Detailed video evaluation assists in USA Eagle Player Selection

(Boulder, Colorado) 31 January 2005 -- Forty players have been named to the 2005 National Team Player Pool, the first step in the four-month process of squad selection for the spring assemblies.

Detailed video evaluation of November’s internationals and December’s National All-Star Championship served as the starting point for naming the 2005 Eagle player pool. Candidates may be added – or fall out of contention – on the basis of springtime performance in domestic competitions, the World 7s Series, and fitness evaluations.

Each pool player will immediately begin working on positionally prescribed strength and conditioning regimes, under the direction of strength and conditioning coach Andre Blom. Progress will be monitored through self-administered tests and player-coach reviews.

“Pool players have a taken a positive step forward on squad selection but are by no means approaching the finish line. Our 2005 objectives call for the team to significantly improve in all aspects of play, and to achieve those goals our players need to perform consistently well over time,” USA head coach Tom Billups said in announcing the National Team Player Pool.

As part of ongoing evaluations, the National Team will evaluate each and every match videotape sent to the coach’s office, Billups said. Super League team Washington has been a standout in this regard, he noted.

“I encourage every American rugby team to film its matches, for the team’s benefit as well as ours. Intensive video work is an integral part of the National Team’s work, and our international opponents are astonished that even most Super League teams don’t appear to be doing this as part of helping their players to improve,” Billups noted.