Isles a experiment a washout

[rusty_lock]

Hate to say I told you so. You still actually need to know how to play rugby to be a professional rugby player. I love 7's but it is not the same as 15's and personnaly I think USA rugby is better off without him in the their 7's sqaud but that is just my opinion. He scored some nice trys but was a weak tackler and did some crazy siht that put them under pressure and cost them more points than he ever scored.

http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/news/14/07/03/isles-returns-usa-focus-7

It was a pretty good publicity stunt for the Warriors though

 

[LittleGuy]

Can't disagree with any of that Rusty, he didn't seem to grow as a player reallly either, besides his speed, his skills didn't improve much at all in his time with the Eagles 7's. In XV's it was a lost cause from the start.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

the only thing that isles was involved in this year for glasgow is the melrose 7's and did play some rugby at Ayr RFC too.

 

[psychic duck]

Can't disagree with any of that Rusty, he didn't seem to grow as a player reallly either, besides his speed, his skills didn't improve much at all in his time with the Eagles 7's. In XV's it was a lost cause from the start.

Well to be fair, he hasn't had an awful lot of time though, and to be honest I haven't seen him play XV's as he never got on for Glasgow. So a bit harsh to judge, maybe he could have become an okay player, probably not a great, but he had only had a few months and even SBW wasn't that special in his first few months at Toulon IIRC before really showing how good he is.

Having said that though, he would never make the Eagles side. Their wingers barely get the ball with their crash ball tactics and are expected to be merely solid extra full back types rather than playmakers, hence why Maupin keeps getting caps despite having nothing particularly great about him. Even Ngwenya who was a proven finisher at European level was wasted with the Eagles, that was probably why he fell out with the coach as well.

 

[rusty_lock]

The big difference between Isles and SBW is that SBW came from league and was immersed in the culture of rugby, in all it's different codes, from birth. Isles had never heard of the game until just recently and I doubt knows all the rules even yet.

That's not to say he can't be one but you can never short circuit the training process. This idea that you can take an elite athlete in one sport and in short order make him an elite athlete in another, completely foreign, one all so the governing body can ignore grass roots development and still win is fool's gold. He needs to go home and find himself a good local club and play on their 2nd 15 until actually learns the game of rugby. From there, with his natural athletic ability, who knows? He could be the next Zee Ngwenya. At the very least, I'm certain, he will be a better 7's player.

USA Rugby needs to focus on grass roots development and to structure a pathway to their national team that is logical and provides reasonable steps up the competitive ladder.

 

[welshglory]

That being said he.probably learnt more in his short stint with Glasgow surrounded by professional players and coaches than he would have in 2 years of amateur 2nd xv rugby...

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

it was a shame i thought he would make a good 15's player as glasgow did need that someone with pase which i thought would have come from Isles ;(

 

[TRF_Olyy]

it was a shame i thought he would make a good 15's player(

Why? He showed zero rugby skill in sevens.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Why? He showed zero rugby skill in sevens.

well in time i think he'd be good with like running through the gaps etc.

 

[rusty_lock]

That being said he.probably learnt more in his short stint with Glasgow surrounded by professional players and coaches than he would have in 2 years of amateur 2nd xv rugby...

I'm not so sure about that. While practicing with professionals would be a useful exercise, the absense of game time would be the reason I think the exercise was futile. Nothing replacing real game experience. He is missing the fundementals that most players brng to the table and his lack of understanding of the game limits his vision and decision making ability thus minimizing the utility of practicing with professionals.

 

[rusty_lock]

well in time i think he'd be good with like running through the gaps etc.

You have to be able to see that the gap is there in 15's. Rarely do you have 30 metres of wide open space like you do in 7's

 

[welshglory]

He had game time with Glasgow's affiliated clubs did he not?
The point is all the things he would have learned would have been the correct way.
Instead of just playing regularly with some crap players in an amateur league for the 2nd xv who will most likely have bad habits he would be learning how to do the right thing from the go.

At least he gave it a go for christ's sake, why are people on this forum so cynical...

Also i heard he was possibly going to be signed by London Scottish but because he hasn't been capped by the XV's side he doesn't qualify for a visa.

About your point about development in the US aren't USA rugby are doing exactly what you say? There's nothing wrong with trying to bring in outstanding athletes, especially when your country is massive and has so many of them that don't make it pro. In fact it would be down right stupid of them not to give them a chance.

To really boost rugby in the US though there needs to be big events. Like the 7's inclusion for example which has been incredible for growth.
The real issue is a lack of funding, and also opportunities for pro rugby be it domestically or even overseas due to visa issues and foreign player restrictions.
Hopefully rugby can gain even more exposure in the next few years from the AB test and Olympics and that will help to trickle down to grassroots.

 

[rusty_lock]

Sorry I don't mean to be cynical. If that is how I have come across I apologize. I think it was a publicity stunt by Glasgow and he was not served well by the experience. A few club games he was ill-equipped to play is hardly the development he needs to become a rugby player, as his abandonment of it is testament. Now instead of becoming a rugby player he will focus on being the one trick pony that USA rugby has created and his utility as a real rugby player will continue to go realized.

Also, No I don't think that USA rugby is doing exactly that. They have no clear amateur pathway to the National team. And as you well noted in Isles case, no national cap = no visa in the UK to play at a higher level. So how do you bridge that gap between "crap players in an amateur league" ​and national selection. In the US there is no such thing. They have their "Super League" but it is just a rec. league with a little more of a budget for travel.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

He had game time with Glasgow's affiliated clubs did he not?
The point is all the things he would have learned would have been the correct way.
Instead of just playing regularly with some crap players in an amateur league for the 2nd xv who will most likely have bad habits he would be learning how to do the right thing from the go.

At least he gave it a go for christ's sake, why are people on this forum so cynical...

Also i heard he was possibly going to be signed by London Scottish but because he hasn't been capped by the XV's side he doesn't qualify for a visa.

About your point about development in the US aren't USA rugby are doing exactly what you say? There's nothing wrong with trying to bring in outstanding athletes, especially when your country is massive and has so many of them that don't make it pro. In fact it would be down right stupid of them not to give them a chance.

To really boost rugby in the US though there needs to be big events. Like the 7's inclusion for example which has been incredible for growth.
The real issue is a lack of funding, and also opportunities for pro rugby be it domestically or even overseas due to visa issues and foreign player restrictions.
Hopefully rugby can gain even more exposure in the next few years from the AB test and Olympics and that will help to trickle down to grassroots.

yes he played for Ayr RFC XV once he did well but he messed up the try