What a difference a year makes. In 2002 Uruguay stunned the United States to claim the second Americas RWC berth.
Eight months later, the Eagles stormed past repechage foe Spain before beating Pool B rival Japan and upending Canada on home turf.
Where there was doubt, now there is momentum.
“It certainly helps having beaten one of our pool opponents, but it’s more than that,” said former test wing Gary Hein.
“They put up four wins in a row, which we’ve never done before. Maybe the biggest difference is their confidence.”
Focus
In making sense of the turnabout, the first thing to know is that the national team program is significantly more nimble and focused than the union it represents.
While progress at America’s club and representative levels has been painstaking, a handful of Eagle staffers have made the most of limited time and resources since Duncan Hall was released in 2001.
Coach makes impact
Much of the credit is due head coach Tom Billups, who formally took the reigns in early 2002.
The former Eagle was part of the 1995 squad that missed qualification for South Africa, and a member of the 1999 team. With both years seemingly fresh in mind, Billups responded to last August’s South American setback by working feverishly in preparation for April’s Repechage matches.
“I told the boys that we were going to find a way to Australia,” Billups said directly after the Uruguay loss.
Nowhere has his approach been more evident than in the second half of April’s Fort Lauderdale test against Spain. With qualification all but assured, in steamy weather and with the captain on the bench, the Eagles ran in four tries in the final 25 minutes.
Vital win
It was one of the more purposeful Eagle performances of the past decade. More than a lopsided win, it recalled comeback victories against Fiji in 1999, a trio over Canada (2000, 1999, and 1995), and perhaps even near misses against Ireland and Argentina in 1996 and Australia in 1993.
Hard core
At the core of the 2003 squad is a group of forwards who are probably the USA’s most distinguished generation of internationals to date. In Dave Hodges, Dan Lyle, and Luke Gross, America boasts 26 years and 139 caps worth of experience. Four and certainly eight years ago, such leadership would have been unthinkable.
Fast tracking
All of them are the product of Jack Clark’s surprisingly controversial vision of ‘fast tracking’ blue chip athletes into the American game.
All have gone on to successful pro careers in Britain. Most important, none have ever failed to answer America’s call, and in doing so, they have been invaluable role models to a new generation of Eagles hopefuls.
“These guys have been nothing less than the gold standard for USA Rugby,” said Hein, who played at the 1987 and 1991 World Cups.
“The key has been their consistency … and the young guys that are there now have to look at these guys as the standard for how to succeed in international rugby.”
Shared captaincy
Unusually, Hodges and Lyle have shared the captaincy this season. Hodges began the year in his fourth season as skipper, but wound up missing half of the 2003 campaign due to a pectoral injury sustained during June’s Churchill Cup.
In his stead, back row partner Lyle resumed the helm, having captained the side prior to a 2000 injury that brought Hodges to the fore.
For the Eagles to reprise their early season form in Australia, this duo must play well. Another man who is key to US fortunes is Mike Hercus.
Although he’s been on scene just two seasons, the diminutive fly half has scored two tries and 120 points in just 10 tests, good for fifth place on the all-time Eagle scoring list.
Ill discipline
Discipline has, though, been a source of problems. In the team’s last 12 tests to July, the Eagles had racked up nine yellow cards. Further, a lopsided penalty count nearly derailed the Japanese match before Hodges’ men could get started.
Should the basics fail pool opponents Fiji, France, Japan, and Scotland could embarrass the US, as did Scotland last summer in San Francisco. By contrast, the longer this team hangs in a match, the more dangerous it becomes in the final quarter.
High hopes
Defining American success in Australia lately seems to depend more on when the question is asked, rather than who is asked.
A year ago, many critics said qualification itself was unlikely. These days, much of the domestic community has set the bar at two wins.
Many who saw the USA’s 36 point loss to Australia in the 1999 RWC thought it was an admirable showing simply because the Eagles scrapped all the way to the finish.
If their recent success is any guage, the 2003 Eagles are unlikely to disappoint their loyal supporters.