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There's a pretty good article here on Coach Johnson's outlook for USA Rugby, as well as some other fairly interesting tidbits ( just click the News and Features link):
eRugbyNews.com
I particularly liked this quote from Coach: "I never want to hide..that doesn't tell you anything. I'd rather lose to New Zealand by 80 than..." well, you get the picture
If it was a 4 year plan I'd say it would be Mission Impossible, but it's a 20 year plan so it's certianly possible, if he is indeed the type of guy that the article portrays I'd say it's Mission Probable!
Johnson said on his arrival that the Eagles werent fit and is still saying it! Smart move getting blokes from Hawaii who have that Islander build. Hopefully he will hang around for a decade and change US Rugby for the good.
Yeah, Coach Johnson is right about the conditioning... I think alot of our conditioning problem stems from the player's mindset. It isn't that are players lack physical conditioning, it's more that most American rugby players grew up with American football. Speed, quickness, power, and agility are essential, but in short bursts. One play is run, you go all out, then a tackle is made, then play stops. Back to the huddle, 25-30 second break while another play is called, and off again. We simply aren't used to the non-stop nature of rugby. Additionally, we aren't used to the almost instantaneous switch from offense to defense. Again - thank the structure of American football. Way back when, football players played both. Nowadays, the game is so specialized (even at the High School Level), "iron man" football is extinct. We need to get it through our thick collective skulls that it's 80+ minutes of game time and prepare our minds as well as our bodies. A good parallel from the mental perspective in American sports is a pitcher in baseball. Pitchers used to take the ball and expect to complete the game. Now that rarely happens. It's not that they can't do it physically, it's that from the age of 6 or 7 on, they are given pitch counts. Throw so many pitches, and you're done, good job, collect your millions$$$. I'll stop now, it's just that Scotty (and the LH!) got me thinkin' and that's sometimes a dangerous thing..:D