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Columns | 02.28.12
Since the USA 7s team has started poorly in the Sevens World Series, I’ve
been hearing the F-word a lot more lately.
F, as in fired. More specifically, should Head Coach Al Caravelli be fired
for the poor results; the 1-10 streak, the 7-19 record for the entire
series season, the frustrating errors.
When the USA was on the
doorstep... Read More
Columns | 02.28.12
Since the USA 7s team has started poorly in the Sevens World Series, I’ve
been hearing the F-word a lot more lately.
F, as in fired. More specifically, should Head Coach Al Caravelli be fired
for the poor results; the 1-10 streak, the 7-19 record for the entire
series season, the frustrating errors.
When the USA was on the
doorstep... Read More
Columns | 02.25.12
What a nice, relaxing morning watching Wales play England. An
exciting game, if one that should have had several more tries in
it; and in the end, not a relaxing morning, because the rugby I’m
watching is driving me crazy. Some thoughts:
Boring games are the fault of
scrumhalf play. Scrumhalves take... Read More
Columns | 02.17.12
Well congratulations to USA Rugby and its Board of Directors for making a
great pick for the USA Men’s 15s team coaching job.
Mike
Tolkin is not the only candidate who I think would do a good job, but he is
one of them, and one of the best. (Big surprise, right? He was RUGBY
Magazine's 2010 Coach of the Year.)
I have spent a lot of time discussing the Eagle coaching position... Read More
Columns | 02.08.12
USA Sevens is the Super Bowl of American rugby. There’s no other weekend
like it, not in Aspen, Saranac, Ft. Lauderdale, Wayne, Neb. or Savanna.
Americans, foreign visitors and ex-pats alike invade Sin City and put rugby
on the first line of its marquees.
Whether you’re going to see the IRB 7s World Series, reconnect with old
friends or take in the country‘s largest tournament, the... Read More
Columns | 02.08.12
It’s around this time that I have often run a column urging fans to go to
the USA 7s. I did this in 2004 and 2005, when it was a USA Rugby-run event,
and in 2006 when it was run by USA 7s LLC and I didn’t work for them.
And
I’ve done it since. This time, though, I think things are a little
different.
I am going to spend a little time dwelling on an expected big crowd, rather... Read More
Columns | 02.02.12
Does
anyone really doubt that if University of California Head Coach
Jack Clark wants to make something happen – I mean really wants to
make something happen – it won’t happen?
Say what you want about the hugely
successful and often polarizing coach, he’s tenacious. So I have
watched with... Read More
Columns | 02.02.12
Scoring rate. The USA scored a try every 89 seconds, 13th
out of 21 teams. (1st was Fiji, 48 seconds)
Defense rate. The USA conceded a try every 66 seconds,
13th out of 21 teams (1st was New Zealand, 130
seconds)
Conversion success: 63%, 9th out of 15 (six other teams
played too little to be counted. Their rate overall was 60.5%). Nine teams
recorded rates of 58% to 67%. The best... Read More
Columns | 02.02.12
Scoring rate. The USA scored a try every 89 seconds, 13th
out of 21 teams. (1st was Fiji, 48 seconds)
Defense rate. The USA conceded a try every 66 seconds,
13th out of 21 teams (1st was New Zealand, 130
seconds)
Conversion success: 63%, 9th out of 15 (six other teams
played too little to be counted. Their rate overall was 60.5%). Nine teams
recorded rates of 58% to 67%. The best... Read More
Columns | 01.27.12
It’s time I break my silence on the removal of Todd Bell from his seat as
USA Rugby’s collegiate director. And make no mistake about it, no matter
what the USA rugby press release said, Bell did not leave on his own
volition.
Was the Todd Bell era a success?
In some areas, yes. He moved forward with the restructure plan. He did a
pretty good job of it, too. DI, now DI-AA, is as... Read More