1981 ->: Early
History of US National Sevens Rugby Teams
2.
1986-1993: International 7s Expands
Through the first
Rugby World Cup 7s
Emil
Signes
JANUARY 9, 2016
(rev. 2/28/2016- 11:24)
- to tidy up 2/18/16 16:20 -
anyone have any pics from Sydney 1988?
(If it exists): find & copy Sicily 1991 article
Allyn: Copy HK 1992 RM April 20, 1992
(have pp. 8-12 but only 9 & 11 are good)
tc
1986. Sydney
and Hong Kong Sevens
1986 was the first year that there
was more than one international sevens tournament, as the first
annual (it would only last 3 years) Sydney Sevens. The national selectors decided to
pick two completely separate teams; the first choice team,
according to them, would go to Hong Kong and the 2nd
choice to Sydney.
US at Sydney
Sevens (March 22-23, 1986)
1986-0322-Eagles at
Sydney.jpg
Eagles at Sydney Sevens March
22-23, 1986
Front, L to R: Steve Gray
(player/coach), Mike Saunders, Blane Warhurst (captain), Mike
Caulder, Danny Parris, Will Brewington
Back L to R: Terry Fleener
(manager), Dave Jenkinson, Pete Deddeh, Terrence Titus, Pete
Peluso, Joe Reagan (manager)
Terry Fleener and Joe Reagan shared management duties, and the
players were
Will Brewington, Duck Brothers (Maryland Old Boys 15s)
Mike Caulder, Life Chiropractic
Pete Deddeh, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Steve Gray (player/coach), OMBAC (Old Mission Beach
Athletic Club)
Dave Jenkinson, Oklahoma University
Danny Parris, Duck Brothers (NOVA 15s)
Pete Peluso, Bethlehem
Mike Saunders, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Terrence Titus, Life College
Blane Warhurst (captain), Old Blues (CA)
Results from Sydney and Hong Kong are found in the April 25, 1986
Rugby Magazine.
Click
here for the Sydney results. Click
here for the Hong Kong results.
US Results at
1986 Sydney Sevens (W0 L4)
US
0 Wales 18. This was the first time the
rugby world was exposed to future rugby and rugby league
superstar Jonathan Davies. Davies ran in two tries, and though
the US had a lot of possession they couldn't do anything with
it.
US 4 Tonga 18. Tonga is always - and was especially
at this time - a very good rugby team. It was a very physical
game, and the Eagles' only try was by Will Brewington on a pass
from Dave Jenkinson.
US 0 New Zealand 28. The reports of the Eagle
performance was that they handled well in the first half but
couldn't get close to the New Zealand line, and trailed 0-10 at
halftime. Tournament MVP Frano Botica scored two tries vs. the
Eagles in the second half.
US 14 Korea 16 (De facto "Plate match"). There were
no planned consolation matches (the Australians had said "we
don't have losers' brackets in Australia," but due to general
demand, there were extra games organized for day 2. No
details on this match were given in the Rugby Magazine
article.
New Zealand beat Australia 32-0 in the championship game.
US at Hong
Kong Sevens (April 5-6, 1986)
1986-0405 Eagles at
HK-1200w.jpg
Eagles at Hong Kong Sevens April 5-6, 1986
Standing, L to R: Steve Finkel, Brian Vizard, John Fowler, Gary
Lambert, Steve Gray
Kneeling, L to R: Tommy Smith, Mike Purcell, Charlie Wilkinson,
Denis Shanagher, Mark Gaetjen
Steve Gray was
the coach (was there a separate manager?) and the players were
Steve Finkel, Scioto Valley
John Fowler, Cincinnati Wolfhounds
Mark Gaetjen, Duck Brothers (NOVA 15s)
Steve Gray, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Gary Lambert, Life Chiropractic College
Mike Purcell, BATS (Bay Area Touring Side)
Denis Shanagher, BATS (Bay Area Touring Side)
Tommy Smith, UCLA
Brian Vizard, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic
Club)
Charlie Wilkinson, Duck Brothers (NOVA 15s)
US Results at
1986 Hong Kong Sevens (W4 L1)
US 36 Singapore 0.
This was not a difficult game, and the US scored 6 tries with
no response; try scorers were Gary Lambert (3), Mike Purcell
(2), Tommy Smith and Denis Shanagher. Smith made 4
conversions.
US 0 Fiji 26. The Eagles hung in this game, but
were beaten by a superior Fiji team. The brackets were
now set, and the Eagles were in one they felt they could win -
the Plate.
US 14 Japan 4 (Plate Quarterfinal).
The US fell behind 0-4 when Mark Gaetjen got caught without
support, but after that it was all US. From an offside vs
Japan, Tommy Smith tapped the ball and moved it to Charlie
Wilkinson who got it to Purcell who scored under the posts;
Smith's kick made it 6-4. The Us got the ball from the kickoff
and Smith fed Fowler who score in the corner. Halftime
score 10-4. In the second half the only try was by Brian
Vizard and the final score was 14-4.
US 18 [South] Korea 12 (Plate Semifinal).
South Korea came into this match a 2-time Plate Champion and
probably a slight favorite. Finkel scored first
following a US steal of a Korean lineout. 6-0. Wilkinson
fielded the Korean kickoff and fed Fowler who scored between
the points and the game started to feel easy. Charlie
Wilkinson got tackled with no support and Korea scored to make
the halftime score 12-4. The second half kickoff went to Tommy
Smith, whose pass was picked off by Korea, who scored near the
corner. Smith tackled him away from the center which
probably saved 2 points. 12-8. Shortly thereafter, Korea
kicked the ball through the US line and scored in good
position but missed the kick:12-12. The US knocked on the
ensuing kickoff. Following back and forth play from the Korean
scrum. Finally, from a lineout, Smith set up a blindside
move with Mark Gaetjen who touched down in good position.
Smith's kick was good and the US was through to the Plate
final.
US 24 Canada 18 (Plate Final). Less than a minute
into the match, Canada led 4-0. Following a lineout
infringement Smith tapped to Wilkinson who fed Lambert for the
try. Smith's kick made it 6-4. Denis Shanagher dummied and fed
to Wilkinson who scored and the kick made it 12-4. Pat Palmer,
the Canadian sprint champion, turned the corner on us and it
was 12-8 at halftime. Following the second half kickoff,
Charlie Wilkinson flipped a behind-the-back pass to Lambert
who scored, and Smith's kick made it 18-8. Canada's ensuing
kickoff bounced into Mark Gaetjen's hand, and he ran past the
Canadians and took a 24-8 lead. Canada-US, however, is not an
easy match, and somehow speedster Palmer got his hands on the
ball twice and scored twice to bring Canada to 24-18.
From the kickoff Lambert kicked the ball to touch, the game
ended, and the celebration began.
The South China Morning Post wrote that "the
Eagles beat Canada in the most exciting final of the day - a
match that marked the coming of age of North American Sevens -
it was the first time a North American side had taken a title
here, and it isn't likely to be the last."
