Dual challenge lies in Uruguay final

Tomorrow's Uruguay game presents the dual challenge of qualifying for the World Cup and satisfying expectations for a persuasive home win against a lower-ranked opponent.

Neither objective comes along that often, and taking them together creates an obvious tension between prudence and performance. While the quadrennial World Cup takes precedence, there is no denying that Uruguay is to the USA what the US is to the European and Southern hemisphere powers.

The Ft. Lauderdale contest thus becomes a comprehensive final exam for the 2009 season, which has seen the Eagles regain their footing after three very poor campaigns. Failure means another RWC qualifying round; passing brings two full years to get ready for New Zealand; and honors offers rare stability and even confidence heading into 2010.

The Todd Clever-led XV is unchanged from last week's Montevideo outfit, something that never happened in the amateur era and remains unusual. Though it lifted America's IRB ranking back to 17th, the 27-22 win did not sit well in camp because the Teros rallied with 16 points in the final quarter.

With the 15s Eagles in Ft. Lauderdale and many recent 7s stalwarts out of the mix -- including Chris Wyles, Takudzwa Ngwenya, James Gillenwater, Dallen Stanford, Paul Emerick, Rikus Pretorius, and Clever -- the 21-man assembly that began Wednesday in San Diego shapes as a symbolic milestone for Al Caravelli.

Following a season that saw the US go as high as 8th before finishing 11th in the Sevens World Series standings, the abbreviated code gained admission to Olympic Games, raising the stakes for the fifth-year head coach. In America, 7-a-side could well become the higher-profile version of rugby, and it will certainly continue as the leading commercial property.

Caravelli's habitual preference for youth and athleticism thereby advances from an avant-garde approach to developing American internationals to bare necessity in keeping up with the Commonwealth nations, for whom Olympic glory is the pinnacle of sporting achievement. Last year's cast is not an option even for the 2011 Pan American Games, let alone the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Six players including club 7s MVP Peter Sio and capped 15s flyhalf Ata Malifa advanced from September's development assembly, and are joined 3 outright newcomers and 11 Caravelli-era veterans in chasing the dozen roster spots for the season-opening tournaments in Dubai and South Africa.

Four players (Corey Blair, Malense Malifa, Volney Rouse, and recent captain Kevin Swiryn) will be joining after the Ft. Lauderdale assembly. The union's profiles for many of the other contenders are either out of date or don't exist.

Elsewhere, 6-2 Navy travels to West Point, New York, tomorrow to meet 6-0-1 Army. The Black Knights have already captured the Northeast territory title.

United States v Uruguay
United States: Chris Wyles (Saracens); Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz), Paul Emerick (Parma), Junior Sifa (Midleton), Kevin Swiryn (Old Puget Sound Beach); Mike Hercus (Gold Coast Stingrays), Tim Usasz (Nottingham); Mate Moeakiola (Pearl City), Phil Thiel (Life), Will Johnson (Oxford Univ.), John van der Giessen (Albigeois), Hayden Smith (Saracens), Louis Stanfill (New York AC), Todd Clever (captain, Golden Lions), Nic Johnson (Denver Barbarians)

Reserves: Brian McClenahan (Olympic Club), Jacob Sprague (Mystic River), Alec Parker (Gentlemen of Aspen), JJ Gagiano (Roma); Mike Petri (New York AC), Valenese Malifa (Belmont Shore), Andrew Suniula (Pearl City), Alipate Tuilevuka (Provo Steelers)

United States 7s Squad
Forwards: Cory Blair (Belmont Shore), Mark Bokhoven (Denver Barbarians), Matt Hawkins (Belmont Shore), Aotealoa Holani Nahaou Unaloto (Mission), Trevor Richards (Univ. of Nebraska), Volney Rouse (San Francisco Golden Gate), Kevin Wiggins (Wilmington)

Backs: Nick Edwards (New York AC), Dimitri Efthimou (Mystic River), Tai Enosa (Tempe), Ata Malifa (Belmont Shore), Valenese Malifa (Belmont Shore), Jone Naqica (San Francisco Golden Gate), Leonard Peters (Gentlemen of Aspen), Mile Pulu (San Francisco Golden Gate), Peter Sio (Belmont Shore), Tyler Spitz (Belmont Shore), Shalom Suniula (Pearl City), Kevin Swiryn (OPSB), Clint Whittler (Belmont Shore)

Comments

[Alex Robinson]

It is absolutely disgraceful that the US national rugby team is playing on home soil, but we are unable to watch it on television. This is a match we are likely to win, and therefore a great opportunity to showcase a winning USA Eagles team to the American public is wasted. What a shame...

