RWC Two Years Away, Are The Eagles Ready?

 

With the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup is officially only two years away we thought it might be beneficial to take a look at the state of the Eagles now and at this point four years ago.

Qualification

For all the ups and downs the Eagles have had over the last several years they find themselves in the exact same position they were four years ago in terms of qualifying for the World Cup. Four years ago the U.S. lost to Canada in a two-legged qualifying series and this year they did the same. Canada won the 2011 series 47-30 on aggregate on this year's series 40-20 on aggregate.

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Like four years ago the Eagles will move into a two-legged series with Uruguay. The U.S. had no trouble in that series winning 54-28 on aggregate. It's widely expected that the U.S. will face a similar advantage this go around when the two teams meet next April. The U.S. will qualify for the World Cup.


Form

This biggest difference from four years ago is the Eagles current form. As everyone knows the team had an 0-7 summer and didn't look good in the process. In between the 2007 and 2011 World Cup the Eagles played a total of 21 matches, winning four and losing 17. Most of the Eagles matches during this time came during the Churchill Cup as well as the occasional match against Ireland and Wales. The U.S. also had several November tours but during 2009 they didn't even travel.

The sample size since the 2011 World Cup is obviously smaller. They U.S. has played 13 matches during that time winning three and losing ten. However, those numbers are comparable to the the two years following the 2007 World Cup where the Eagles only won twice and lost nine times. With three fixtures coming up in the fall, the Uruguay series, and then the Pacific Nations Cup the U.S. will certainly exceed the 2007-11 cycle in terms of matches played.

There is no question that an 0-7 summer has sent alarm bells throughout the team with promised changes coming, but to the Eagles credit they have played more difficult opponents. The Nations Cup is certainly a step up from the Churchill Cup. Playing Japan, Tonga, Fiji, Ireland, and Canada has taught the Eagles a lot more about themselves than taking on Russia and Georgia every summer. Now they can have difficult opponents at home in the summer while still facing teams like Russia in the November window.

Players

There has been a lot of turnover since the last World Cup with roughly only a dozen players from that squad featuring for the Eagles this summer. Naturally injuries and other absences affected the team this summer and more of the players from 2011 could find themselves on the roster in 2015. Some of the more notable absences from the 2011 roster include Hayden Smith, Mike MacDonald, and Kevin Swiryn. However, the core of the team has essentially remained the same. Players like Todd Clever, Chris Wyles, Taku Ngwenya, and Chris Biller have all stayed. The team has also added players like Samu Manoa and Luke Hume.

From a professional perspective about half of the 2011 team played overseas in a professional or near-professional environment. That number has stayed about this same but the number of players playing in top leagues like the Top 14 and the Premiership have increased.

Positionally some of the key questions on the Eagles have remained unsolved. Fly-half is still a position that is open for the taking, as are spots in the props. Some positions, like lock, have seemingly taken a step backward, while others, back-row, have improved.

Infrastructure

The Eagles are now playing more matches, including more developmental matches. That's a positive. Four years ago the ARC was still developing and the Eagles only played two matches. Now they play more in a more systematic tournament. The Pacific Nations Cup is an improvement. Crowds are also up with bumper crowds in Houston putting money back into the team.

From a club perspective things have gone backward. The old Super League had its imperfections but it delivered more high-quality games than the top domestic players have gotten over the last few years. That could change with the Pacific Rugby Premiership and an expanded Elite Cup.

Outlook

As we've hit on several times an 0-7 summer is troubling. However, in comparison from four years ago the Eagle don't seem to have changed much. That in itself is worrying. The team needs to be headed in a positive direction, not treading water. There is a lot of positive momentum surrounding rugby in America right now. The Eagles need to find a way to tap into that and improve their play on the field, or they could be at risk for being stuck in the doldrums permanently.