New Zealand defeated the French
Barbarians 32-12 to win the title.
1987. Hong Kong and Sydney
Sevens
US at 1987 Hong Kong Sevens
(March 28-29, 1987)
1987-0329-Eagles at HK
Banquet.jpg
Eagles at 1987 Hong Kong Banquet
Left to Right: Emil Signes (coach),
Barry Williams, Mark Gaetjen, Tommy Smith, Steve Finkel, Mike
Saunders, Brian Vizard, Charlie Wilkinson, Will Brewington, Joe
Reagan (manager), Dan Kilen, Peter Parnell (physician), Gary
Lambert
This was my first time coaching the Eagles. Joe Reagan was the
manager. The players were
Will Brewington, Duck Brothers (Maryland Old Boys 15s)
Steve Finkel, Scioto Valley
Mark Gaetjen, Duck Brothers (NOVA 15s)
Dan Kilen, Quad Cities
Gary Lambert, Life Chiropractic College
Mike Saunders, OMBAC
Tommy Smith, UCLA
Brian Vizard, OMBAC
Charlie Wilkinson, Duck Brothers (NOVA 15s)
Barry Williams, Los Angeles
1987 was the first year that all three teams from the Americas
made the Cup round, as celebrated by a photo taken by Ed Hagerty
of Rugby Magazine, shown below.
1987-03 USA CAN ARG - in Cup.jpg
1987 was the first year that all 3 American teams made
the Cup Round
US Results at
1987 Hong Kong Sevens (W2 L1)
US W Taiwan L. The score was not in the article.
US 12 Tonga 0. No description.
US 6 New Zealand 20 (Cup Quarterfinal). New Zealand
got off to a 16-0 lead, but a Will Brewington try got it down to
16-6, and a Mike Saunders' break came very close to making it
16-12. Unfortunately, a couple passes later, we turned the ball
over and New Zealand scored the last try for a 20-6 win.
Results from both Hong Kong and
Sydney are found in the April
1987 Rugby Magazine.
New Zealand beat Fiji 12-6 to win the Hong Kong Cup final.
US at 1987 Sydney
Sevens (April 4-5, 1987)
1987-0405 Eagles at
Sydney Sevens-800h.jpg
Eagles at 1987 Sydney Sevens
Standing, L to R: Emil Signes
(coach), Dan Kilen, Mark Gaetjen, Gary Lambert, Brian Vizard,
Steve Finkel, Joe Reagan (manager)
Kneeling, L to R: Peter Parnell
(physician), Barry Williams, Tom Smith, Will Brewington, Charlie
Wilkinson, Mike Saunders
US Results at
1987 Sydney Sevens (W3 L3)
Unfortunately, although I wrote a
long article on this tour (both Sydney and Hong Kong), I did
not record the try scorers nor write up the specific games in
any detail.
US 4 French Barbarians 22.
US 20 Hong Kong 14.
US 4 New Zealand 14. We scored the first try of
this game, and played well throughout, but couldn't generate
enough offense.
US W Tunisia L
(Plate QF). Per my notes, this was an easy win.
US W Hong Kong L (Plate SF). Per my notes, this
was an easy win.
US 12 Western Samoa 25 (Plate Final).
Western Samoa raced to a 22-0 lead, but the US got it back to
12-22 with time to score two tries. Western Samoa,
however, with a kickable penalty, booted it through to give
them a three-score 25-12 lead, and that sealed the game.
Australia beat New Zealand 22-10 to win the championship.
1988. Hong Kong
and Sydney Sevens
Both Hong Kong and Sydney 7s
were written up in the April
25, 1988 Rugby Magazine.
US at 1988 Hong Kong Sevens
(March 28-29)
1988-03 USA at HK Rugby
West pic.jpg
Eagles Win Plate at 1988 Hong
Kong Sevens
Back: Mike Siano, Jimmy Wilkinson,
Jeff Lombard (manager), Emil Signes (coach), Charlie Wilkinson,
Will Brewington, Dave Poquette
Front: Steve LaPorta, Barry
Williams, Mark Williams, Tommy Smith, Kevin Higgins
I was the coach and, for Hong Kong, Jeff Lombard was the
manager. For Sydney I was both coach and manager. The
players were
Will Brewington, Duck Brothers (Maryland Old Boys 15s)
Kevin Higgins, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Steve LaPorta, Denver Barbarians
Dave Poquette, Denver Barbarians
Mike Siano, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh
Tommy Smith, UCLA
Charlie Wilkinson, Duck Brothers (NOVA 15s)
Jimmy Wilkinson, Duck Brothers (NOVA 15s)
Barry Williams, Los Angeles
Mark Williams, Aspen
Both Hong Kong and Sydney 7s were
written up in the April
25, 1988 Rugby Magazine.
US Results at
1988 Hong Kong Sevens (W4 L1)
US 24 Thailand 4.
Hong Kong rookie Kevin Higgins scored the first two tries,
converted by Mark Williams. Both came on kickoff taps controlled
by fellow Hong Kong rookie Mike Siano, who a few months before
was playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. The two Williams, Barry
and Mark, each scored a try in the second half and Mark
converted both.
US 12 Irish Wolfhounds 14.
Down 10-0 at the half, the Eagles stormed back on 60-m tries by
Mike Siano and Barry Willaims. Mark Williams' two
conversions gave the US a 12-10 lead but a last minute
coast-to-coast try devastated (temporarily) the US and kept us
out of the Cup round. The Wolfhounds were annihilated by
New Zealand in the Cup Quarterfinals while the US went on to win
the Plate.
US 12 Spain 6 (Plate Quarterfinal).
Spain jumped out to an early lead on a converted try
(0-6). A nice try by Barry Willams plus a Tommy Smith
conversion leveled the score in the 3rd minute. The Eagles
went ahead for good when Steve LaPorta initiated a 70-m break,
passed to Siano who continued the break, then gave it back to
LaPorta for the try. Tommy Smith's tough conversion gave
the US a 12-6 lead which they nursed through the second half.
US 10 Tonga 6 (Plate Semifinal).
The only score in the first-half was a corner try by Barry
Williams (4-0). The Eagles extended their lead to 10-0 one
minute into the second spell, when Siano drew a defender and
sent Jimmy Wilkinson across from close-in for a try converted by
Smith.
US 20 Canada 12 (Plate Final).
Based on far bigger margins of victory, Canada was favored in
this match, and the first 3 minutes seemed to support this as
the US, with four rookie Eagles - Mark Williams, Mike Siano, Jim
Wilkinson and Kevin Higgins - was backed up in their own end
under a relentless Canadian attack.
The Eagles defended heroically,
however, and at the 3 1/2-minute mark launched a counterattack
that resulted in a spectacular try by wing Barry Williams. From
a scrum deep in US territory the ball went from Smith to Charlie
Wilkinson to Barry Williams who beat Canada's world-class
sprinter Pat Palmer for a try and Mark Williams' sideline
conversion made the score 6-0. At the 9th minute Barry
made another long run going in touch at the Canada 2-m line.
