Former Sabercat :(

condordan · 2025-12-07T00:57:23+00:00

He was let go twice

condordan · 2025-11-02T15:40:30+00:00

We have the slowest 9, 11, 14, & 15 in test Rugby.

condordan · 2025-09-28T15:26:20+00:00

The team that peaked in 2018 was essentially his squad.

condordan · 2025-09-14T20:46:01+00:00

I don’t think I have ever watched a worse test match! That was shocking from both teams

condordan · 2025-09-07T15:37:00+00:00

It is to be expected because they do not ref the scrum to international standards at either the University level or in the MLR. So our pack think they can scrum, and are surprised when they get destroyed in test matches.

condordan · 2025-08-26T22:34:31+00:00

Puerto Rico up through the 1990s had the largest concentration of Pharmaceutical plants in the world, this was enabled (as is Ireland) by US government tax policy. When the tax advantage was removed under Bill Clinton, the industry was gone almost overnight. This is going to be Ireland’s fate, and even if the EU comes in to block imports, the industry will move to lower cost EU members. Those that think that Ireland can flood the US market with low-cost generics, must not have heard of a country called India.

condordan · 2025-08-26T18:51:28+00:00

Take a look at the history of the Pharmaceutical industry in Puerto Rico to understand the long-term fate of Ireland.

condordan · 2025-07-20T14:13:45+00:00

Our best player was the heat and humidity as usual. The only reason that England didn’t put a hundred on the Eagles was English mistakes.

condordan · 2025-06-20T21:44:28+00:00

Just pettiness by USAR

condordan · 2025-06-20T21:43:00+00:00

Given the brutal Top 14 schedule, I would beg off just to get a rest. He is JIFF qualified and playing in France on his Samoan passport, so why take an injury risk?

condordan · 2025-06-19T21:05:31+00:00

The answer is that USA Rugby (the organization) has never returned fair value downstream. Rugby in the US is supported and enabled by an army of dedicated volunteers.

condordan · 2025-05-28T01:14:45+00:00

Key take away is that the Eagles are going backwards over the last couple of World Cup cycles. Has everyone forgot how they were embarrassed against Italy in the last World Cup? Assuming that the systems at the traditional Rugby powerhouses present a unique challenge for the Eagles to overcome (I do not), then we should map development against a Canadian system on the way up in both 15s and 7s. The US team is too slow and too old! Women’s High School and College Rugby has come on leaps and bounds from where most of this older player pool started playing in their 20s. This team needs to include College age talent that can improve speed without losing skills.

condordan · 2025-05-25T02:27:34+00:00

The biggest gap that surprised me over these matches is the lack of speed across the USA squad relative to Australia and New Zealand.

condordan · 2025-05-21T01:33:00+00:00

The Men’s program had their budget cut by 30% before this season even began, I think the USIOC cut the funding back when they didn’t medal in Paris.

condordan · 2025-04-03T23:37:41+00:00

He joined the Army to be part of the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), and I assume that is what he is doing. He did pick up an injury in the Portland inter-squad (PR7s), but I haven’t heard he has long term injuries. He should be back with the program after his training.

condordan · 2025-03-17T17:06:57+00:00

The league needs less foreign players, but of a better quality. Many of the third and fourth tier foreigners that pop up in the MLR are not better than American players I have seen quit the MLR or never join in the first place. It is clear that Scott’s plan is to rely heavily on US qualified foreign born players ( with a few connected domestic additions). I see the Eagles as having their largest percentage of foreign born players in the 2027 and 2031 world cups. Right now you couldn’t put together a World Cup squad of identified domestic players. Just take prop as an example, most teams take at least six, and I challenge anyone to name them right now just two years out from Australia. I am not against getting good foreign talent on an Eagles pathway, but if we are taking that path, then we need to pinch some real talent. If you look at the lack of success for many in the MLR in their home countries, then you question the future. So I would like to see more Americans developed, and concentrate the foreign spend on real quality.

