[RWCQ] Uruguay vs. United States. 1st Leg, 22/03/14

[norcalbuff]

how many players in a full strength USA Eagles team are fully professional ? Anyone ?

Most. If you were a normal human being and not Mike Tolkin, our 9 would be Robbie Shaw and pro too. Of those today:

1 Kilifi - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
2 Thiel - Life - USA D1 (amateur)
3 Fry - London Scottish - Championship
4 Smith - Saracens - Premiership
5 Manoa - Northampton - Premiership
6 Clever - NTT Shining Arcs - Top League
7 Lavalla - Stade Francais - Top 14
8 Dolan - Northampton- Premiership
9 Petri - NYAC - USA D1 (amateur)
10 L'Estrange - London Welsh - Championship
11 Scully - Leicester - Premiership
12 A Suniula - Wasps - Premiership
13 Niua - Glasgow - Pro 12
14 Maupin - USA 7s (Pro)
15 Wyles - Saracens -Premiership

16 Coolican - ???
17 Wallace - James Bay AA - BC Premier League (amateur)
18 Lamositele - Saracens - Premiership
19 Stanfill - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
20 Sumsion - BYU - college rugby (amateur)
21 S Suniula - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
22 Kelly - Cal - college rugby (amateur)
23 Hume - Narbonne - Pro D2

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

Also wanna know how many professionals are in the Uruguay team. Anyone wanna start up a thread that details the number of professionals in each tier 2/3 team?

Second game today that ended 27-all. Toulouse vs. Stade Francais being the other.

I'll do one up tomorrow during the day, maybe you will find it interesting

 

[dragos03]

There is such a list already written here:
http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/forum2007/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4491

The list only includes players from the top Western leagues though. There are also full time pro leagues in Japan, Romania and Russia and they also include players from other Tier 2 nations, but they have not been included in the above list. I don't know enough about the Japanese and Russian leagues, but here is a list of foreign Tier 2/3 players at Romanian clubs:

Fiji
Malakai Ravulo (23 caps)
Sean Morell (1 cap)
Eseria Vueti (Fiji A)
Lasarusa Tabu (Fiji U23)
Lemeki Nabalei

Georgia
Bizdina Samkharadze (60 caps)

Macedonia
Sam Zlatevski

Moldova (all of them are internationals but I don't know their number of caps)
Victor Leon
Andrei Mahu
Igor Orghianu
Mihai Golubenco
Ruslan Dorogan
Roman Rotundu
Andrei Cebotari
Ion Cavcaliuc

Namibia
Eugene Jantjies (38 caps)
McGrath Van Wyk (9 caps)
Renaud Van Neel (3 caps)

Samoa
Philip Tuigamala (Samoa 7s)
Wiliam Tooala

Tonga
Sione Vaiomounga (13 caps)
Sione Fakaosilea (Tonga 7s)
Viliami Moala (Tonga 7s)
Sione Halalilo (Tonga U20)
Sione Taupaki
Paula Kinikinilau
Samisoni Taufa
Fonovai Tangimana

Tunisia
Belfekih Wejdi (Tunisia U20)

 

[Big Ewis]

Most. If you were a normal human being and not Mike Tolkin, our 9 would be Robbie Shaw and pro too. Of those today:

1 Kilifi - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
2 Thiel - Life - USA D1 (amateur)
3 Fry - London Scottish - Championship
4 Smith - Saracens - Premiership
5 Manoa - Northampton - Premiership
6 Clever - NTT Shining Arcs - Top League
7 Lavalla - Stade Francais - Top 14
8 Dolan - Northampton- Premiership
9 Petri - NYAC - USA D1 (amateur)
10 L'Estrange - London Welsh - Championship
11 Scully - Leicester - Premiership
12 A Suniula - Wasps - Premiership
13 Niua - Glasgow - Pro 12
14 Maupin - USA 7s (Pro)
15 Wyles - Saracens -Premiership

16 Coolican - ???
17 Wallace - James Bay AA - BC Premier League (amateur)
18 Lamositele - Saracens - Premiership
19 Stanfill - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
20 Sumsion - BYU - college rugby (amateur)
21 S Suniula - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
22 Kelly - Cal - college rugby (amateur)
23 Hume - Narbonne - Pro D2

thanks a lot. I remember while watching the 2011 RWC, the commentator during AUS USA said smt like "many/a lot of those players are just semi-pros". It should be noted he didn't actually say out loud "many slash a lot of those players", just to clarify. *cough*, scuze me.

There aren't many Americans in the Top 14, which I mainly watch. Why do you think they like the Prem better, language barrier ?

 

[Jaguares]

Most. If you were a normal human being and not Mike Tolkin, our 9 would be Robbie Shaw and pro too. Of those today:

1 Kilifi - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
2 Thiel - Life - USA D1 (amateur)
3 Fry - London Scottish - Championship
4 Smith - Saracens - Premiership
5 Manoa - Northampton - Premiership
6 Clever - NTT Shining Arcs - Top League
7 Lavalla - Stade Francais - Top 14
8 Dolan - Northampton- Premiership
9 Petri - NYAC - USA D1 (amateur)
10 L'Estrange - London Welsh - Championship
11 Scully - Leicester - Premiership
12 A Suniula - Wasps - Premiership
13 Niua - Glasgow - Pro 12
14 Maupin - USA 7s (Pro)
15 Wyles - Saracens -Premiership

16 Coolican - ???
17 Wallace - James Bay AA - BC Premier League (amateur)
18 Lamositele - Saracens - Premiership
19 Stanfill - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
20 Sumsion - BYU - college rugby (amateur)
21 S Suniula - OPSB - USA D1 (amateur)
22 Kelly - Cal - college rugby (amateur)
23 Hume - Narbonne - Pro D2

Yeah, but certainly Americans amateur players have better physical condition that Uruguayans. You have more resources, better infrastructure and more money.

