Mellsblue wrote:Interesting. I wonder how they’ll go.
I read something somewhere of a small programme, ie one coach with some spare time, at a US college that took basketball players who wouldn’t make it to the pros and tried to turn them into locks or backrow for the college rugby team. Iirc, there was some success. Obvs, no where near pro level.
It’ll be far more difficult to achieve with positions such as 9 or 10 but if they can get people playing rugby at a young age only to stop at college but then come back when the NFL doesn’t come calling....
If you think that Christian Wade is, at best, considered an average athlete at the running back position (his 40 yard dash at the combine was slow for the position) then imagine the type of athletes that could play rugby. George North would just be an average/below average ‘specimen’ in the NFL but he and his ilk are a bit of an outlier in rugby.
It’d pretty much be like Fiji, and it’s freak athletes, but with money in a country obsessed with producing elite athletes.
Different types of athletes and training required though. American football requires huge amounts of power and burst in 10-20 second spurts. It doesn't require the same level of cardio to hit the deck, get up and go again repeatedly, plus handle the ball and make good decisions . If you tried to take football players and immediately make them rugby players then they'd struggle after 20 minutes and by the time their conditioning had adapted then they'd no longer be able to play top level football.
Players tend to know by 20 maybe 21 if they’re going to make it or not. I doubt it would take that long in a pro strength and conditioning environment for them to retrain, especially if they played in high school. A lot of players at college are dual athletes so they might still be able to play rugby. Given some (most in D1) of the college programmes are better funded than even European rugby academies, you could argue their conditioning wouldn’t be that much of an issue and might be better than their age grade contemporaries in the US.
All guesswork, mind.
Can only assume that having watched the Argies in the Toronto team tear them a new one the RUNY coaches went shopping in Buenos Aires.
And they're just about to get a cuffing from LA's 37 and 38 year olds, so Leguizamon's on brand for that too. Not sure how much of a force he'll be on the pitch nowadays, although I think the experience and knowledge will be invaluable.
Mellsblue wrote:Swirling wind and overcast, too. No creature comforts of home.
The last couple of weeks of spring have had the drizzling damp not quite cold but not warm feel of an English summer.
My bro finally got back to NY approx a month ago hoping for the clear blue skies he so missed whilst marooned in NW England. He has been mostly disappointed so far.
RUNY are back in New York at the St John’s Uni Belson Stadium in Queens. Looks like it’s a soccer stadium.
It’s also a in decent, and sporting, location. Flushing Meadows and NY Mets stadium in the vicinity so, you’d assume the locale will be used to catering for the tens of thousands of fans going to the match.
Not sure about transport infrastructure other than there’s a major freeway that runs near it.
Mellsblue wrote:RUNY are back in New York at the St John’s Uni Belson Stadium in Queens. Looks like it’s a soccer stadium.
It’s also a in decent, and sporting, location. Flushing Meadows and NY Mets stadium in the vicinity so, you’d assume the locale will be used to catering for the tens of thousands of fans going to the match.
Not sure about transport infrastructure other than there’s a major freeway that runs near it.
Is that a permanent shift or just for one week? Looks a bit small for what RUNY should be aiming for, but it's a hell of a lot better than that baseball stadium, or the field in New Jersey they've been playing in this year.
Mellsblue wrote:RUNY are back in New York at the St John’s Uni Belson Stadium in Queens. Looks like it’s a soccer stadium.
It’s also a in decent, and sporting, location. Flushing Meadows and NY Mets stadium in the vicinity so, you’d assume the locale will be used to catering for the tens of thousands of fans going to the match.
Not sure about transport infrastructure other than there’s a major freeway that runs near it.
Is that a permanent shift or just for one week? Looks a bit small for what RUNY should be aiming for, but it's a hell of a lot better than that baseball stadium, or the field in New Jersey they've been playing in this year.
Puja
No idea. I just received an email offering me a $10 ticket to celebrate the return to NY.
Houston have gone big and hired Heynecke Meyer as their new head coach. Excellent get for them, not just for his coaching ability but also for his contacts and ability to draw in new signings.
Houston have been one of the sleeping giants of the MLR - great stadium, supportive owners, a good potential crowd there given they did get 6k to their opening exhibition matches way back when, but they've not looked close to producing on the pitch. Interested to see how Meyer changes that.
Final between LA and Atlanta at the Coliseum. Over 9k tickets sold, which would be a record crowd, although there's not that number in the stadium yet. Yankee crowds are weird though - they often turn up partway through a game.
ATL 3-0 up now after LA have wasted some good possession several times with knock-ons. ATL playing unambitious rugby, but so far getting better results than LA going more expansive and making mistakes.
And, with that, LA score two tries in two minutes. First is a half-break from Giteau and then feeding Ryberg on the inside to beat two defenders and go under the posts. Then they gather the restart, get a penalty advantage and Giteau chips over the top for AAC, who feeds Ryberg to go in at the corner.
Game changed - excellent news for the flagship match on CBS, as Atlanta will now have to chase rather than grind out LA.
15-10 at half-time. LA still trying stuff, but a penalty for basically being overenthusiastic on a kick chase gives ATL a 5m lineout and they rumble a maul over.
LA are making some weird kicking decisions. Lots of little chips over the top where ATL blatantly have cover. Giteau's been guilty at least twice.
LA dominated the second half. Early try gave them a 15 point lead and then they just kept kicking penalties to get to 31-10. Late try for ATL made it look closer, but there was only one team in the game second half.
I hope he's got a load of great benefits and is getting a good top up to his pension. I begrudge no-one a fun tour in a minor league less than Pennell - fucked around with by England for a 30 second cap and then chose to give up any chance of more caps by staying loyal to Wuss when they got relegated. Great character.
