Ngwenya and Manoa add bit of seasoning to raw US unit

Takudzwa Ngwenya and Samu Manoa trained with the US Eagles squad in Houston yesterday, following appearances for the Barbarians in the resounding 59-8 defeat to the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong.

Ngwenya, who gained instant renown when out sprinting Bryan Habana in a 2007 World Cup pool game before being signed up by French club Biarritz, was replaced just before the hour mark last Saturday night, while Manoa finished the match despite being temporarily replaced in the first half.

Manoa has been an impressive operator in the Northampton Saints backrow for the past two seasons. At 6ft 7in, the 28-year-old can also play lock.

US Eagles coach Mike Tolkin has also added three other professionals based in Europe to the largely amateur squad ahead of Saturday's Test match against Ireland.

Chris Wyles, from Saracens, can play anywhere across the backline, while secondrow Scott LaValla recently featured at lock Stade Francais against Leinster at the RDS in the Challenge Cup final. Chris Biller lined out for Bath against Leinster last season but is now with Northampton.

The only established professional unavailable to them is Wasps veteran Paul Emerick, although the 33-year-old is in camp as he recovers from an Achilles tendon operation.

“Tolks is very good at making a game plan for the players we have,” said Emerick. “Since he’s been involved, we’ve had much more of a licence to play.

“With Eddie (O’Sullivan) it was very structured. We need that, but not to the point where it restricts us from our options. It’s that balance of having that structure, yet a licence to play what you see and to have that freedom, that creativity. Tolks is getting that balance right.

"In the last Rugby World Cup, we scored the least amount of tries. We had one win, but there were teams with zero wins who scored more tries than we did. Winning's great, but I want to play and see some open, flowing rugby that's creative and adventurous; risk-taking, within reason."

Meanwhile, Ireland's only injury concern, Ulster centre Stuart Olding, took a full part in training yesterday.