Short-term and long-term problems for men from the USA

The US men’s 7s team must be frustrated after leaving Dubai.

They finished 0-5 and finished 12th out of 12. While Dubai has often been a difficult tournament for the Eagles, this one was particularly tough. GRR spoke to new head coach Simon Amor and suggested the time zone difference (12 hours) could be a factor. Amor rejected this excuse and spoke more about the performance.

“There were glimpses of the team reaching its potential, but only glimpses,” Amor said. “Ultimately there were a number of factors for the inconsistency, which would always be the case. “First of all, you don’t know what you don’t know, and while you can talk about what it’s going to be like in terms of the intensity and speed of the World Series, it has to be experienced to be appreciated.”

That’s certainly something most international players talk about – you have to be there.

“The five debutants will be better for it and now they appreciate the importance of attention to detail in training and the training standards required,” Amor added.

Amor also pointed out that this is the beginning of a long process and that this process includes not only performance but also leadership development.

“As part of our long-term goal of winning a medal in LA, we are changing the way we play,” Amore said. “These principles and habits are not yet ingrained and break down under pressure and fatigue. The encouraging point is that when we played this new style we looked excellent. Leading the team is a big area for development. It wasn’t just that.” The loss of internationals (with retirements) was the loss of top players, players who can help keep the team on track when it’s doing well on the pitch and get them back on track If it gets out of hand, we will continue to work on it.”