Mike Siano stole the ensuing lineout and scored try, converted
by Mark. The second half began with a great Mark Williams try.
The score was now 20-0.
The game went rapidly downhill from
there. The Eagles started to play conservatively and all of a
sudden they found themselves up merely 20-12 and Canada had
several apparent tries called back. Thankfully for the US the
game eventually ended with the score still 20-12 and the US were
Plate Champions.
1988-0328 Eagles win HK Plate in HK
Paper-1500w.jpg
Eagles' Plate Victory
Celebrated in Hong Kong Standard Monday March 28, 1988
Australia knocked off New Zealand
in a tightly contested 13-12 win.
US at 1988 Sydney
Sevens (April 2-3, 1988)
There are no team pictures nor
action photos of the US at this tournament. It was the identical
team to that which won the Plate Championship in Hong Kong the
week before. -- ¿does anyone
from the tour have a pic? --
US Results at 1988
Sydney Sevens (W2 L2)
US 10 Argentina 4.
This was a great upset win. Will Brewington and Mike Siano teamed
up to set up Will Brewington who ran down the right touchline for
a try converted by Mark Williams. The second try was set up by a
Charlie Wilkinson loop of Mark Williams; Charlie fed Barry
Williams who the upped the lead to 10-0 by beating the Argentina
wing to the corner. Argentina scored a second-half try but no more
and the final score was 10-4
US 16 Netherlands 6. The Williams duo scored
all the points in this game; Barry scored a try, and Mark had 2
tries and 2 conversions. This victory meant that, regardless of
the result vs. Fiji, the US would be in the championship round.
US 4 Fiji 26. Fiji, led by Luke Erenavula's 2 tries,
ended up having too much firepower for the US. Mark Williams
avoided a shutout with a great run - outrunning 2 Fiji defenders
after Tommy Smith created a gap.
US 0 New Zealand 28 (Cup Quarterfinal). New Zealand
dominated this game.
Mark and Barry Williams were our leading try scorers at Sydney as
they had been at Hong Kong; the pair combined for 26 of the 30
points at Sydney.
It was a home victory as Australia beat New Zealand 22-10 in the
Sydney final.
1988. Moscow
Sevens: November 19 & 23
1988-0919-23 Eagles at
Moscow 7s.jpeg
Eagles Win 1988 Moscow Sevens
Top: Fred Paoli (manager), Brian Vizard, Gary Lambert
Bottom: Mike Saunders, Chris O'Brien, Kevin Higgins, Barry
Williams, Gary Hein
What's with the finger signals?
The Eagles' 15s team toured the USSR in September 1988. During
this tour they played in a sevens tournament held over two days,
September 19 and September 23. The tournament comprised 4
teams, the US, Romania, and two Soviet teams.
The tour management was coach Jim Perkins and manager Fred
Paoli. The players were
Pat Johnson, Louisville
Gary Lambert, White Plains
Gary Hein, Old Blues (CA)
Kevin Higgins, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Chris O'Brien, Old Blues (CA)
Mike Saunders, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Dave Skidmore, Tulsa
Brian Vizard, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Barry Williams, Los Angeles
Mark Williams, Aspen
US Results at 1988
Moscow Sevens (W3 L0)
US 18 Romania 16. Rugby
Magazine noted that "The Eagles demonstrated their 7s
expertise with a thrilling 18-16 win over Romania." After falling
behind 16-12 and with time running out, Kevin Higgins "again
demonstrated his astonishing speed." He scored in the corner and
Chris O'Brien "calmly booted the sideline conversion" for the US
win. Earlier tries were by Higgins and Mark Williams and
O'Brien converted both.
US 22 USSR I 10. The Soviets scored the first two tries to
take a 10-0 lead. A length-of-the-field try by Kevin Higgins,
converted by O'Brien, made it 10-6. Gary Hein tied the game.
A long football by Brian Vizard to Barry Williams resulted in a
third US try, and Viz repeated the feat, passing to O'B who fed
Hein for the 4th try. O'Brien converted 2 of the 3 second-half
tries for a 22-10 win.
US 16 USSR II 14. 4 days later, the Eagles won the
round-robin championship over the Soviet Jrs, who had defeated
their seniors on the first day. The game was always close, but the
Eagles never trailed. Barry Williams scored the first try, and the
second featured another Vizard football pass finished with a Mike
Saunders try. The half time score was 10-4, but the second
half started poorly as Gary Lambert tapped the ball back to no
one, and the Soviets picked it off for a 10-10 tie. Barry Williams
scored the ultimately winning try as O'Brien made his second
conversion. The USSR scored again but failed to convert.
Championship final 16-14.
The results of this tournament are in the October
10, 1988 Rugby Magazine.
US at Sydney
Sevens (March 25-26, 1989).
1989-03 US at Sydney 7s over Wales-1200w.jpg
Eagles play golf in Sydney
L to R: Gary Hein, Will Brewington, Jimmy Wilkinson, Emil Signes
(coach/manager), Tommy Smith, Russ Ortiz, Dave Poquette, Charlie
Wilkinson, Chris O'Brien
Emil Signes was the coach and manager, and the players were
Will Brewington, MOB (Maryland Old Boys)
Gary Hein, Old Blues (CA)
Rory Lewis, Washington (DC)
Chris O'Brien, Old Blues (CA)
Russ Ortiz, UCLA
Dave Poquette - Denver Barbarians
Tommy Smith, Santa Monica
Charlie Wilkinson, NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Jimmy Wilkinson, NOVA
(Northern Virginia)
US Results at 1989
Sydney Sevens (W2 L2)
Game results and brief write-ups
US 15 Wales 12. This was the game of the year for me,
as the person coaching Wales, John Ryan, was my main rugby
coaching mentor. Early in the game US and Wales speedsters Rory
Lewis and Ieuan Evans swap 1000-m tries. Tommy Smith scored
a try from a perfectly executed double-switch penalty play.
Tommy made both conversions, then with less than 30 seconds left
were awarded a kickable penalty. Tommy let the clock run to
less than 5 seconds, then slotted the game winner.
US 0 New Zealand 32. We spent 3 minutes with New
Zealand backed up to their line, but let them go and then they
took the game over. New Zealand also sored 32 vs. Wales and
Korea and defeated Australia 28-0 in the semifinals the next
day.
US 24 Korea 6. Korea's speedy winger (who had burned
New Zealand wing Terry Wright earlier in the day) burned us early
to put us down 0-6. Captain Tommy Smith was injured on the
same play and we were without our leader. Charlie Wilkinson moved
to scrum half and we were penalized on the first put-in. One Rory
Lewis try followed by a Gary Hein hat trick, however, gave us a
nice win. Chris O'Brien made 4 conversions.
