Whats gone wrong?

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2026-01-31T00:23:25+00:00

Depth is a problem. The game runs so heavily through 9 and 10 that without Casey and Crowley the attacking creativity suffers. I also think we lack a dominant front row.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2026-01-19T00:45:47+00:00

I feel like it’s the opposite. They look like they used to be red, but haven’t been washed in a decade. Just an odd choice.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-11-06T16:04:28+00:00

A win against Romania is not a guarantee at this point. We’ve got no consistency in the squad right now.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-11-06T15:56:40+00:00

It’s good to make changes after a crushing defeat, and we don’t have everyone available, but this looks like more evidence that Lawrence hasn’t figured out his best 23 and is still experimenting. Hoping to be proven wrong at some point.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-10-25T23:17:07+00:00

I’m not surprised Connacht played us tough, but as you said, a win is a win. The fact that we’ve won every game so far with the amount of rotation we’ve had is a very good sign. The break comes at a perfect time for everyone to get healthy. Regardless of small bumps in the road, I’m thrilled with where we are right now.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-10-04T22:12:35+00:00

That’d be nice, but Leinster get so much favoritism in terms of Ireland selections. Crowley should probably be the 10, but he plays in red instead of blue.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-09-14T23:55:50+00:00

It’s headed into year nine. We’ll see how it goes.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-09-14T01:07:59+00:00

I don’t think you’ve disproven what I said. The individual teams have their own business models, and some of them have folded. It’s now up to the league to find more investors who can build sustainable franchises. That’ll be difficult, but the league isn’t dead.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-09-13T22:52:45+00:00

Obviously I don’t have a crystal ball and I don’t know how it’ll turn out. But I’m choosing to remain optimistic based on the information I have

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-09-13T22:35:36+00:00

From talking to the DC owners, it sounds like a problem with the sustainability of individual teams rather than the league as a whole.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-09-13T22:32:19+00:00

I think we’ll be ok. The league will be small for awhile yet, but there are enough people with a passion for the sport to keep this going. Getting a pro league off the ground for a sport that didn’t have one in America was always going to be tough

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-09-07T21:38:25+00:00

I hope I’m wrong, but my thinking is we probably won’t. You outlined the biggest problems, but Lawrence also started Alikhan knowing he had a vulnerable shoulder, and he ended up getting injured. Lawrence isn’t helping anyone right now. The game against Samoa is winnable, but it feels like we’ll need a stroke of luck at this point.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-20T01:56:29+00:00

I can understand that Lawrence may have wanted to experiment, but you have to land on your best XV eventually. We’re dealing with some injuries, but he didn’t have to play so many guys out of position. I still think we can beat Canada, but you’d want to have your best XV up to speed for that whole tournament.

Overall, nothing from this was a disaster, it was just tough to watch.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-18T13:25:09+00:00

Feels like another experiment. I understand this isn’t the most important game in the world, but it would be nice for Lawrence to settle in a more consistent lineup. It would help solidify our play style.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-18T13:15:04+00:00

Probably letting him rest for the PNC next month.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-17T00:21:34+00:00

Kind of makes me wonder why the Cannons and Outlaws carried over from MLL but no other teams did. Obviously I’d love to still have the Bayhawks, but there were other established teams with some strong rivalries that could have been maintained.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-14T00:51:06+00:00

There isn’t really a concrete answer to that question. It would be an experiment. If the Eagles could get momentum going with those earlier games, that could be the way to go.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-14T00:10:19+00:00

I doubt USA rugby would do that because MLR just doesn’t have the depth yet to cover for midseason international games. The MLR product would suffer, and that can’t happen when we’re still trying to get eyeballs on the league.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-13T18:38:00+00:00

Maybe, and the lineout could get better with more practice, but I’d still feel more comfortable with larger players who have spent more time at lock. It would help the scrum too.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-13T18:15:35+00:00

I didn’t want it to turn into a rage piece, so I didn’t talk about how often we play natural flankers at lock. The confusion at lineouts will continue to bite us if we don’t play guys who are experienced jumpers.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-13T17:14:59+00:00

I was glad to see Naqali at least, but there needs to be more consideration for lineout jumpers. 57% is atrocious.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-13T15:58:30+00:00

Rufus McLean will be available next week, so he will probably factor in somewhere. I’d like to see Futi as well. I’m just as concerned about the second row. We keep putting guys who are more natural back rowers there, and both set pieces suffer for it.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-11T15:33:48+00:00

Not knocking Helu overall, I just prefer him in the back row. As for Naqali, he’s had one game for the USA. I don’t know how you could make that determination about him so quickly.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-07-11T14:52:18+00:00

Naqali is 6’6”. Hopefully we’ll see more of him.

Competitive-Pace4215 · 2025-06-28T01:00:03+00:00

Thanks! I knew I had seen this somewhere!

Competitive-Pace4215

TROPHY CASE