CAPE TOWN, RSA. - After finishing eighth in Dubai, the USA Men’s Sevens will gear up for the second tournament of the season in Cape Town from December 13-15, on NBC Sports Gold.
LAST TOURNAMENT | EIGHTH IN DUBAI
The Eagles Sevens had their work cut out for them in Dubai, with young talent covering injuries to Folau Niua and Brett Thompson, as well as rest periods for Ben Pinkelman and Martin Iosefo after Rugby World Cup. Finishing eighth was far less than the side were capable of.
Going 2-2 overall, the Eagles Sevens defeated new core-team Ireland 24-19 and Scotland 31-21 before falling to Australia 12-24 for second place in Pool D.
The Scotland match was undoubtedly shaky at times, shown best when the Scottish scored from an intercepted offload in the final minute and threatened an epic comeback. Though the U.S. answered back with a try on the final play, the last few minutes were a sneaky foreshadowing of troubles to come when Australia emerged more physical and accurate through every phase to top the pool.
After a night’s rest, the United States met New Zealand in the Quarterfinals where the All Blacks Sevens completely dominated the game. The USA had its moments, knowing what to do but lacking finesse in execution, as errors gifted points to the opposition for a 5-26 loss.
The USA currently sit eighth in the standings with a big opportunity to move up this weekend in Cape Town.
THE SQUAD
Head Coach Mike Friday has made no changes to the tournament roster for Cape Town.
Danny Barrett will compete in his 50th HSBC tournament over the weekend, reaching the milestone after an incredible run which includes 86 tries scored in 252 individual matches. His physicality, dedication and athletic prowess are undoubtedly revered across all teams on the circuit.
Barrett has been instrumental in a string of monumental performances including the squad’s first ever gold medal in London 2015, first on home soil in Vegas 2018, as well as qualification to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 just last season. Barret is also a 2016 Olympian and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens athlete. He is, quite rightly, one of the continuing legends of the game.
With no changes to the lineup, the full squad has had the past week to build on cohesion and address issues from the Dubai tournament. The full roster owns 350 HSBC tournament caps.
| PLAYER NAME | POSITION | HSBC TOURNAMENTS |
| 1. Carlin Isles | Wing | 52 |
| 2. Ben Broselle | Wing/Prop | 4 |
| 3. Danny Barrett | Prop | 49 |
| 4. Matai Leuta | Prop | 37 |
| 5. Joe Schroeder | Prop | 10 |
| 6. Kevon Williams | Halfback/Wing | 22 |
| 7. Naima Fua’laau | Halfback | 3 |
| 8. Maka Unufe | Center | 39 |
| 9. Stephen Tomasin | Hooker | 32 |
| 10. Madison Hughes (Captain) | Halfback | 48 |
| 11. Perry Baker | Wing | 42 |
| 12. Maceo Brown | Center | 11 |
| 13. Harley Wheeler | Hooker | 0 |
STAFF
Head Coach | Mike Friday
Assistant Coach | Anthony Roques
Strength & Conditioning | John Hood
Athletic Trainer | Brian Green
Team Manager | Scott Novack
THE COMPETITION
Drawn in a difficult pool, the USA men will face Fiji, Japan and South Africa for a chance to compete in the knockout stages.
Fiji are up first on Day One and had an equally disappointing tournament in Dubai. The Eagles Sevens’ rivals finished ninth after missing out on the quarterfinals by one point. As both the United States and Fiji will be desperate not to lose on the first day, the opening matchup will certainly spark fireworks.
Invitational team Japan will be next, buzzing from the excitement of a successful Rugby World Cup and hoping to carry the energy into sevens. The Japanese are 16th in the standings,
Day Two will finish out with home team South Africa who will comfortably be carrying the vibrance of a home crowd through the pool stages. As the country still relishes its Rugby World Cup win in XVs, and with the Blitzboks winning Dubai to claim the No. 1 world ranking, the U.S. must ruthless in its execution.
Pool A crosses with Pool D (Australia, Ireland, Kenya, Samoa) in the knockout rounds.
CAPE TOWN SCHEDULE
vs Fiji | Friday, Dec 13 - 12:35 PM ET
vs Japan | Saturday, Dec 14 - 6:29 AM ET
vs South Africa | Saturday, Dec 14 - 1:03 PM ET
• Cup Quarterfinals begin Sunday, Dec 15 at 4:18 AM ET
• Consolation rounds begin Sunday, Dec 15 at 8:48 AM ET
Teams who lose in the quarterfinals will have no further matches to contest. For these teams, a points delineation is determined based on points differential.
WHERE TO WATCH
The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 is broadcast LIVE and on-demand on NBC Sports Gold’s Rugby Pass. Live updates are also posted across USA Rugby’s twitter channels with match recaps published within 90 minutes of full time. For more information about NBC Sports Gold’s rugby pass, click here.
HEAR IT FROM HEAD COACH MIKE FRIDAY
“We are obviously disappointed with losing that quarterfinal against New Zealand in Dubai. On reflection, we lost the small moments in that game through some growing pains and learning experiences for some of the less experienced boys.
“While that’s hard to take now, it will stand us in good stead moving forward as the rest of the squad comes back into contention and we grow our competitive depth.
“We were ultimately not in control of where we really finished once we lost the quarterfinal and as a result have ended up in an insanely tough pool in Cape Town. This is another huge challenge but also an opportunity for the players to experience those moments where games of sevens are won and lost.
“One guy we know who will certainly up for the challenge not only mentally but physically will be Danny Barrett. He is a warrior on the pitch who plays with ferocity and intent every time he puts the shirt on. USA are so fortunate to have a player of Danny’s caliber on the team.
“He is hugely proud representing his country and we are hugely proud of him to not only have achieved this 50 tournament cap but the continuing way he represents for his country and teammates. This Dawg well and truly has earned his place in the pack and no doubt when he takes the field that competitive edge and juice will be at boiling point.”
TO SUM IT UP
While results in Dubai were less than desirable to start the season, the United States has every opportunity to impact the standings this weekend in Cape Town. Pool A will pose an even more difficult challenge, however, which means the mix of young talent and experience will need to be cohesive and unforgiving against each team. As the season landscape begins to take shape, and every team fights against its own challenges from the opening tournament, much remains to be seen in Cape Town.
How Rugby Works | Support the Eagles | Follow us -Twitter • Facebook •Instagram