US 10 Western Samoa 18 (Cup Quarterfinal). The US had
a very conservative game plan against Samoa based on possession,
and it worked very well as we got off to a 10-0 lead with tries by
Will Brewington and Gary Hein and a conversion by O'Brien. An
inability to win our own ball plus an ill-advised cross-field
football pass that was picked off for a try gave them two
converted tries and they led 12-10. Another turnover gave Samoa
the last chance and took away our last chance to win, and the
tournament was over for the US.
New Zealand beat Western Samoa for the tournament championship.
US at Hong Kong Sevens (April
1-2, 1989).
1989-03 USA in HKG bus pic for
Town&Country-1200w.jpg
Eagles take over a Hong Kong bus
Top deck, L to R: Carl Weiss (team physician), Ed Ayub
(trainer), Tom Billups, Barry Williams, Mike Siano, Emil Signes
(coach.manager)
Bottom: Tony Ridnell, Mark Williams, Steve LaPorta, Gary
Lambert, Andy Dujakovich, Chris O'Brien, Bob Watkins (general
manager)
Emil Signes was
the coach and manager, and the players were
Tom Billups, Quad City Irish
Andy Dujakovich, Kansas City
Gary Lambert, White
Plains
Steve LaPorta, Denver Barbarians
Chris O'Brien, Old Blues (CA)
Tony Ridnell, OPSB (Old
Puget Sound Beach
Mike Siano, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh
Barry Williams, Los Angeles
Mark Williams, Aspen
US Results at 1989
Hong Kong Sevens (W2 L2)
Game results and brief writeups
US 24 Netherlands 4. The first game was against a
Dutch team featuring the four Marcker brothers, and Hans - the
oldest - opened the scoring to make the game 0-4. Three
rookies (Andy Dujakovich, Tom Billups and Tony Ridnell) were
making their first start in front of a packed house, and it took a
couple of minutes for the US to get itself going: just before
half, Barry Williams took a quick 22-m tap to himself, sidestepped
two defenders and scored the try converted by Mark Williams. Steve
LaPorta scored just after the half, Andy Dujakovich scored 2
minutes later following a Barry Williams break, and 6'5 240 Tony
Ridnell took the next kickoff and ran it back for a try. Mark
Williams made all 3 second half conversions. With the score
24-4 and no time left, Barry Williams made a break and tore his
ACL when he was tackled into a concrete rim that ran between the
track and the field. Barry would be out nearly a year, and
the team lost a lot of firepower with his injury.
US 6 Hong Kong 16. The game started at dusk
simultaneous with rain that made the footing tough. Hong
Kong adapted to conditions better than the US. Chris O'Brien
converted a Mark Williams try early in the game in what turned out
to be the last US points. With the score 6-4, O'Brien boomed a
long kick which he missed touching down himself, by inches. In the
second half, Hong Kong had a dribble downfield and fall on ball
try, and then a third, and it was an upset win for the host.
US 28 Thailand 0 (Plate Quarterfinal). The US used a huge
pack - Ridnell, Lambert, and Siano - and basically overpowered the
undersized Thais. Tries were by Tony Ridnell (2), Chris O'Brien,
Andy Dujakovich and Lambert, and O'Brien (3) and Mark Williams
converted.
US 6 Tonga 19 (Plate Semifinal). The US had won
this Plate Semifinal matchup last year, but Tonga turned the
table: the US briefly led when Chris O'Brien scored - and
converted - following physical play by Ridnell and Lambert for a
6-4 lead. Tonga scored just before the half to take the
lead. Midway through the second half, Tonga kicked a penalty
goal to take a 2-score lead, 6-13, and then scored the last try to
put the US out of the tournament.
New Zealand reversed its finals loss to Australia in 1988 by
winning the championship 22-10.
1990. Hong Kong and Sicily
Sevens
US at Hong Kong
Sevens (March 31-April 1, 1990).
s
1990-Eagles at Hong Kong
7s.jpg
Eagles at the 1990 Hong Kong
Sevens
Standing, L to R: Ed Ayub
(trainer), Peter Parnell (physician), Gary Hein, Dave Poquette,
Gary Lambert, Jimmy Wilkinson, Will Brewington
Kneeling, L to R: Emil Signes
(coach), Kevin Higgins, Chris Petrakes, Barry Tofaeono
(Williams), Charlie Wilkinson
Emil Signes was the coach/manager,
and Ed Ayub the trainer; the players were
Will Brewington, MOB (Maryland Old
Boys)
Gary Hein, Old Blues (CA)
Kevin Higgins, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic
Club)
Gary Lambert, White Plains
Chris Petrakes, MOB (Maryland Old Boys)
Dave Poquette, Denver Barbarians
Charlie
Wilkinson, NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Jimmy Wilkinson (captain),
NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Barry Tofaeono (Williams)*, Los Angeles
* It's my recollection that Barry Williams' grandfather, a Mr.
Tofaeono, died in 1989, and that Barry changed his name in his
grandfather's honor. He is listed in the 1990 Hong Kong
records as Tofaeono. The name change did not last, however,
and he is referred to throughout this document as Barry Williams.
US Results at 1990
Hong Kong Sevens (W2 L2)
To see the
April/May Rugby Magazine article on the 1990 Hong Kong
Sevens, click on the picture below, of all the team captains
at the 1990 Hong Kong Sevens. Jimmy Wilkinson is back,
right.
1990-04
Rugbycover-HKcaptains.jpg
All teams captains at 1990
Hong Kong Sevens (US capt. Jimmy Wilkinson top right)
Click on
Picture to see write-up on Hong Kong 1990
US 18 Thailand 12. The
much bigger US team thought they could toy with Thailand, whom
they'd beaten easily in the past, but no one told the Thais. The
Eagles never trailed, nor did they put the game away. Kevin
Higgins took the opening kickoff in for a try. Thailand then
popped the ball over the Eagles' heads and beat them to the
touchdown. Dave Poquette fed Jimmy Wilkinson to make it 8-4, and
then Kevin Higgins scored his second try. A Thai interception made
the score 12-8, then Jimmy stole a Thai lineout and finished the
scoring at 18-12.
US 6 Fiji 28. Fiji won this game easily featuring the
playmaking of 20-year old Waisale Serevi. The US got a score
from Dave Poquette on a penalty play in the second half, and Chris
Petrakes got the conversion
US 30 USSR 4 (Plate Quarterfinal). In the match
between these Cold War superpowers, the US came out on top of a
USSR team that was just coming off a 3-week 15s tour to
Australia. The Hong Kong organizers, playing up the supposed
drama, announced the touch judges as George Bush and Mikael
Gorbachev.
It was a one-sided game and the US scored the first 4 tries, by
Jimmy Wilkinson, who then fed Gary Lambert for a 25-y run. 4
minutes into the first half Barry Tofaeono (who would be Barry
Williams again the following year) sidestepped a defender and
scored a 70-y try. Barry put in a grub kick from his own 22; it
was fielded by Jimmy, who fed Barry and Barry finished. Tofaeono
had 3 conversions.
