Test center Paul Emerick and 7s veteran Jone Naqica replace the missing Todd Clever and Takudza Ngwenya as the Sevens World Series resumes this weekend in Wellington, New Zealand.
In all, coach Al Caravelli shows four changes to the dozen who reached the quarterfinals in George, South Africa, the second weekend in December. Led by four tries from captain Chris Wyles, the US downed Georgia and edged Australia, before falling to the hosts and then New Zealand in the quarterfinals.
The 7s squad, which spent a week in Denver and another in San Diego before breaking camp to head for the Kiwi capital last Saturday, has drawn Fiji, Samoa, and the Cook Islands in pool play. Fiji begins the 3d leg of the 8-tournament series in fourth place, Samoa in sixth, and the Eagles tied with the Wallabies for ninth.
Also new to the 2008-09 circuit are Rikus Pretorius and Roland Suniula, who joins his brother Shalom. Mark Bokhoven, Andrew Osborne, and Don Younger have been left at home, while experienced Dallen Stanford, who replaced Anwar Salaam after the disappointing season-opener in Dubai, retains his place.
Clever and Ngwenya, competing for overseas 15 teams, are not expected to play for the Eagles until the 7s World Cup in March.
After Wellington the Sevens Series arrives in San Diego. Despite the down economy, ticket sales for the USA 7s at Petco Park on February 14-15 are trending ahead of year-ago figures, organizers said.
USA to New Zealand 7s
Forwards: Paul Emerick (Overmach Parma), Matthew Hawkins (OMBAC), Rikus Pretorius (Olympic Club), Kevin Swiryn (St. Mary’s)
Backs: Justin Boyd (Dallas), James Gillenwater (Belmont Shore), Valenese Malifa (Belmont Shore), Jone Naqica (Denver Barbarians), Dallen Stanford (Belmont Shore), Roland Suniula (Pearl City), Shalom Suniula (Brisbane), Chris Wyles (captain, Saracens)
It nice to read a USA 7's report without 37 quotes from Al Caravelli. The man will offer a quote on what he thought about the players breakfast!
Posted by: Go Eagles | 05 February 2009 at 09:32
Wait until Al corners you one on one. You'll wish your phone would ring.
Remember when McKittricks 7's team beat England in Wellington? If the Eagles can get on a roll in NZ the fans will jump behind the team in a big way.
Good luck boys.
Posted by: Yank | 05 February 2009 at 11:00
Go Eagles,
great commentary. I cannot speak for Caravelli, but unfortunately our sport is chalk full of tools who will talk your ear off at any event they can corner you at. "You'll wish your phone would ring." Classic!
I used to wonder why Coach Billups wandered around all USA Rugby events with a scowl on his face, but I know why now, it was his "tool repelant."
Posted by: USA Rugby Tool Shed | 05 February 2009 at 11:30
"Go Eagles" well there isn't a coach who is completely polished in all the areas of being a head coach, including Caravelli. Some of the quotes are nothing more than throw away comments.
Billups scowl was likely more to do with trying to search high and low around the country for players who could help on the field.
Compare that to Thorburn and Johnson's approach; i.e. make excuses about not having a Pro League and blaming the players for not being fit enough, and I will take having a head coach with a scowl any day.
Posted by: Jason H. | 05 February 2009 at 12:06
Melville should hire the ex Canuck coach, if anyone would know how to beat the Canadians it would be him. He doesn't walk around with a scowl and he makes no excuses about the product on the pitch.
Posted by: Ed | 05 February 2009 at 14:08
Ed, no secret to beating the Canucks, but you have to have a qualified coach, who has a plan and knows how to coach American athletes and build a team around the stars and bars.
Posted by: Jason H. | 05 February 2009 at 14:58
North America is North America, not much difference aside from the dollar and a few buckets of snow. He was qualified enough in having the Canucks put 50 plus on us prior to the last World Cup. Maybe we could use him to return the favor.
Posted by: Ed | 05 February 2009 at 16:21
North America is North America and not much difference except for the dollar and a few buckets of snow. The Canadian coach was qualified enough to to guide the team to two 50 plus victories over us prior t the last World Cup. Maybe if Melville hires him, he can help return the favor.
Posted by: Ed | 05 February 2009 at 16:27
seems to me that caravelli is doing a pretty damn good job.
he has found himself of a set of horses that can run w/ the top contenders.
and he has good systems in place so they can succeed.
and he has a set of experienced, knowledgeable assistants who he can trust.
sounds like a winning formula to me.
Posted by: fidel | 05 February 2009 at 17:41
and...a win over Fiji. now that's legit.
Posted by: fidel | 05 February 2009 at 17:47
USA beats Fiji 15-10 in Wellington. Put that formula in place with the 15's.
Posted by: Ed | 05 February 2009 at 17:53
Billups beat Fiji in XV's almost again in the RWC, formula is right, have a plan work towards it, no excuses, hard work, etc. Awesome for the boys, al and all!