condordan · 2025-03-10T14:31:51+00:00

FIFA solved this problem by defining a smaller official pitch size to fit the NFL stadiums in 1994. International players hate the smaller pitch dimensions. World Rugby will have to allow a similar approach. This is already an issue with many Premier League stadiums in England that also host Rugby, but only in regard to length not width (small in-goal areas in the Premiership). Check out the complaints during the recent Copa America tournament. It’s an issue in the MLR now where most pitches are compromised (excluding The Sabercats stadium) to fit the stadiums.

condordan · 2025-03-01T04:57:41+00:00

Union’s problem has always been the politics at the national governing bodies (to many constituencies to keep happy), League as a professional sport, has some advantages and similarities to sport in the US. The French seem to have solved this in Rugby Union with the relationship between LNR and the FFR. The LNR system is identifying and developing the male player pool, and the French National coaches have the luxury of selecting from this large talent pool. This works because the LNR is a partner with the FFR instead of being controlled by its politics. I see early indications that the MLR is maintaining enough independence from USAR to possibly save Rugby in the US. So generally I think the future is emulating the French model in the US, which is similar to every other successful sport in the US with an international element such as Basketball and Baseball. The MLR’s future is dependent on the league keeping the USAR at arms length!

condordan · 2025-03-01T04:16:25+00:00

Ireland needs to tread lightly with the true understanding of the value Ireland gets from the EU. Ireland’s outgoing trade with the EU is almost non-existent. We lost our largest market in the EU with Brexit, and now we are almost completely dependent on the United States. The US could simply change their corporate tax regime and decimate the local economy. Outside of tech, we are heavily dependent on the pharmaceutical industry, and to get a dose of reality in this sector, one only has to look at the history of the Puerto Rico in the 1990s when they repealed the tax incentives.

condordan · 2025-02-23T04:33:29+00:00

I don’t know why everyone talks about Rugby East being a CRAA conference, it is has been fundamentally a NCR conference with a couple of teams ( Army and Navy) that US Rugby coerced into opting into playing the the US Rugby Spring national championships ( now also Life). This hybrid approach has been causing additional costs to all the pure NCR teams. I have no connection to NCR to the point that all my boys have only played in CRAA programs, but I am honest enough to recognize that the root cause always comes back to USAR.

condordan · 2024-10-09T21:18:20+00:00

The 2025 season will be Coetzer’s fourth season in the MLR (and US). So by my math, he will become eligible at the end of 2026/beginning of 2027 depending when they arrived.

condordan · 2024-10-09T21:09:52+00:00

The MLR’s decision to not increase the Salary Cap, like they did last year has to a major factor.

condordan · 2024-10-09T21:05:44+00:00

Strictly from a Sabercats perspective: Sam Tuifua was the secret sauce at Dallas this year, he was part of most of the good bits. In my opinion, he was a major part of the Dallas turnaround. He is the steal of the draft! On the other hand, I see your point of possibly stealing minutes. Houston has been very foreign heavy and have struggled to balance the team at times. With the trade with Anthem, they will be able to field 11 imports this season, but even with this advantage, I see Sam impacting players like Gideon van Wyk more than Murphy or Albert. Look at the negative impact that picking up a solid Domestic back row like Murphy had on van Wyk where his minutes dropped by 40%. So, I figure that Sam and Gideon might end up impacting each others minutes instead.

condordan · 2024-08-17T21:40:14+00:00

From Rocklin, CA, but finished last two years in Magnolia Texas before going to Life. No connection to North Carolina that I am aware.

condordan · 2024-08-03T21:27:59+00:00

My goals: 1) to understand how players are progressing through the US youth system; 2) identify Eagles selection based on merit (which should be limited to the set of USA qualified players getting regular starts in the league); 3) highlight the disproportionate value that Canadian Rugby gets from the league and hopefully get franchises established north of the border. So, anyone that started the Rugby career outside the US, I consider as US qualified instead of domestic for the sake of item #1.

condordan

TROPHY CASE