In case you’ve forgotten (and I have to admit I almost did), the USA Men’s 7s team is competing in a World Series 7s tournament this coming weekend.

Head Coach Mike Friday replaced Nic Edwards with Martin Iosefo in a move of startling logic, and we’re now seeing more and more the profile of the team Friday wants.

He found and coached up Iosefo, and then found Matai Leuta, who is every bit as imposing a player. Where the Eagles had one or two tall, long-striding, powerful players who could play prop, wing, center, or hooker, he now has four (Iosefo, Leuta, Zack Test, Maka Unufe), plus three other guys not quite as fast but a bit more punishing in Danny Barrett, Garret Bender, and Andrew Durutalo.

The choice to leave Edwards behind is a good one, because Iosefo is younger, hungrier, and has more upside. It also fits right into Friday’s approach that he is not going to keep a veteran just because he’s a veteran.

He benched Zack Test at the end of the Tokyo 7s, and made no apology for it, after all.

“Zach wasn't performing to his normal high standards and was making a number of mistakes,” said Friday. “And other boys within the squad stepped up when starting which resulted in Zach contributing to the squad from the bench making an impact, which he did. It is the nature of the squad and where we are in terms of competition. If you are slightly off-color, and others are on song, then they will start. As a coach this is great and as a squad it is good news as it means the bar is raised.”

They also had to bench Folau Niua on the first day, because Niua got a six-game suspension for a kick in Hong Kong. They needed him, and it’s no coincidence that with Niua unable to play, the Eagles started poorly and missed the Cup Quarterfinals for the first time since Dubai. 

“We did miss Folau, as he brings an energy to the team, and whilst he is recognized for his restarts, we missed his energy and physicality at the breakdown, where he is excellent at competing and turning over the ball,” said Friday.

Captain Madison Hughes agreed. “Folau is a great player and a great teammate and we needed to step in in his absence, which we eventually did, but it took a while.”

On the second day in Tokyo, “you could see he was a coiled spring when his ban was over and bought a real energy to the boys and our play. He is a good player and when he plays in a balanced manner, as he did on Sunday, he is a handful for anyone.”

So all that said, this tournament doesn’t mean all that much, at least not in the standings. What it means for the players and the team is something else again. Olympic Qualification is just around the corner, and so this is not the time to cruise in desultory overconfidence into the end of the season. Glasgow and London are, in fact, the beginning of the second season.

Every player has to prove he is worthy of being part of the NACRA 7s qualifier. Friday knows there will be no second chances in that event, so he won’t brook complacency now.

In that sense, the performance by the Eagles is huge. Every player is, and should be, under the microscope.