[Old Boy]

Van der Giessen plays for Albi? He isn't indicated anywhere on the SC Albigeois website...

[Yesiamahooker]

It seems Albi recently signed van der Giessen and Mate Moeakiola: http://www.rugbymag.com/news/international/n-americans-overseas/van-der-giessen-rides-into-town.aspx

[recreation test rugby]

What a shit venue for a test match. Stands on one side, where they look to be 30-40m away from the touch line. No spectators in the stands with a few standing along this fence at ground level. It looks like several hundred all in.

Is this the best we can do? A public recreational park?

It is beyond logic how far we have tumbled down. Five-ten years ago we didn't think USA Rugby was great, but in comparison to this administration and their high priced employees USA Rugby in the old days was great.

Just when I think this administration has hit a low, they surprise us with a new low.

[im watching as well]

Is the Board/Congress meeting in the same area, meaning they are in attendance?

This would be a good time for them to look at one another and say, how you doing, how are we doing?

[im watching as well]

161 people viewed the test by way of electronic streaming, add a couple hundred at the venue and its clear we have all "fallen in love" with the Roberts Eagles...not

America gets thousands to a high school football game and we're trying to convince these foreigners that high school and college is the way forward???

[Beagles]

Eagles are a joke. I watched the game as long as I could before I came to my senses. Totally sloppy match with the Eagles struggling to put away what is basically an all-start team made up of 6 clubs.

Carrasco Polo
Trebol Rugby Club
Champagnat
Old Christians
Los Cuervos
Old Boys Club

This is like a saying that you make an rep side team from the So Cal territory D1 and go play an international. Eagles were woefully unable to put them away. And they were only against 14 for nearly a half!

[another new organization]

The end of USAR as the real governing body of US rugby is at hand.

Small signs everywhere, that the out-of-touch administration just can't see.

One of the newer groups to spring up is American Youth Rugby Union, a local, soon to be regional, administrative body for boys and girls ages 7-12.

Nothing to do with USAR. Smart, caring people (real executive from a pharmaceuticals company) together with parents behind this one. Dues go up, services to the teams go up, USAR gets cut out.

USAR isn't important to the growth or management of the game anymore. The game is breaking up into parts. No one knows or cares anything about Boulder, Melville, Roberts, their Board or Congress. It has only taken three years, but USAR and the TUs and the LAUs don't matter anymore.

Congratulations to all our high priced employees and this "big-time" Board of Directors. It will be forever your legacy that the break-up of the United States of America Rugby Football Union aka USAR began on your watch.

[The Future]

This type of thing is happening all over the US at the youth and high school level. The state-based-orgs are at the core of the movement and I completely agree that not only has USAR become invisible, the LAU's and TU's are likewise worthless.

Now the pending spin-off of college rugby would end the notion that USAR is THE ngb for US rugby.

Some will say this is good because USAR's job was too big and now they can focus on the Eagles and club rugby. Well here's the problem in this path. First, the USAR income from dues and sponsorship will decrease by more than half (there goes their $275k CEO and $250k Eagles coach). Next the USOC and IRB will certainly have questions about who do they really deal with in US rugby. Can whomever is left standing in Boulder still represent that they speak for US rugby? I think not.

So here it is, Melville-Roberts burn USAR to the ground leaving only several (many) independent rugby organizations in USAR's place.

Then along come some Americans with a plan and they tie all these organizations back together as the New USAR.

I have seen the future.

[Go Eagles]

I to cant stand this administration but can we take a moment to congratulate our players for advancing to the RWC. The players don't like this administration anymore than we do and we shouldn't forget this.

[Old Boy]

Thanks YesIamahooker. And Mate Moeakiola too!

