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Thu 3 Dec 2015 | 01:20
A look at the USA's preparations for the new Sevens Series

10
Comments

The HSBC Sevens World Series gets underway this weekend in Dubai, and with the USA looking to add to their one win last season, here's a look at their preparations for the Road to Rio with interviews with speedster Carlin Isles and coach Mike Friday.

Friday has worked wonders with a small national pool, finally culminating in a win at the London leg last year. This year they will be looking to go one better, with qualification for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero the ultimate goal.

"We put them through situations continually in a training environment which ideally would be harder than match time," says to assistant coach Mike Brown. "You can't mimic the emotions that they feel when they are playing in a competitive environment, but we try to get that outcome by increasing the intensity and duration in how they will train."

"My coach is always telling me to put on weight, eat this, eat that," laughs Isles. "But I also have to make sure I stay sharp.

"I'm quicker than Usain Bolt in the 20 and 40 metres. I'm maybe in the top 50 sprinters in the world... When I'm in the clear, it's an amazing feeling. It's like I'm flying, I'm floating, It's me in my own little world."

The USA will face New Zealand, France and Portugal in this year's Dubai Sevens.

UPDATE: Isles scored a scorching try on the opening day in Dubai. View that here

 

Posted By: c_gillon

10 Comments

  • drg
    11:30 PM 10/12/2015

    I'm.... I'm not really sure what can be said from here... I feel that my fluency in idiot doesn't quite stretch as far as is needed to have a conversation with you...

    I'll try.. Are we suggesting a child is under 18? If an 18 year old picks up a rugby ball and makes a career then he is not a real player? Whereas a 'child' of 17 and 360 days decides to play, he can be a real player because it was childhood?

    Are you a real player?

    I mean, I played rugby since childhood, but I never made it pro... am I a real rugby player? If so, am I better than Carlin Isles because I played from childhood whereas he is a pro who is a fake rugby player?

    This is all very confusing, I'd appreciate if you could translate your idiocy some more for me.

  • c_gillon
    9:54 PM 10/12/2015

    To be fair, a lot of people are faster than Bolt over the first 40. His body size means that his acceleration out of the blocks is pretty poor.

    Although if Jamaica are keen to grow rugby in their country....

  • drg
    9:57 PM 06/12/2015

    Tit*

  • drg
    9:57 PM 06/12/2015

    Come on then big mouth, who are "real players"?

    Of course don't forget this is 7's, so it's not 'real rugby' is it?

    Title.

  • joeythelemur
    9:47 PM 06/12/2015

    Really just hoping they qualify! Great team but nothing is guaranteed. A first win over NZ though should do wonders for the team confidence.

  • jimmy23
    3:45 AM 06/12/2015

    @Number5

    Trololololololo. Your antics won't last here mate, give up whilst you're ahead.

  • 10stonenumber10
    3:15 AM 06/12/2015

    Because he is the best advert for rugby in the USA, more-so than their long haired country hopping captain. The American Dream, from nothing to a world superstar all through his athletic capabilities. Very few, if any have been playing the game for 20 years by the time they reach mid-20s in the USA, but you can bet most european and SH professionals picked up a ball as soon as they could walk. American Football has the highest post-high-school drop out rate of any sport, think of the sheer number of athletic freak running backs, wide receivers etc. who fall by the wayside, if even 5% of them got rid of the pigskin and picked up a Gilbert, they would be a serious force to be reckoned with.

  • danknapp
    7:17 PM 05/12/2015

    I'd love to see SBW get into the squad. Hopefully a few other big names from across the 15-man game will follow him. It will be an outstanding tournament and can only be good for world rugby.

  • danknapp
    7:09 PM 05/12/2015

    And why don't you leave commenting to people who understand grammar?

    Technically mate, we call rugby "football" too, because it's called rugby football. We then have the two sub-divisions of rugby union and rugby league. You've also got association football, from which the name 'soccer' is derived, and Australian rules football. All of these sports are called football because you are allowed to kick the ball.

    If the USA ever decide to take rugby union properly, they'll no doubt field an incredibly impressive team due to the sheer number of athletes they produce. The skills might not be there straight away, but it's ignorant and lazy to assume that because American football is very physical those guys lack handling skills. That is obviously not true if you watch it for any period of time.

    Now I'm going to assume you're only here because you're a troll, so why don't you piss off back under your bridge? I'm probably going to see your future comments, but I want you to know that when I don't respond to you further, it's because I see you as a colossal waste of everyone's time.

  • drg
    9:56 AM 05/12/2015

    SBW is pushing for the NZ team I believe. I'm not saying anything negative about 7's players, but SBW has played some real hard stuff and pushed some very big guys back. I reckon if he gets into the 7's team he will be a tough nut to crack.

    Of course 7's is about space and speed also, so the the likes of Carlin Isles will be difficult to keep a tab on in such a big field if he gets any space.

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