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Ten players who were in the USA 15s domestic camp turned immediately around to train for 7s for the Eagles.
It’s a tough switch, and many of the players got some rest time Sunday and
Monday as they recovered from seven grueling sessions under 15s Head Coach
Eddie O’Sullivan.
“We had a very physical 15s camp, and Coach Caravelli knows what the
situation is,” said Paul Emerick, who has bounced between the two forms of
the game frequently in recent years. “It’s a little bit changing how you
think, and a little bit adjusting to there being more space.”
Emerick concurred with Caravelli’s assessment that this was his most
competitive camp ever.
“Just look at the guys selected you know this camp’s going to be tough,” he
said. “We just have to approach 7s, now, with the right mind-set. It’s more
about keeping the ball live and testing defenses wide before you have the
license to take a gap. For me, one-on-one I’ll back myself, perhaps drawn
an extra guy in – that’s a tool I can use. You have to know when to take it
up and when to shift the ball, and lately I feel I’ve been striking a good
balance.”