USA back Brache for Cheetahs clash

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Marcel Brache will start at fullback for the Gary Gold-coached USA Falcons against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday.

The former Western Province and Stormers utility back has earned 28 Test caps for his adopted nation since 2016. Having spent most of his career at centre and wing, the 34-year-old started four Tests for the USA in 2022 at 15.

Gold is using the Toyota Challenge to prepare for a four-team repechage 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifying tournament in Dubai, with 12 players who were in the match 23 for the USA’s last Test against Chile set to face the Cheetahs.

Known as the Falcons, the USA A team will take on the Pumas on 21 October before making their way to Dubai via Cape Town.

“It’s incredible that we got an invitation to play in the Toyota Challenge Series,” said Gold. “When we received the invitation, we also had an opportunity to go to Uruguay.

“We wanted to be high above sea level, we’ve been training for the last few weeks in Colorado, which is also high above sea level.

“We also wanted warm weather [as expected in Dubai] and then there is also the time zone [SA and Dubai are only two hours apart, while Uruguay and Dubai are seven hours apart]. The time zone is going to hurt us this week against the Cheetahs, but better now than later.”

Friday’s match is set to kick off at 6pm.

USA – 15 Marcel Brache, 14 Mitch Wilson, 13 Bryce Campbell (c), 12 Paul Lasike, 11 Christian Dyer, 10 Luke Carty, 9 Nate Augspurger, 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, 7 Cory Daniel, 6 Viliami Helu, 5 Nick Civetta, 4 Keni Nasoqeqe, 3 Paul Mullen, 2 Dylan Fawsitt, 1 Jack Iscaro.
Subs: 16 Kaleb Geiger, 17 Chance Wenglewski, 18 Angus Maclellan, 19 Siaosi Mahoni, 20 Cam Dolan, 21 Duncan van Schalkwyk, 22 Tavite Lopeti, 23 Chris Mattina.

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Simon Borchardt