Eagle Impact Rugby Academy took a U15 Developmental Team to Spain this past week.
With a 27-player squad from 15 states, including 11 middle-school players and ranging in age from 13 to 15, the EIRA U15s went 4-1, winning the Arroyo International Tournament in Valladolid and losing a precursor game against Madrid All Star Select.
The EIRA coaching staff stressed defense in their preliminary work with the team. Preparation started before the tour with online meetings on team culture, expectations, attack and defense. This was the first time many of the boys had been out of the country and introduced to a rigor of daily trainings, living with teammates from across the country, adjusting to time zone changes, and differences in language, food, and culture.
Only having had a few hours to prep before the Madrid All-Stars, the team showed well in their defensive work early, but lacked width and failed to fold on occasions. In three 30-minute periods, EIRA won the first two, 17-14 and 12-5, but were outstripped 17-0 in the final period for a final score of Madrid 36 EIRA 29.
Llessons learned from playing a highly-skilled Madrid All-Star team and those lessons were used to win the Arroyo Cup International Tournament is Valladolid on Saturday.
“The boys played tough in all our games, but the defense, by the end of the week had a lot more organization, connection, launch and width,” said Defense Coach Tommy Dolan. “We shutdown potential overlaps and our back three worked a pendulum very well. They learned some good lessons about playing structured defense on an international rugby tour.”
Jack Dodge of Monarch, Colo. played at lock along with Rogan Gabriel of East Oregon, Ore., Magnus Smail of Stamford, Conn., and Robert Kellen of Loudoun Rugby, Va. They all helped solidify the scrum and set a good platform for attack. The coaches worked hard to emphasize efficient scrumming throughout the week.
Jake Haudenshield of West Carroll, Md. was a center converted to lock to cover for injuries and quickly adapted to win lineout ball along with primary jumpers and flankers Quade Walker (Denver Wolfpack, Colo.) and Bryce Van Lannen (Pulaski Rugby, Wisc.). The 8th-grader excelled with dominant runs while Kellen would end the tour with five tries. Gabriel provided strength in the engine room and had numerous carries beyond the gainline.
04.25.2024HS Boys, Int'l News, Youth
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The EIRA backs showed significant improvement through the week. As expected with players from multiple states, they struggled to connect. But over the course of the tour they worked hard in training to improve their catch-pass timing and running lines. Their tactical decision-making was challenged from the start and Madrid played most of the first game in the EIRA end of the field. Good exits were tough to find and that also made it difficult to launch attacks.
The scrumhalf pairing of Lars Starling (Katy Barbarians, Texas) and Miguel Alegria (Charlotte Tigers, NC) combined with Daniel Bennett (also of Katy), Michael Doerfler (St. Thomas Aquinas, Kan.). and John Hamilton Carter (Culpeper, Va.) to run the backs.
Carter, one of the youngest on tour, played some at flyhalf and also wing and fullback.
By tournament time they had a good understanding of their tactical roles and did a great job managing the attack.
EIRA forwards worked hard during the week learning how to function in a flood-and-spread attack. The front row included props Evan Ingalls (Valor, Colo.), Lucas Swanson (Fond du lac Stoutmen, Wisc.), hookers Sullivan Sites (Warrior Rugby, Ohio), and Felipe Edbrooke (Strake Jesuit, Texas). Griffith Ingram, (Chuckanut, Wash.) at prop was the youngest player on tour.
Heneli Iongi (American Fork, Utah) alternated between tighthead prop and No. 8 and he also carried well, while Brave Dolan (Valor, Colo.) was a menace at flanker poaching and setting the tone with strong defense and excellent support play on attack.
The EIRA center combinations of Paolo Masso (Strake Jesuit, Texas), Liam McGettigan (Knightmare Rugby, Pa.) Drew Smith (Greer 76ers, SC), and Killian Ingram (Eastside Lions, Wash.) showed potential to get over the gainline with hard running lines and offloads. The back three combinations of Corbin Rose (Green Bay Leprechauns, Wisc.) David Pfaff (Roosters Youth Rugby Md.), and Tyler Gilbert (Loudoun, Va.) worked well in a pendulum defense. Corbin was especially useful with his timely clearance kicks and try-saving tackles in the open field.
The flexibility and willingness of these players to quickly adapt to a variety of positions was hugely important to the success of the tour, as was the work by the coaching team of Jim Tate, Andrew Brischke, and Tommy Dolan.
This team included several players who had never left the country before, and the trip was a rugby development tour for sure, but it was also a personal development tour. Players learned what it was like to be in a serious road trip and go from airplane to the work they had to do (in this case, playing rugby) in short order.
The team itself came from 15 states and 22 different clubs.
Tuesday April 16th – EIRA v Madrid
3 periods
1st – 17-14 EIRA
2nd – 12-5 EIRA
3rd – 0-17 Madrid
Final EIRA U15s 29-36 Madrid
Saturday April 20th – Arroyo International Tournament
EIRA 25 Arroyo 5
EIRA 7 VRAC 0
EIRA 19 Aranda 0
EIRA 14 VRAC Select 5
EIRA U15 Tour Spain 2024 Roster
First Name
Last Name
Age
Height
Weight
Position(s)
Rugby Club
State
Miguel
Alegria
15
5'8"
135
Flyhalf
Katy Barbarians Rugby Club
TX
John Hamilton
Carter
14
6'1"
160
Lock
Monarch RFC
CO
Michael
Doerfler
15
5'9"
160
Flanker
Valor High School
CO
Felipe
Edbrooke
14
6'1"
185
Lock
East Oregon Rugby Club
OR
Tyler
Gilbert
15
5'11"
155
Center/Lock
West Carroll Marauders
MD
Evan
Ingalls
15
5'11"
225
Prop
Chuckanut Rugby Club
WA
Killian
Ingram
15
5'10"
200
Prop/No. 8
American Fork Rugby
UT
Robert
Kellen
14
5'11"
165
Center
Strake Jesuit Rugby
TX
Liam
McGettigan
15
5'7"
132
Wing
Rooster Youth Rugby
MD
Corbin
Rose
15
5'7"
156
Hooker
Warrior Rugby Football Club
OH
Magnus
Smail
14
5'8"
160
Center
Greer 76ers
SC
Lars
Starling
14
5'10"
215
Prop
Fond du lac Stoutmen
WI
Caleb
Swartz
15
5'10"
150
Flanker
Pulaski Rugby
WI
Quade
Walker
14
