LW Players in Churchill Cup


By Dragons' Den
May 16 2011

Two London Welsh players are due to take part in this summer’s Churchill Cup – the completion that every year pits England Saxons, USA and Canada against three invited teams. This year’s tournament starts in less than three weeks with Shawn Pittman expected to play for the USA and Hudson Tonga’uiha already selected as part of the Tongan squad.

On Saturday 4th June the 8th Churchill Cup gets underway with a double header at Franklin Gardens and London Welsh Prop Shawn Pittman will be hoping to take the field for the USA Eagles against England Saxons. Centre Hudson Tonga’uiha gets his first chance for a run out at Esher the following Wednesday and Shawn could be lining up for the opposition.

Hudson and Shawn may be at the end of only their first season at London Welsh but both have made a big impression in that short time. Tonga’uiha finished the season with seven tries and was voted Players’ Player of the Season by his London Welsh team-mates while Pittman played 29 games for the Exiles as well as making two appearances for USA during their 2010 autumn internationals.  

This tournament may not be the end of their international ambitions in 2011 as both will then aim to represent their countries in the Rugby World Cup.

 

Round-Robin Play Schedule 
 

DATE

TIME

AWAY

SCR

HOME

SCR

LOCATION

  
        

Sat, Jun. 4

TBA

Canada 
(Pool B)

  

Italy 
(Pool B)

  

Frankin Gardens

  
 

TBA

USA 
(Pool A)

  

Saxons 
(Pool A)

  

Frankin Gardens

  
        

Wed, Jun. 8

TBA

USA 
(Pool A)

  

Tonga 
(Pool A)

  

Moseley Road

  
 

TBA

Canada 
(Pool B)

  

Russia 
(Pool B)

  

Moseley Road

  
        

Sun, Jun. 12

TBA

Russia 
(Pool B)

  

Italy 
(Pool B)

  

Kingsholm

  
 

TBA

Tonga 
(Pool A)

  

Saxons 
(Pool A)

  

Kingsholm

  

 

 

              

Elimination Play Schedule 
 

DATE

TIME

AWAY

SCR

HOME

SCR

LOCATION

  

Sat, Jun. 18

TBA

1st 
(Pool B)

  

1st 
(Pool A)

  

Sixways

  
 

TBA

2nd 
(Pool B)

  

2nd 
(Pool A)

  

Sixways

  
 

TBA

3rd 
(Pool B)

  

3rd 
(Pool A)

  

Sixways

  

 

 


LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: The Dragons\\\' Den (IP Logged)
Date: 16/05/2011 22:10

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
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Re: LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: nld (IP Logged)
Date: 04/06/2011 16:47

Pittman on bench, Johnson starting versus Saxons today.

Re: LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: nld (IP Logged)
Date: 04/06/2011 19:17

87 - 8 win for Saxons.

Pittman on for last 25 mins and had the tough challenge of packing down opposite Matt Stevens, Johnson finished the game bandaged up like an exhibit from the Cairo Museum. Both looked quite efective in the loose.

The USA set piece was destroyed. After Shawn's scrummaging improving so much during the second half of the season it is a bit of concern that he could be spending the Churchill Cup and World Cup as part of a pack that is constantly pushed around. Hopefully it won't affect his own technique.

Re: LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: TC08 (IP Logged)
Date: 07/06/2011 14:57

Per the account in the Rugby Paper, Shawn was taken apart by Stevens. It sounds like Stevens is really fired up for this tournament.

Re: LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: TC08 (IP Logged)
Date: 08/06/2011 05:45

Anyone else thinking of going along this pm?

I'll be there from about 5pm, hoping to see Shawn and Hudson lock horns.

Re: LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: nld (IP Logged)
Date: 08/06/2011 07:10

Had hoped to get to the game but the 5pm ko is just impossible from up here in the North! Might try to find a way of watching it online.

The whole USA scrum had a torrid time against Saxons and Stevens was on good form. Expect that Saxons will romp away with this tournament.

Re: LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: nld (IP Logged)
Date: 08/06/2011 20:10

USA 13 Tonga 44

Didn't get to see the game unfortunately.

Re: LW Players in Churchill Cup
Posted by: TC08 (IP Logged)
Date: 09/06/2011 12:58

Went along. USA vs Tonga was dire.Shawn played most of the match and was up against a man mountain, but US scrum was under pressure all the time and Tonga had more class all round. Tonga no 12 had a particularly impressive game, breaking through many times.

But Russia vs Canada was a great match. Russia looked well drilled, and had some fliers, and Canada eventually won via 2 interception tries from their own half in the last few minutes.

Saw Flo and Lorne there, plus Paul Turner and Mike Schmidt.

Decent crowd of c 1700 (guess) had a good evening.

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