[TJH]

27-6 is a very respectable final score. Despite the 16 point fightback in the first match, we dominated Uruguay in both matches as we should. As pointed out in the article, a rare moment of stability and achievement for the Eagles when measured against the poor results of recent years. Congrats to the players and let's hope we can put something together over the next two years so that we can make a respectable showing in NZ.

[Flynn Hagerty]

It's hard not to have a chuckle at USAR's awesome Test venues when Doug Arnot and pals whined that Balboa Park wasn't glamorous enough for them...

...fools.

[SD Hitman]

http://www.irb.com/results/index.html

look at venues for recent fixture results. Stade de France, Murrayfield, Millenium Stadium, Prince Chichibu Stadium, Twickenham, Broward Cty Regional Park.....

Everybody sing with me!!! "Can you tell which thing is not like the other? Can you tell which thing just doesn't belong?..."

You can't write comedy funnier than this. I wonder how much the take was at the gate? Was the snack bar ran by an Eagle parent who didn't want to pay the $50 opt out fee?

[Eagles win - you whine!]

Hey guys - the Eagles qualified for the WC - stop pissing and moaning for half a second and congratulate the team ... then go back to your whining.

[Pete Murray]

SD Hitman,

What do you suggest would be a more appropriate location for a match? We already know that we can't expect more then 7500-10000 at the gate for a high profile opponent and for an opponent like Los Teros, can we expect more 200? I agree that a cricket pitch in Florida may not be the best location for a test match but maybe cost was a big factor in selection of location and availability of venues.

[Flynn Hagerty]

"We already know that we can't expect more then 7500-10000 at the gate for a high profile opponent and for an opponent like Los Teros, can we expect more 200? I agree that a cricket pitch in Florida may not be the best location for a test match but maybe cost was a big factor in selection of location and availability of venues."

The USA got about 2500 for the 2003 World Cup qualifier versus Uruguay, and that was on a Thursday afternoon. Of course that was back in the day when USAR knew its ass from its elbow.

There is no reason to expect a big crowd for Uruguay, yes. But at least hold the game in a venue that encourages rugby development. The 2007 RWC qualifier versus Uruguay was only attended by 1000 or so and admission was free. But at least it was giving recognition to Stanford by letting their venue hold a Test.

Hold it at Dartmouth, Glendale, Pittsburgh Harlequins, wherever that has built a rugby facility in the last five years, not at a freaking cricket ground.

[Go Eagles]

The venue made it easier on Uruguay from a travel perspective. Didn't convert one new fan. Didn't help pay or even offset the cost of the Eagles. The venue helped to sell a rec softball image to any local press to found their way to the match.

One word, unprofessional. This word could be used for most of the USAR administration.

[not my team]

The overall interest in the Eagles has never been worse. How will the Eagles be the revenue engine when even the US rugby membership doesn't care about them. The Eagles are the play toy of some rich foreign guys running USAR, why should we care?

My club, my team, my area, my state, my teammates, my friends, my opponents...this is what I care about.

Why are we paying millions in dues to these crooks?

[None of you could do better]

Take it from someone who was actually AT the stadium... It was a fantastic experience.

Probably 2500 people there, Beautiful facility that had a good set up for the fans, and we won the game. There was an issue with getting in the gate, but once inside, it was alright.

I can't stand the handful of people who so freaking negative about USAR. Get a life, and enjoy our win.

[Concerned Rugby Fan]

Agree with "None of you could do better"

Flynn Hagerty suggested
"Hold it at Dartmouth, Glendale, Pittsburgh Harlequins"

Have you ever been to these locations in late November. Typically unpredictable weather and likely to be cold and wet with the possiblity of snow in Glendale.

By the way Australia use to play their rugby internationals in stadiums designed to hold cricket matches.

All we need now is for Eddie O'Sullivan to figure a way to beat Ireland in our opening match of the 2011 World Cuo

[USAR Tightwads]

I am sure USA Rugby is trying to kill two birds with one stone. Expect all the college teams at Broward Cty Regional Park this spring, alla the Balloon Park. Because there will be one field in the cricket stadium, they will say it is an improvement. The other field will be just like the balloon park. It is too much work for them to have universities host the matches at multiple locations. It is all about getting the college championships done as cheaply as possible. Like USA Rugby doesn't already have a great deal with the college kids paying all the costs.