US 6 Hong Kong 16 (Plate Semifinal). This was
a depressing repeat of last year's match vs. Hong Kong. The
best American on the field, commented journalist Ed Hagerty, was
Stuart Krohn, who was playing for Hong Kong. (Note of 2016: Stuart
has been back in the US for years and runs ICEF, a rugby program
in Southern California for underprivileged youth.) Of
course, Hong Kong usually fields decent sides at their tournament:
in this one they had Ian Calder, a former NZ Colt and Wellington
provincial player and Craig Pain, a British Colleges rep.
Still, the US should be able to win these games. The US' only
score was Kevin Higgins' game opening score; Tofaeono converted.
Fiji defeated New Zealand 22-10 in a very exciting final. In
fact, the try that put them ahead in this game has often been
called "the best sevens' try ever."
Anecdote: Oddly - and I doubt this would happen now
with today's security - the majority of the US team "hung out" in
the field area after our Plate semifinal loss and went and sat on
the sidelines to watch the final. I recently (Feb. 2016)
went back to watch the video and found us. The clip from the
video, below, was taken in the first half (on the field you can
see Fiji, left, and NZ right). Click on the picture to see "the
try," which took place in the second half to put Fiji ahead after
New Zealand had taken a 10-0 lead. The famous passing
sequence was: Vesi Rauluni throws the long one-handed pass to
Waisele Serevi who taps it over his head to Noa Nadruku who
"hikes" it between his legs to Tomasi Cama (his son of the same
name would become a well-known player for New Zealand) who runs
around New Zealand winger John Gallagher and scores between the
posts for a converted try to make the score 12-10. In the
replay, if Cama had taken another 10 meters to make his break on
Gallagher we would have been visible on the sideline on the video
replay. (At least Will Brewington and I were also in this group
but weren't immortalized in this video.)
1990-03 sidelines of THE
Fiji try in HK-1000w.jpg
Watching the famous Fiji - NZ
final from the sidelines in 1990
Chris Petrakes on very left, Dave
Poquette on very right. Charlie Wilkinson in middle with pink
hat and pretty sure it's brother Jimmy to his left.
Click on image to show "the best try
ever"
US Men at Sicily
Sevens (June 2-3, 1990)
1990-05 Eagles at Sicily
7s.jpg
Eagles at 1990 Sicily Sevens, Catania
Top, L
to R: Carl Weiss, physician, Steve LaPorta, Robard Williams,
Scott Stephens, Mark Miller, Bill Downing, Emil Signes (coach)
Bottom, L to R: David Dean, Tommy
Smith, Tom Billups, Stephen Siano, Andy Dujakovich
Photobombing the photo, I
realized in 2016, is former Hong Kong player Stuart Krohn (who
confirms it)
1990-05 Eagle and
Etna-1000w.jpg / 1990-05 Eagles at top of Mt Etna-600s.jpg
Left: Team with active volcano
Mt. Etna in the background
Right: on top of Etna. Dujakovich, Signes, LaPorta,
Downing
Mt. Etna last erupted in December 2015
Emil Signes was the coach, and
Carl Weiss the team physician; the players were
Tom Billups, Whakatane Marist, NZL
David Dean, NOVA
Bill Downing, Bethlehem
Andy Dujakovich, Kansas City
Steve LaPorta, Denver Barbarians
Mark Miller, MOB (Maryland Old Boys)
Steve Siano, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh
Tommy Smith, Santa Monica
Scott Stephens, Washington
Robard Williams, Boston
US Results at 1990
Sicily Sevens (W1 L3)
US 4 Stade Toulousain (France)
28. The US was taking French scrums and winning their
own kickoffs, yet once they had the ball, managed to turn it over
on several occasions, and all 5 French tries were from US
possessions. The only try was by Eagle rookie and sprinter Robard
Williams.
US 24 Argentina 6. This was a wonderful
performance against a Puma team featuring legendary flyhalf Hugo
Porta. Argentina scored the first 6 points. After that, the
Argentinean wing was introduced to little skinny Dixie Dean. The
Puma wing threw every move he had at Dean without being able to
score; when Dixie got the ball his stepped his opposite and scored
from 50 meters. The Argentinean wing did not challenge him
again. Going into the second half 6-6, Mark Miller won the
kickoff and fed Scott Stephens for the 50+ meter try. The Eagles
defense forced a turnover, and Steve LaPorta got the ball to Tommy
Smith who scored the resultant try. Steve Siano scored the 4th try
following good ball movement from the kickoff, and all 4 tries
were converted by Smith.
US 10 Romania 24. Romania got away with a bad
clearing kick that bounced for them and resulted in their first
try. The Romanians kept the ball until a couple minutes into the
second half when Dixie Dean scored another 50-m try. An
great individual try by Steve LaPorta gave the Eagles their second
score.
US 10 USSR 12. This was a far better USSR team than
the one the US defeated in Hong Kong. Nevertheless the US should
have won. The Soviets took a 6-0 lead but a 50-m try by Smith made
the score 6-6 at half time. With only a couple minutes left
in the game, the USSR flyhacked ahead to take a 12-6 lead. A
Tom Billups' try on his 40-m break made it 12-10 but the easy
conversion was missed. The game ended when the US, with a 2
on 1, knocked on.
The game reports are excerpted from the article in the Rugby
Magazine August 1990 issue: click
here for the report.
Fiji defeated Samoa 34-9 in the championship game. This
followed a pool match between the two that included
the worst "free-for-all" fight I have ever seen in rugby. This
is a selection from my tournament report (see above): " ... 10
of the 14 players were back in the Samoan end of the field
duking it out.... Duking it out? Well, fighting to the
death would be more like it. Players were being punched, drop
kicked, and when the benches cleared we were witness to
atavistic tribal butchery acted out on the rugby pitch."
I'd never seen anything like it... And - in the 25+ years that
have passed, thankfully, never again. (We - the American team -,
and others I'd talked to, had all agreed beforehand that it was
stupidity on the part of the organizers to place them in the
same bracket.) The winner? It was a 22-22 tie.
We never found out if the two teams talked it out, or if they
decided independently of each other, but there wasn't an ounce
of undue aggression on the pitch during their repeat match in
the final the next evening.
The ill-fated Monte Carlo Sevens
(scheduled for October 7, 1990, canceled one week out)
Chris Petrakes reports that he was
selected for the US to attend a tournament in Monaco, which
ended up being cancelled due to drought. As, he says, he
didn't play that many sevens tournaments for the US, so he would
like some recognition. Here it is.
Attached is the invitation to the
Monte Carlo Sevens.
Luckily, everyone on this list has
had at least one actual appearance for the US (although early
research indicates Whitaker may not have played sevens for the US.