Posted by: formula is right | 05 February 2009 at 18:32
great for the guys to beat Fiji, makes us proud. Congratulations. Al has it wired in it seems. XVs will take awhile but the quality of coaching and play is much better than when I started a long time ago. I doubt that there is a silver bullet for what ails us.
Posted by: Eric Keys | 05 February 2009 at 19:45
anybody have a good live stream link for wellington 7s? all of my reliable links have been shutdown..
Posted by: SD Hitman | 05 February 2009 at 22:45
There was another big upset on the first day in Wellington with the USA beating Fiji 15-10.
The Americans stayed close to Fiji then pounced after the Pacific Islanders were reduced to six men after a yellow card for a high tackle in the second half.
Posted by: lv_rugger | 06 February 2009 at 00:30
The first major upset of the day came when the USA kicked off Pool D action by causing a monumental 15-10 upset over a flat Fiji side.
The Fijians, having dispensed with the coaching services of sevens legend Waisale Serevi in the leadup to the tournament, came out and played their opening match as though they were still dealing with that turmoil.
It was certainly not the most auspicious of starts for new coach, and former Auckland and Blues star Iliesa Tanivula.
The Fijians were their own worst enemies, too, as they handed a decisive numerical advantage to the Americans late in the second half when Seremaia Burotu was yellow-carded for a swinging arm in the tackle.
Burotu returned in time for the final play of the game, but it wasn't enough to stop US speedster Justin Boyd scooting away to score from a scrum in backpedal mode, but which crucially managed to clear the ball.
Posted by: lv_rugger | 06 February 2009 at 00:37
I saw Al play for LA Rugby for years and he was a crap 15s scrumhalf. Afraid of contact and would throw shit ball to his 10 all day. He was second fiddle to an Eagle 9 named Johnny something. The guy was crap.
Posted by: LARC | 06 February 2009 at 03:17
LARC,
As you know, less than 1/4 of pro coaches have played pro sports. Success has more to do with communication and organization than once being able to tackle the f' out a sum po' chump.
Even dummies know this. Only American, where non athletes turned rugby administrators fail to understand this.
I agree that he was not an impressive specimen, but the fact that a wee small man competed for that many years, and dedicated another string of years to coaching shows his tenacity, resolve and ingenuity.
Good on him and his band of undersized athletes.
Posted by: dummy detector | 06 February 2009 at 06:56
Just cause he was a crap player doesn't mean that he is a crap coach. Put your ear plugs on and let him ramble.
Posted by: Dave | 06 February 2009 at 07:08
I played dozens of times against Al when he was at LARC. He didn't have great support around him but his teams were always competitive (and feisty).
He is doing all the right things with the 7s program. Results don't lie. Even when two of his best players (Clever and Z) aren't available, the systems and personnel depth he created &/or implements are such that the next in line can slot right in with equal or better results.
What is also refreshing to see is that he expands the scope of his talent search to find diamonds in the rough. Even if prospects (i.e. the Olympic trialist & NCAA footballers) don't make the 12 that go to an IRB tournament, they bring back the work ethic and knowledge of what it takes to make the team. This can only help when they go back to their home clubs and nurture themselves and those around them with what they got from 7s camp.
Posted by: SD Hitman | 06 February 2009 at 07:46
Anyone who saw Al Caravelli play 15's at 9 for Old Blue in the Spring of 1999 during the Super League season would laugh at you naysayers about his being a crap 15's player.
Hell... Ask the Denver Barbarians... Al was the Old Blue scrumhalf who led Old Blue to their 5th Final 4 in 1999 with a reconstituted team in a HUGE win over the previously undefeated Barbos (who went on to an RSL Championship) in the D1 playoff structure.
And he did that all year.
So I don't buy into this "he was a crap 15's player".
Posted by: Jack McGonagle | 06 February 2009 at 07:58
You're most likely both right about the sevens coach as a player but who cares.
He has done a decent job as a coach. He has looked better because USAR is so lame at every turn. Even modest improvement is seen as fantastic improvement.
All that is need is some organization and effort. This is what the sevens coach has provided. The talk of him coaching the XV team is a laugh, he's too lightweight for that assignment.
Let just be happy that Melville and Johnson have left at least on NT program standing. Best of luck to the sevens boys in SD.
Posted by: who cares | 06 February 2009 at 11:47
regardless of his playing ability, as a coach he has earned whatever success comes his way.
was an understudy to emil who like him or not has a great mind for 7s, not a bad mentor nor assistant for that matter. worked hard for nyac 7s and had moderate success. got his shot at the eagles and is making the most of it. i think he paid his dues and deserves full credit.
in the end, 7s is about having a stable of horses. if a coach can do that, his (any) system will be effective.
i dont think the us quite yet has the firepower to win consistenly at the cup level but it seems they are getting closer.
Posted by: fidel | 06 February 2009 at 21:16
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Posted by: wrsjuovn xpcid | 10 March 2009 at 02:16