The USA Sevens team has been named for this weekend’s IRB Sevens World Series in Wellington, New Zealand. The final stop before the all important Las Vegas Sevens, Wellington could prove to be a major point in the team’s season.
With two very disappointing showings in the first two tournaments in the IRB Series the team looks to bounce back from their 2-8 record on the season. The USA Sevens team has yet to win a game in pool play this season, but have held tight in a handful of games against the elite teams on the circuit.
Head Coach Al Caravelli has a bolstered squad with Team Captain Kevin Swiryn back in action. He has also added Paul Emerick and gotten Mark Bokhoven and Zach Test back from injuries. The team has also benefitted from an unprecedented buildup as they spent eleven days playing and training in Fiji
“It was a bit different having our training camp in Fiji, but it was excellent preparation for the next leg of the series in Wellington and our home tournament in Las Vegas,” U.S. Sevens Coach Al Caravelli said.
“We all believe this was an excellent foundation for not only this leg, but for the rest of the series. With the level of competition we experienced in the Suva Sevens Tournament and the scrimmages with Fiji this past weekend, we were able to indentify our strengths and short comings and all the athletes are stronger for it. ”
With the pressure on, Caravelli went to work on trimming down his squad and in the end experience won out. Dmitri Efthimiou, Trevor Richards, and NFL convert Bennie Brazell were cut from the squad for Wellington. There are high hopes for all three players and they will all remain in the mix for the long and hard IRB Sevens Series. All three are expected to see action in the USA Sevens squad this season, especially after the Las Vegas Sevens. In recent years, the USA squad has hit their peak on home soil and then for various reasons (injuries, unavailability, etc.) spent the remainder of the series blooding new players.
“I was very impressed with the 15-man squad we brought,” Caravelli said. “They all showed a level of professionalism and maturity that we need to be successful. Hopefully the athletes and staff will be able to juggle their schedules so we can stay consistent and continue to improve.”
The U.S. Team that was selected for Wellington will be led by captain Kevin Swiryn. This will be Swiryn’s seventh IRB tournament and there is no doubt he is looking to get back to form, scoring 23 tries last season to lead the USA.
Vice Captain Matt Hawkins also comes back from injury, marking the 12th international tournament of his career and remains the most experienced player on the squad. Also on the squad and returning to the lineup from Dubai and George are Nick Edwards (current leading USA try scorer), Ata Malifa, Mile Pulu, Shalom Suniula and Leonard Peters.
Zach Test and Nese Malifa return from George (neither played in Dubai) and Mark Bokhoven who was injured in the first game in Dubai against England and looks to make his first tournament back a memorable one.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Mark back in the line up,” Caravelli added. “For obvious reasons, he especially wants to start against England.”
Marco Barnard and Paul Emerick round out the squad as they both make their first sevens appearances of the season.
“Over the next four days we will do everything possible for the players’ recovery and make sure they get their legs back for the upcoming tournament,” Caravelli finished.
The task won’t be easy either. The USA faces off against England, Kenya, and Tonga in pool play. The USA lost to both England (40-12) and Kenya (31-26) in Dubai and has yet to face Tonga this season. The USA has traditionally played tight against Kenya and have been close with Tonga in recent years. Two wins and a trip to the Cup Round isn’t out of the question for the USA. Especially with the added boost in experience and the extended training put in by the squad.
USA National Sevens Team:
Marco Barnard (Kutztown University)
Mark Bokhoven (Denver Barbarians)
Nick Edwards (New York Athletic Club)
Paul Emerick (Overmach Parma)
Matt Hawkins (Belmont Shore)
Ata Malifa (Belmont Shore)
Nese Malifa (Belmont Shore)
Leonard Peters (Aspen)
Mile Pulu (San Francisco Golden Gate)
Shalom Suniula (Pearl City)
Kevin Swiryn (Old Puget Sound Beach) *Captain
Zack Test (Loughborough Students)
Staff:
Al Caravelli, Head Coach
Drew Fautley, Manager & Video Coach
Dave Williams, Strength &Conditioning and Skills Coach
Tim Higgins, ATC
Dr. AJ Durfee, Physician
Posted on February 1, 2010
0