Just seeing the websites of each team, you realize that your team has more resources than the other:

http://usarugby.org/

Cheers

 

[LittleGuy]

I'm pleased by how decent the Uruguay website is considering their rank in the IRB, some other better sides have websites that are ten times worse. Tonga's is the most egregious, theirs essentially hasen't been updated since the 2011 RWC.

 

[Jaguares]

I'm pleased by how decent the Uruguay website is considering their rank in the IRB, some other better sides have websites that are ten times worse. Tonga's is the most egregious, theirs essentially hasen't been updated since the 2011 RWC.

Yeah, perhaps I chose the wrong example. I know the reality of South American rugby better than anyone here in the forum. I've played against Uruguayan teams, I have visited the country many times. Uruguay is considered a derogatory manner by some Argentines like a small region of Argentina. Then if I say Uruguay has less resources compared to Canada or USA, believe me it's so. Last year the players went on strike because there was no money to pay the fitness trainer.

Another example? Uruguay is dressed by a small company from Argentina (MC3), you must search in google, it's a small brand. MC3 isn't known outside of Argentina and Uruguay, a football supporter in Argentina don't know that company. While USA is dressed by Canterbury, one of the most famous companies in our sport around the world.

Cheers

 

[norcalbuff]

The US players end up in England over France for a couple reasons. Obviously the language plays a part, but probably not that big of a part as there are many Kiwis and Aussies playing Top 14. The big thing is more likely to be Nigel Melville's connections in English rugby. Also, Samu Manoa's success has probably opened some doors in English rugby with other clubs wanting to find the next Samu.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Sarries, Quins and grenoble I think are going to look at Nfl rejects this summer apparently there was an article somewhere.

 

[Jaguares]

Sarries, Quins and grenoble I think are going to look at Nfl rejects this summer apparently there was an article somewhere.

Really? Link?

 

[Big Ewis]

I'm pleased by how decent the Uruguay website is considering their rank in the IRB, some other better sides have websites that are ten times worse. Tonga's is the most egregious, theirs essentially hasen't been updated since the 2011 RWC.

hey, wow, hey...easy there. All that beer ain't going to drink itself...give em time man, next RWC isn't until another year AND some...

P.S.: why on Earth, if you don't mind me asking, would you specifically visit Tonga's Rugby website ?

 

[Jaguares]

hey, wow, hey...easy there. All that beer ain't going to drink itself...give em time man, next RWC isn't until another year AND some...

P.S.: why on Earth, if you don't mind me asking, would you specifically visit Tonga's Rugby website ?

Hey bud, don't laugh of Tonga, they defeated France in the last WC

 

[Big Ewis]

Hey bud, don't laugh of Tonga, they defeated France in the last WC

aw God, didn't even see it coming.....:wall:

 

[LittleGuy]

hey, wow, hey...easy there. All that beer ain't going to drink itself...give em time man, next RWC isn't until another year AND some...

P.S.: why on Earth, if you don't mind me asking, would you specifically visit Tonga's Rugby website ?

Trying to find line ups for last year's game vs. Canada.

 

[Big Ewis]

Trying to find line ups for last year's game vs. Canada.

well I always use ESPNscrum, their year by year result section is great:
http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/team/match_results_year.html?id=1;type=class

http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/176583.html

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Really? Link?

Found it


"Saracens and Harlequins will join a number of Europe's top clubs who will run the rule over a trial taking place in America next month which will consist of American football players who are keen to give rugby a try.

The trial will take place at the Minnesota Vikings' home on April 5 and 6 with over 180 athletes set to attend, according to the Telegraph. Saracens' Hayden Smith recently left rugby temporarily to give NFL a go and ex-Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan, who is helping to oversee the two-day trial, has tipped a number of players to make the grade.

"Some of these guys are extraordinary athletes who have either just missed out on the NFL draft by a whisker or have played in the NFL and have been cut but want to continue as professional athletes," O'Sullivan told the newspaper.

"The majority of them are not rugby players but having played at such a high level of American football, they are very easy to coach and will adapt very quickly. The players will be put through physical testing and then rugby skills and then the clubs can decide whether or not they want to sign any of them.

"Saracens are already sending a scout over and Harlequins are also very interested as are French side Grenoble. We expect others to come too."

Read more at http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2013-14/rugby/story/219325.html#UB0YPqs1JIPDd5Cp.99

 

[Peat]

Better article on it here

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...-NFL-rejects-looking-for-a-second-chance.html

 

[Jaguares]

Found it


"Saracens and Harlequins will join a number of Europe's top clubs who will run the rule over a trial taking place in America next month which will consist of American football players who are keen to give rugby a try.

The trial will take place at the Minnesota Vikings' home on April 5 and 6 with over 180 athletes set to attend, according to the Telegraph. Saracens' Hayden Smith recently left rugby temporarily to give NFL a go and ex-Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan, who is helping to oversee the two-day trial, has tipped a number of players to make the grade.

"Some of these guys are extraordinary athletes who have either just missed out on the NFL draft by a whisker or have played in the NFL and have been cut but want to continue as professional athletes," O'Sullivan told the newspaper.

"The majority of them are not rugby players but having played at such a high level of American football, they are very easy to coach and will adapt very quickly. The players will be put through physical testing and then rugby skills and then the clubs can decide whether or not they want to sign any of them.

"Saracens are already sending a scout over and Harlequins are also very interested as are French side Grenoble. We expect others to come too."

Read more at http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2013-14/rugby/story/219325.html#UB0YPqs1JIPDd5Cp.99

Thanks bud! Interesting...