Rugby World Cup cycle, with the Nations Cup Tests next month providing further competitive exposure for the expanded player pool.