Eagles look to young half-back partnership for Canada finale in Chicago

USA Women’s Eagles head coach Jack Hanratty is testing out a young half-back partnership for their Pacific Four Series finale against Canada.

Teenage fly-half, Bella Vogel, will partner 20-year-old scrum-half against the Women’s Rugby World Cup runners-up this Friday night at Chicago’s SeatGeek Stadium.

Paton’s inclusion in the starting XV sees Cass Bargell drop top the replacements. There is also a start for Alivia Leatherman at tighthead prop as Mae Sagapolu drops out of the match day side entirely.

There is also a potential debut for Olivia Woods among the replacements, who could join her twin sister, Reece, on the pitch for the Eagles.

Jack Hanratty, USA Women’s Eagles head coach, said: “It’s no secret to us – and especially myself, the style and speed of which Canada want to play. We had and still have targets of a top-3 finish in this year’s PAC4 tournament.

“To compete with a top-three team in the world, we have to be at our best for 80 minutes. After Sacramento, we knew we had to make improvements in our rugby IQ backing momentum with momentum. In Kansas City, we focused on controlling the controllables and staying connected and focused despite the weather and time delays.

“We’ve come to Chicago, wanting to take the momentum from not just the performance, but the win, and hone in on our ability to review, recover and execute in back to back performances – like we would need in a Rugby World Cup.

“We really wanted to earn a win in this campaign and have done that, but this will be another level of test for us to end off a really positive first tour of the 2029 cycle.

“Our 19-20 year old half back pairing is one of the most common questions I get around the team. We need to build depth in these positions but both Abs and Bella are performing brilliantly at training and in games and deserve the opportunity to take the keys.”

So far this Pacific Four Series the USA have lost to the Black Ferns in Round 1 and beat Australia’s Wallaroos last time out in Round 2.

USA match day squad v Canada

15. Alev Kelter
14. Bulou Mataitoga
13. Emily Henrich
12. Katana Howard
11. Erica Coulibaly
10. Bella Vogel
9. Abigail Paton
1. Hope Rogers
2. Kathryn Treder
3. Alivia Leatherman
4. Hallie Taufoou
5. Erica Jarrell-Searcy (C)
6. Hann Humphreys
7. Georgie Perris-Redding
8. Freda Tafuna

Replacements

16. Paige Stathopoulos
17. Reece Woods
18. Olivia Woods*
19. Kapoina Bailey
20. Tessa Hann
21. Cass Bargell
22. Kristin Bitter
23. Telesi Uhatafe