1990-08 Monte Carlo selection
note
Selection Announcement for US
team to Monte Carlo Sevens
1991. Hong Kong (and other)
Sevens
US at Hong Kong
Sevens (March 23-24, 1991)
1991-03 USA 7s in HKG.jpg
Eagles at 1991 Hong Kong Sevens
Standing, L to R: Steve Finkel
(coach), Will Brewington, Jim Burgett, Scott Stephens, Gary
Hein, Tony Ridnell, Emil Signes (manager)
Kneeling, L to R: Tommy Smith,
Kevin Higgins, Charlie Wilkinson, Chris Andres, Steve Syrstad
(trainer)
Chris Andres, NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Will Brewington, MOB (Maryland Old Boys)
Jim Burgett, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Gary Hein, Old Blues (CA)
Kevin Higgins, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)
Tony Ridnell, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Tommy Smith, Santa Monica
Scott Stephens, Washington (DC)
Charlie Wilkinson, NOVA
(Northern Virginia)
US Results at 1991
Hong Kong Sevens (W3 L2)
US 22 Papua New Guinea 10.
Charlie Wilkinson and Jim Burgett scored two first-half tries to
give the US a 10-0 lead, but PNG came right back to make it
10-10. Jim Burgett the scored 2 more (one on the "Dubai"
penalty play) for a hat trick and a 22-10 win. Tommy Smith
made all 3 conversions.
US 0 Australia 22. The US stayed in the game
for a half (0-4) with great pressure defense, but the US attack
was nonexistent and Australia scored 3 more tries.
US 20 Germany 0 (Plate QF). For some reason,
the odds-makers made Germany the favorite of the Plate, but the US
defense was excellent and in German standout Mathias Entenmann's
words, "You kicked our asses." Scott Stephens had 2 tries,
Will Brewington and Gary Hein one each, and Tommy Smith converted
two.
US 20 Tonga 14 (Plate SF). Tonga - US is normally a
toss-up; the US got off to a 14-0 lead playing sevens; the
creators created and the finishers finished. Scott Stephens scored
2 tries and Kevin Higgins 1: 14-0 at halftime. But with Tony
Ridnell suffering a concussion, and replaced by also injured Jim
Burgett, Tonga came back with 2 tries. The Eagles
in-the-lanes defense scored the winning try for them as, flooding
the lanes following a kickoff, Will Brewington managed a full
speed interception for the final score. Tommy Smith
converted 2 tries.
US 6 Argentina 36. In the Plate Final for the
first time in 3 years, were confident of repeating their Sicily
24-6 win over Argentina. The game, however, was a nightmare. Two
props, Tony Ridnell and Jim Burgett, couldn't play because of
injury, and Kevin Higgins, who had never played there, had to
prop. As reserves we recruited Stuart Krohn, an American playing
for Hong Kong, and Vaea Anitoni of Tonga (who would move to
Oakland later that year and ended up playing often for the US).
The game was never in doubt as Tonga streaked to a 24-0 half time
lead (and streaking onto the field during the game was a
"streaker", who pleased at least the crowd). Chris Andres' first
Eagle try was the lone redeeming feature (Smith converted).
The article noted that the US would be competing in the Sicily
Sevens in May. With respect to the possible proliferation of
international sevens tournaments, I wrote as the last sentence of
the article, "Brothers and sisters, you ain't seen nothin' yet!"
Results excerpted from an
article in Rugby Magazine, April 15, 1991.
Fiji won the 1991 Hong Kong Sevens 18-14 over New Zealand.
US at Sicily
Sevens (25-26 May, 1991)
1991-05 Sicily Sevens.jpg
May 1991. Eagles at Sicily
Sevens
Top, L to R: Steve Finkel (Coach),
Steve LaPorta, Russ Ortiz, Scott Stephens, Tom Billups, Chris
Andres
Bottom, L to R: Jimmy Wilkinson,
Dixie Dean, Charlie Wilkinson, Chris Petrakes, Andy Dujakovich
Steve
Finkel was the coach and these were the players:
Chris
Andres, NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Tom Billups, Old Blues (CA), Whakatane Marist (NZ)
David Dean, NOVA
(Northern Virginia)
Andy Dujakovich, Kansas City
Steve LaPorta, Denver Barbarians
Russ Ortiz, Santa Monica
Chris Petrakes, MOB (Maryland Old Boys)
Scott Stephens, Washington (DC)
Charlie Wilkinson, NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Jimmy Wilkinson, NOVA
(Northern Virginia)
US Results at
1991 Sicily Sevens (W3 L3)
This story was put together based
on the recollections of Chris Petrakes, Chris Andres and Scott
Stephens.
Loss US v Irish Wolfhounds.
Loss US v Russia. Big loss
Loss US v Sicily Select (mostly South African players). Big
loss
Win US v Bridgend (Plate QF). Tight game.
Win US v Tarbes (Plate SF).
Win US v Romania (Plate Final) (Overtime). Score unknown,
but Chris Andres scored the winning try in double overtime; it was
from a penalty tap: Petrakes to Billups to Andres.
Per Chris Petrakes' recollection, about half the team were Army
players that were killed during the numerous uprisings that
plagued Romania after the fall of Ceausescu.
Anecdote from Chris Petrakes re the Tarbes game: "We shared a
shuttle bus with Irish and French Teams…with one interpreter that
spoke French, Italian, Spanish and German. She was a student
from UCLA. Early on she overheard the French making fun of
us (in French of course) and being pretty disgusting…she angrily
reprimanded them in French…and then told us later what they were
saying. Subsequently, we played them in the Semi’s and
Billups was a physically destructive force in that game."
1992. Hong Kong and Benidorm
Sevens
US at Hong Kong Sevens (4-5 April, 1992)
1992-03 Eagles at Hong
Kong-1200w.jpg
Eagles at 1992 Hong Kong Sevens
Back, L to R: Will Brewington, Tom Brewer, Tony Ridnell, Scott
Stephens, Gary Hein
Front, L to R: Chris O'Brien, David Dean, Andy Dujakovich, Mike
Telkamp
Steve Finkel was the Coach and Emil Signes was the
manager. The players were
Tom Brewer, Old Blue (NY)
Will Brewington (captain), MOB (Maryland Old Boys)
David Dean, NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Andy Dujakovich, Kansas City
Gary Hein, Old Blues (CA)
Chris O'Brien, Old Blues (CA)
Tony Ridnell, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Scott Stephens, Washington (DC)
Mike Telkamp, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
This was the last year that the tournament took place in this
configuration of the Hong Kong Stadium (28,000). The new
Hong Kong stadium was built directly above this, and was usable
(though not complete) for the 1993 tournament, and completely
finished by the 1994 Sevens.
US
Results at 1992 Hong Kong Sevens (W1 L2)
-- Results from this tournament are given in the
Rugby Magazine April 20, 1992 (pp. 8-12), but several
pages (8 and 10 and 12) are cut off in the scan I have. Need
to get & scan good copy of page 10 which has the clubs of
each player.