[NOYCDB is a Congress member]

None of you could do better,

Has been a anon supporter of this administration for awhile. Now we learn he was in Florida for the test...and Congress Board meeting.

NOYCDB, you aren't supporting any old administration you are supporting yourself anon, how clever.

If you think this random city park was a "fantastic experience" you should resign whatever secrete position you hold. That venue was a disgrace and defending it as you are, is the best indication how just how screwed up this administration is.

[Go Eagles 2011]

Had this match been played at a 1/5 full MLS soccer stadium then people here would be carping that USAR spent too much on a facility that was to big to host the match.

I never got the impression that this match was anything but a means to an end - get the Eagles in the WC without expending more than necessary. The pitch looked to be of decent quality so hte players were performing on a decent surface.

I've been around long enough that I have seen the Eagles play in some pretty poor quality venues - HS quality football fields with lousy grass and worse facilities. THAT was second rate.

Yes, it would have been nice to see the game in a better facility and certainly would have been good to see on TV but in the middle of the professional and collegiate football season getting airtime no doubt would have been a problem and getting a top notch facility also would have been challenging. Getting people to fill such venues would have been yet another hurdle.

At the end of the day the Eagles are in the WC and for that the team deserves a lot of credit.

The naysayers are already writing off the Eagles for 2011 but that is ridiculous. The team has two years to prepare and already looks much better than when EOS took over so maybe, just maybe the team can surprise Italy and certainly have shot against Europe 1 (perhaps Romania or Georgia).

What will be a real shame is if the WC winds up with no decent broadcast here in the US. The IRB needs to help get the US matches as well as the semi's and final on an outlet that is available to the masses - even if that means covering the costs of airing these matches. The US audience needs to be built and thta may mean giving away the rights to the matches here in the US at low or no cost. Consider it an investment in the future of the game.

It is truly amazing ow incredibly negative a portion of the US rugby community is.

[TV Timeout]

Go Eagles - No broadcaster will broadcast anything because it is free. The reality is that ESPN Classic can show a football or basketball game from 20 years ago and get better ratings than an Eagles WC match. Ditto for fishing shows, poker, darts, etc. These shows cost next to nothing for the broadcaster, so free is no incentive. Plus those shows fit the commercial format with breaks every 10 to 15 minutes. Rugby has one halftime break thus requiring it to be an event so you get max value out of the pre and post game show and the halftime. No Viewers + Wrong Format = NO BUENO

[Go Eagles 2011]

Soccer matches are typically shown sans commercial these days. Not something new. There were a number of rugby matches including Eagle matches this year on TV. So it can be done and if you are old enough to remember - and i hate to date myself - the first rwc final was live on espn without commercials. It can be done.

I should clarify what I meant, though .... I believe it would be in hte interest of the IRB to cover the broadcast costs as an investment in hte US market long term. That would be money well spent for the long term. So when I say free I mean free to the US market - costs covered by the IRB.

[TV]

You don't know anything about broadcasting. Stick to reliving the Heidi interruption of a NFL game Grandpa.

[Flynn Hagerty]

"Have you ever been to these locations in late November. Typically unpredictable weather and likely to be cold and wet with the possiblity of snow in Glendale.

By the way Australia use to play their rugby internationals in stadiums designed to hold cricket matches."

Cold and wet..wow, good thing we missed out on that. Rugby has never been played in cold, wet weather and thank god USAR prevented that from happening.

also, since the Wallabies and All Blacks hold matches in cricket grounds, we should do so too. Dynamite thinking there, Kevin.

