As is the usual disclaimer we've probably missed one or two of your favorite players. That's fine. The point of this post was to have bit of fun, do something unique, and then encourage you to come up with your own lists. So take a look at ours and then share your list in the comments.
Round 1
Boston- Will Holder (Army): With Anthony Purpura up front Boston has plenty of size. But what they need is a playmaker and they can get one in the form of Will Holder. He already has an Eagles cap to his name and is widely discussed as a fly-half of the future. He's got a great boot and could help Boston right away.
Glendale- Nick Wallace (St. Mary's): The Raptors need some power up front in their prop corp to supplement Zach Fenoglio and they would get a great player in Wallace. He would instantly help them against bigger teams in the West.
Take the jump to read more.
Denver Barbarians- Seamus Kelly (Cal): If this were a real draft and Seamus Kelly fell to third the Barbarians would be absolutely thrilled. No player emerged more in the recent Eagles matches than Kelly. He has what it takes to be an international center and would be a great addition to the Barbarians.
Seattle-OPSB- Cam Dolan (Life): Seattle-OPSB need some more size up front but they likely couldn't pass up on Dolan. The industrious back-row players would fit in very nicely in Seattle and would give them another weapon to get past SFGG.
Life- Zach Mizell (Arkansas State): Yes, it seems hard to fathom that Life would take on an Arkansas State player but having seen Mizell up close the last few years the boys at Life would have to know that quality that he brings. Life are solid all around but it's hard to argue they couldn't find a place of Mizell.
NYAC- Colton Cariaga (Life): Wing was a weak spot of NYAC this last season and they would do well to bolster their backs with Cariaga. Over the last year or two Cariaga has emerged as one of the best backs in the country and is rumored to be heading to Ireland.
SFGG- Ryan Roundy (BYU): The champions don't need a lot of help but they will likely lose Tevita Kolomatangi back to New Zealand. That could open up a spot for a talented player like Roundy. He has plenty of experience and would have no trouble catching up to SFGG's speed of play.
Round 2
Boston- John Cullen (Utah): Having gone with Holder in the first round Boston can turn to taking the best lock available in John Cullen. He's still a bit raw but has plenty of upside, something Boston could use.
Glendale- Ray Forrester (BYU): Sure the Raptors took Wallace in the hypothetical first round but you can never have enough props and Forrester combining with Wallace would instantly give the Raptors a top rate prop duo.
Denver Barbarians- Pat Sullivan (Arkansas State): Maximo De Achaval is getting any younger and bringing in Sullivan to learn from De Achaval before turning over the playmaking reigns full time would work out well for everyone involved.
Seattle-OPSB- Dean Gericke (Arkansas State): Seattle-OPSB have plenty of power in the backs but they would gain even more depth with the addition of Gericke.
Life- Joe Cowley (Life): Taking their own undergrad may be a bit of a cheat but the Life men's team could use a player like Cowley. They would also be delighted to have Cowley slip this far to them.
NYAC- Danny Barrett (Cal): NYAC have a great backline as it is but they could always use the qualify of a player like Barrett.
SFGG- Brendan Daly (Cal): SFGG are very familiar with Daly and would be delighted to have the Bay Area native step into their forward pack.
*So anyone who reads closely realizes a made a mistake and forgot to include Old Blue. Had I not made that embarrassing error it would have sifted around a few things. Old Blue would have drafted behind Boston, Glendale, and Denver. As such, I would have had them select Dolan and in the second round I would have had them take Cowley. The two players I would have added to this draft are Tanner Mohr from Cal and Patrick Blair from Central Washington.
Holder still has four years of active duty to fulfill, so he would have to be pulled out of the draft. We can only hope he will be in OTC/CV next year with some of the other DoD WCAP attendees. Holder drafted by Eagles 7s even though that steps out of the Elite Cup boundaries.
ReplyDeleteI'd say Boston would fill the flyhalf positional needs with the likes of Conor Mills, a mobile 5/8s with quick, often over-looked, decision-making skills. Additionally, Conor is quick to get into support after line-breaks so he is in position to be put away from the offload.
Cam Dolan stays at Life for Elite Cup work. Who really thinks he'll do anything else other than stay at Life or go to OTC/CV?!?
Mizzell to Seattle-OPSB as an OC where he can distribute and support (his strengths). Sure, OPSB already has plenty of weapons in the backline, but a couple of those are converted loose forwards. Mizzell would fit nicely into Fitzgerald's plans and become a larger force training for 7s with the King.
John Cullen can pick and choose where he wants to go, right now. Given his style of play and the types of athletes he is accustomed to playing with, I'd say he'd fit in best at Gate. Cullen's the type that wants to earn his position. Gate is the type of club that would require that attitude of him and increase his pace of play.
You realize this is a draft..where the teams pick the players..not the players picking the team.
DeleteI'd assume that position (teams picking players) if the Elite Cup or rugby in the USA was structured even near to that of the NFL/NBA. However, I think rugby players have learned long ago that the NFL/NBA-type draft would never work in rugby. If we have a draft, it'll be different, more along the lines of players negotiating with the teams that want them, not the teams dictating who goes where.
DeleteAlso, unless collegiate rugby breaks down the athletic department doors and gets out of the sports club prison, collegiate rugby in the US will very soon be similar to uni rugby in any other rugby-centric nation - good, but not up to par to make the pros.
An age-grade system is rising in the US. Once a pro rugby competition is in place in the US/N.Am, we can expect an influx of non-US rugby coaches to that competition. They will bring with them the tried-and-true age-grade system that professional rugby competitions in SANZAR/6N are using and experiencing success with on a yearly basis. Just check out the club affiliations from the JWC rosters for proof!
It's a fun hypothetical thing, as stated in the article, not picking where the players will actually go after college. You seem to be the only one who doesn't understand this.
DeleteSJ, I understand the concept perfectly. I just don't think it is realistic. Thus, I countered with my own hypothetical fun. Thank you for reading, tho!
DeleteNo love for Old Blue?
ReplyDeleteThat's what it was! You know when you stare at something and you know it has something wrong with it but you can't figure out what it is, well, that was the case for me and this post. Sorry to Old Blue fans. It's been updated.
Delete