US 22 Germany 0. The Eagles scored on
several good attacking moves. Tries were by Will
Brewington, Andy Dujakovich, David "Dixie" Dean and Tony
Ridnell. Chris O'Brien converted 3 of them. The key to
their victory, said captain Brewington, was "we abused their
scrum."
US 0 Argentina 12. The torrential rains that
would plague this tournament throughout started almost
concurrently with this game. There was no scoring in the first
half, but Argentina scored twice in the monstrously heavy rain.
US 6 Tonga 20 (Plate QF). The rain had poured so
hard overnight that - just prior to the US-Tonga match on Sunday
morning - the managers were called in and asked to vote on a
proposal that, because of the condition of the field, scrums be
outlawed for the day and replaced with tap kicks. As
manager of the US team, I voted against this proposal, which
nevertheless passed. While the US had the big men, Tonga
is always at their best with a lot of space to play in.
Noting that the results of a comparable game with scrums would
never be known, Rugby Magazine commented "What we do
know is that, after an even first half, Tonga comprehensively
outplayed the US at water rugby." Mike Telkamp scored the US
try, converted by Chris O'Brien (this was in the days prior to
drop-kick conversions; it's unlikely the ball would have bounced
off the ground that day).
Fiji beat New Zealand 22-6 in the championship final.
US at Benidorm
Sevens (May 22-23, 1992)
1992-05 Eagles at
Benidorm 7s-1500w.jpg
Eagles at 1992 Benidorm Sevens
Front, L to R: Steve Finkel (coach), George Conahey, Tom
Billups, Chris O'Brien, Dave Bateman
Back, L to R: Jon Hinkin, Scott Stephens, Tony Ridnell, Gary
Hein, Finau Puloka, Emil
Signes (manager)
Steve Finkel was the Coach and Emil
Signes was the manager. The players were
Dave Bateman the Younger*, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Tom Billups, Old Blues (CA)
George Conahey, -- ¿club? --
Gary Hein, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic
Club) Jon Hinkin
Chris O'Brien, Old Blues (CA)
Finau Puloka, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Tony Ridnell
Scott Stephens, Washington
* Two Dave Batemans have represented the US sevens team.
This Dave Bateman, from Seattle, first represented the US in 1992,
7 years after Dave Bateman the Elder's last appearance.
US Results at 1992
Benidorm Sevens (W3 L1)
The
Eagles won three games (including a "friendly" vs. the Ukraine
and an exciting 36-0 win over the Public School Wanderers) and
lost only one (the final, to Fiji!) at this event. The
writeup is in the June 22, 1992 issue of Rugby Magazine.
Eagles 10 Ukraine 4. The Eagles were constantly
forcing breaks that weren't there, and the Ukraine's excellent
defense shut down all Eagle breaks. The Eagles were,
however, in control most of the game because their own good
defensive pressure kept the Ukraine in its own half most of the
time. Dave Bateman and Chris O'Brien, tries, O'Brien one
conversion.
Eagles 16 Ukraine 12. Because one team was unavailable,
the US had a déja vu moment, and got to repeat the Ukraine
matchup. The Eagles hoped to get back to form in this match but
it was virtually a repeat of the first one; only a clutch try by
Finau Puloka pulled the game out in the final seconds. Dave
Bateman and George Conahey also scored tries and Chris O'Brien
had 2 conversions.
Eagles
36 Public School Wanderers 0. After an
evening's rest, the Eagles pulled out their "A" game,
and left the Public School Wanderers - one of the
world's top invitational sides - in disarray. They
played deeper, were more patient, and kept the ball for
virtually all of the 14 minutes. Gary Hein had a
hat trick, and Tom Billups, Scott Stephens and Jon
Hinkin had a try each. Scott Stephens commented: "it was
one of those games you wish would never end."
Eagles 4 Fiji 30. The Eagles didn't play badly, but
Fiji was at another level. The lone Eagle try was by Scott
Stephens, who dragged a Fiji defender several yards over the line
to score only the fourth-ever Eagle try against Fiji, in five
contests.
1993. The first Rugby World Cup
Sevens
Prelude: Canberra, Fiji and
Hong Kong Sevens
Steve Finkel was
the coach, and Emil Signes the manager. The 13 players
that took part in the three tournaments are listed
below. The
writeup is in the April 12, 1993 issue of Rugby Magazine.
1993, by the way, was the first year of the 5-point try.
Rosters
1=Canberra, 2=Fiji,
3=Hong Kong
Name
|
Club |
T1
|
T2
|
T3
|
Tom Billups
|
Old
Blues (CA)
|
x
|
x
|
|
Tom Brewer
|
Old Blue (NY)
|
x
|
|
|
Will Brewington
|
MOB
|
|
|
x
|
Jim Burgett
|
Old Puget Sound
|
|
|
x
|
David Dean
|
NOVA
|
x
|
|
|
Andy Dujakovich
|
Kansas City
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Gary Hein
|
Old Blues (CA)
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Jon Hinkin
|
OMBAC
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Chris O'Brien
|
Old Blues (CA)
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Tony Ridnell
|
Old Puget Sound
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Scott Stephens
|
Washington (DC)
|
|
x
|
x
|
Mike Telkamp
|
Old Puget Sound
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Brian Vizard
|
OMBAC
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
Total #
|
|
10
|
9
|
10
|
US at Canberra
Festival Sevens (March 13, 1993)
1993-03 Eagles at
Canberra 7s-1200w.jpg
Eagles at Canberra lookout prior to Canberra Festival
Sevens
Back, L to R: Brian Vizard, Emil Signes (manager), David Dean,
Jon Hinkin, Tony Ridnell, Mike Telkamp, Gary Hein, Chris
O'Brien
Front: Our liaison Mick Dundee, Tom Billups, Steve Finkel
(coach), Andy Dujakovich, Tom Brewer
US Results at
1993 Canberra Festival Sevens (1-2)
USA 5 Western
Samoa 40. The game started out well with a world-class
run by David "Dixie" Dean, who fed Chris O'Brien for a
beautiful try. After that it was all downhill, 5-19 at
half and worse in the second half.
USA 31 Australian Institute of Sport 10. AIS, featuring
several up-and-coming Australian players, took the lead
following a chip kick and chase. Following that, the US
dominated. Tony Ridnell scored following a Gary Hein break.
Andy Dujakovich was caught after a long run, but left the ball
on the ground where Brian Vizard made a spectacular one-hand
pickup and scored. O'Brien looped Hein and fed Dixie Dean for
a 3rd try before halftime. The Eagles scored from a "Dubai"
penalty play (I no longer remember what that was), and Dixie
Dean scored his 2nd try following excellent ball
movement. Chris O'Brien converted 3 of the US's 5 tries.
USA 7 Canterbury (NZ Province) 29 (Plate Semifinal).
The Eagles' only try in this game was by Jon Hinkin, converted
by Mike Telkamp.
