USA Name 5 South African-Born Players for Australia Clash As Jesse Kriel’s Twin Starts on the Bench
- Five South African-born players have been named in the USA squad for the Australia A clash, with a familiar Springbok family connection attracting attention
- The USA XV have reshuffled their line-up after a heavy defeat, with a South African-born captain tasked with leading the response
- Dan Kriel has another opportunity to feature for the USA as he continues pursuing his ambition of playing at the 2027 Rugby World Cup
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The USA XV have named five South African-born players in their matchday squad for their clash against Australia A, with Dan Kriel, the twin brother of Springbok centre Jesse Kriel, set to feature from the bench. South African-born flank Marno Redelinghuys will captain the American side as they seek a response after their heavy defeat last weekend.
The teams are scheduled to meet in New Jersey on Saturday, 31 October 2026, according to SA Rugby Magazine on Thursday, 29 October.
Dan Kriel among South African-born USA players
Kriel is named among the replacements after previously representing the Bulls, Stormers, Western Province and Lions. He now plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby and qualifies to represent the United States under World Rugby's residency rules.
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In an interview with Rapport in June, Kriel said representing America had not initially been part of his plans.
“It was never the plan to play for America or something I thought about,” he said.
Kriel added that he hoped to represent the country at the 2027 Rugby World Cup, saying:
“America has given so much to me and my family and I would love to represent this country in the 2027 World Cup.”
Former Junior Springboks David Coetzer, Wayne van der Bank and Ruben de Haas also feature in the USA XV squad alongside Redelinghuys. The five South African-born players are spread across the starting team and replacements.
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USA seek response after Australia A defeat
The Americans are coming off a 61-12 loss to Australia A in Nashville on Saturday, 24 October. Australia scored 35 unanswered points in the second half, leaving the USA XV with plenty to address ahead of the rematch.
Redelinghuys, who represented Western Province and the Stormers in 2018 and 2019, takes over the captaincy from Jason Damm, who has been omitted from the matchday squad.
The USA XV will hope their revamped line-up delivers a stronger performance, while Kriel will look to make an impact if called off the bench.
Scotland’s South African-born quartet adds context to USA selection
Briefly News also reported that Scotland named four South African-born players in their 37-man squad for the November Nations Championship Tests against New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
Coach Gregor Townsend selected Kyle Steyn, Duhan van der Merwe, Pierre Schoeman and Nathan McBeth, highlighting South African influence across international rugby.
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Source: Briefly News