[Pete Murray]

Flynn,

I'll give you a break that you might have had a quick reaction when you came up with "Hold it at Dartmouth, Glendale, Pittsburgh Harlequins, wherever that has built a rugby facility in the last five years, not at a freaking cricket ground." But let's be serious, if the match was held at Pittsburgh or Dartmouth, you would be complaining it was played at a facility without stands and it looked like the game was being played at a public park. I am sure there are other small staduims across the country that would be viable. There is a 5000 seat soccer facility in suburban maryland that would have been perfect for this event. I am sure there are more rugby players and fans in the DC metro then almost all of FLA. Even better this past weekend there were no major sporting events going on in the area (U of Maryland played at FSU, Navy was off, Redskins at Dallas and no major hoop games) USAR could have teamed with MARFU and the Ambassadors Cup could have been the curtain raiser...oh well hindsight..

[Chris Hopps]

I was there too. I'm not in congress. I'm with an SBRO.

Professional staff, permanent facilities, access to the locker room tunnels if you wanted to see the players up close.

Not bad. The only thing missing from this that would make it seem bigger? People...

I saw 25 U-19 girls actually become fans. They got to see test rugby and fall in love with Clever. Half of those girls are lifetime fans not and ALL of them will tell a positive story to there non-rugby friends.

USAR does alot wrong but this was not one of them.

BTW youth rugby at half time featured kids from 5-13 with t shirts that said "Only the Strong" with sperm that had rugby balls for the head. Miami Rugby was on the front.

On the other side of the coin from USAR's ivory tower is the dark side of rugby. Shoot the boot clubs living in the past. Sperm on a 5 year old girls shirt? You have got to be kidding me. Whoever designed it and ok'd it should be removed from there position.

If I were USAR I would feel humiliated having that in pictures or on video.

[Rugby's Worst]

I saw fan photos from the game posted on Facebook. It looked like a Walmart emptied out at the stadium. Tons of fat white people including guys wearing t-shirts with the sleeves cut off that had dumb rugby slogans like Support Your Local Hooker, and Ruck You. Looked like the most down market rugby crowd you could assemble, but then again it was in Florida and that is what can be expected. The only thing that could have made the crowd worse would be if it was the Maggotfest crowd.

[that's not my name]

I am missing something.

Why is it important to get the exposure on TV?

In the end, when we talk about growth/development of the game, we have to answer one question only, "can my kid get a scholarship if they play rugby?"

Until we can answer that with a yes, and with a minimum 200 scholarships nationwide; all the tv exposure in the world will not move the game forward in the US.

We are the reason the game is not growing.

It comes back on the players - start scholarships at your colleges. It's possible to start a funded scholarship for $25,000. That's not too much considering that a lot of college teams have been around before 1984. Get a $1000 per class.

It comes back on the Unions - start Union based scholarships.

Unions could charge a fee every other year of $500 per team to subsidize a scholarship. Unions - do not let teams tell you dues are too high - have them go to all of the soccer, lacrosse and hockey leagues and see what the fees are.

This and this alone will increase
the number of athletes playing rugby.

[Jack Sparrow]

Thats not my name.

You should post your name, you talk alot of sense.

[CIPP Scam]

If the CIPP dollars from college rugby players went towards the cost for collegiate teams to go to the national championships, the costs associated with that travel expense now picked up by these top teams could be put into scholarships. The best teams with rugby scholarships would be a start.

[usar is ripping off college rugby]

There is two thoughts on funding the participants expenses to the national championship.

First, some college members think this would be wrong. As most teams have never been and will never qualify for the Nationals and they don't want their dues money spent this way, which is understandable.

But, how about USAR selling title sponsorship to the national championships and allowing the participating teams to pay all the cost? This isn't right. In fact, its criminal.

Dues money shouldn't be spent paying the expenses of the qualifying teams, but sponsorships should.

[SD Hitman]

15s Test Match at end of Saturday games at USA 7s = big crowd + heaps o' exposure + commercial revenue

probably a logistical nightmare for Dan and Ray but worth considering.

[Beagles]

SD Hitman -

Do you really think the IRB wants USA Rugby to tie a tier 2 or really tier 3 international to their premier 7s product - the IRB Sevens World Series - and step all over its intrinsic value? Especially after rugby 7s was just reinstated into the Olympics? What are you on? The folks at USA Rugby may be inept, but some of these posts are just daft. I think this guy thinks it could be organized over a couple beers at the Beachcomber.

[SD Hitman]

I don't know this place The Beachcomber you speak of.....

;)