Western Samoa won the tournament championship with a win over
surprise finalist Canada.
US at Fiji
Sevens (Suva, March 19-20, 1993)
Left: 1993-03 USA at Fiji 7s from Fiji
Times-crop-1000w.jpg // Right: 1993-03 Fiji 7s caption.jpg
From the Fiji Times: Eagles Receive Leis on Arrival
in Fiji
L to R: Emil Signes (manager), Jon Hinkin Tony Ridnell, Tom
Billups, Mike Telkamp, Chris O'Brien, Brian Vizard, Gary Hein,
Andy Dujakovich (front), Steve Finkel (coach, behind), Scott
Stephens
US Results at 1993 Fiji
Sevens (1-3)
US 7 Fiji 35.
Jon Hinkin became - almost certainly - the first
American to score a try against Fiji in both soccer and
rugby. Converted by Chris O'Brien, Jon's try was well
deserved. The US also had a decent first half, but
couldn't get across the Fiji line.
US 7 Tavua 26. To put this loss in context, the
8 quarterfinalists in this tournament were Fiji, Western
Samoa, Tonga, and five Fijian provinces. Both New Zealand
and Australia lost to Fijian provinces. Pressure defense
from a kickoff led to a Chris O'Brien try/conversion, and
early in the second half the score was merely 7-12.
But Tavua scored two more converted tries.
US 19 Solomon Islands 7. The US scored first on
a set play, when Dujakovich ran through a gap and moved the
ball - Dujakovich- Gary Hein - Scott Stephens - Jon Hinkin
for the try. The Solomon Islands, however, in a game that
should have been an easy win, came back with an 80-y try by
their speedy wing and a 7-7 score. In the second half,
Hinkin put a move on the opposing winger to put us ahead,
and Chris O'Brien, set up by the physical play of the big
guys (Brian Vizard and Tony Ridnell) finished the scoring
with both a try and a conversion.
US 0 Australia 38 (Plate Semifinal). To quote
from the Rugby article "the Plate semifinal was an
unmitigated disaster in which the US did nothing right.
Fiji defeated Fijian province Suva in the championship
final, 26-0.
US at Hong
Kong Sevens (March 27-28, 1993)
1993 HK
Stadium-temp-1300w.jpg
Hong Kong Stadium 1993: cover not yet built:
this year's capacity 34,000
The fans were lucky the weather held up
1993-Eagles at HK 7s-1300w.jpg
Eagles at 1993 Hong Kong Sevens
Standing: Ed Ayub (trainer), Steve Finkel (coach), Jim Burgett,
Will Brewington, Brian Vizard, Tony Ridnell, Scott Stephens, Jim
St. Ville (physician), Emil Signes (manager)
Kneeling: Jon Hinkin, Chris O'Brien, Gary Hein, Mike Telkamp,
Andy Dujakovich
US Results at 1993 Hong Kong
Sevens (1-2)
US 42
Singapore 0. The Eagles lived up to their heavy
favorite status and did it while playing to the pattern: Scott
Stephens made two great breaks one of which he scored and the
other which he passed to Andy Dujakovich. Jon Hinkin, in his
first Hong Kong appearance scored for a 21-0 halftime
lead. In the second half Will Brewington scored 2 tries
and Dujakovich one. Mike Telkamp converted all 6 tries.
US 0 Australia 45.
This was an embarrassing loss, as virtually every Eagle
possession led to a turnover. 7 tries, 5 conversions to none.
US 12 Italy 17 (Plate Quarterfinal, Overtime).
Italian coach, former All Black Wayne Smith, was elated over
Italy's play, but the Americans felt that with fewer mistakes
the game would have been won in regulation time. Jim Burgett
and Chris O'Brien scored tries, and O'Brien converted one.
From a scrum early in overtime, Italy executed an excellent
double switch (C/W, W/FH) and the Eagle response was
inadequate.
Western Samoa defeated Fiji 14-12 in a fiercely contested
final, which began with both of them doing their equivalent of
the better-known Haka. From my write-up at the time:
"when the Samoans finished, they leapt towards the Fijians and
ended up almost in their faces. The show was about to begin!"
Rugby World Cup: Edinburgh,
Scotland (April 16-18, 1993)
1993-04 Eagles at
Rugby World Cup 7s-1200w.jpg
Eagles at 1993 Rugby World Cup 7s - Edinburgh, Scotland
Standing: Emil Signes (manager), Jim Burgett, Scott
Stephens, Tony Ridnell, Brian Vizard, Will Brewington, Ed
Ayub (trainer), Jim St.Ville (physician)
Kneeling: Steve Finkel (coach), Mike Telkamp, Gary Hein, Jon
Hinkin, Andy Dujakovich, Chris O'Brien
Will Brewington, MOB (Maryland Old Boys)
Jim Burgett, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Andy Dujakovich, Kansas City
Gary Hein, Old Blues (CA)
Jon Hinkin, OMBAC
Chris O'Brien, Old Blues (CA)
Tony Ridnell, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Scott Stephens, Washington
Mike Telkamp, OPSB (Old Puget Sound Beach)
Brian Vizard, OMBAC (Old Mission Beach Athletic
Club)
US Results at
1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens (1-4)
Summarized
below, the
results can be found in the May 24, 1993 issue of Rugby
Magazine.
US 7 France 22. Gary Heins
commented that "we didn't pressure them and never created
opportunities. We just waited for them to make
mistakes." Hein scored the Eagles only try after a nice
break by Will Brewington. Chris O'Brien converted.
US 5 New Zealand 19. The Eagles
played much better in this game. The one US try was by Scott
Stephens.
US 0 Ireland 38.
Ireland totally outplayed the US in this game, taking a 26-0
halftime lead.
US 31
Netherlands 0. The US started out slow and scored
only once, an intercept try by Jim Burgett, converted by
O'Brien. Then there were 4 second half tries, by Chris O'Brien
(following a turnover forced by an Andy Dujakovich tackle and
an assist from Tony Ridnell). Mike Telkapm and Dujakovich
scored 2 more, and then Jim Burgett made a huge break and
dished off to Ridnell for the try; O'Brien converted 2
of the second half tries.
US 19 Korea 26
(Plate Quarterfinal). This figured to be a tough
game and it was. The winner would advance to the Bowl
round and the loser was out. The US scored first when Jon
Hinkin kicked ahead for Gary Hein to touch down; O'Brien
converted. Korea scored, then Gary Hein scored, then Korea
again, for a 12-12 halftime score. Shortly after the
second-half started, Korea scored to take a 19-12 lead.
The US came back to tie it 19-19 with a Jim Burgett try and
O'Brien conversion, but the defense wouldn't hold and Korea
scored the last points to get into the Bowl; the US was out.
Underdog England
surprised the rugby world by knocking off Australia 21-17 in
the final of the first-ever Rugby World Cup Sevens.
tc
9399
