South Readies for RAN U19s

The Rugby Americas North (RAN) regional U19 championship is almost upon us, with the USA Rugby South set to face Bermuda on Saturday.

The Panthers will face Bermuda on July 9 and then Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday, July 13. It's a pretty favorable draw for the South, as befits the top seed in the pool. Bermuda and T&T play on July 11 in between those two games. 

For the coaching staff of Mark Williams, Randall Joseph, Daniel Pretorius, and Stevie Roberts, it's going to be very important to worry about what's right in front of them.

"Our approach is to stay focused on each game and not get ahead of ourselves," said Williams. "Saturday’s game against Bermuda is the most important match for us and for a lot of our team their first international match." 

The team arrives in Miami, where the tournament will be played, on Thursday and will have very little time to get ready.

"We get our feet on the ground and start becoming a team," said Williams. "We have had limited time together so now it’s time to settle in and focus on executing a simple game plan. Defense and playing as a team is key. A lot of our players are leaders for their team and they sometimes play 'hero rugby' which leads to them trying to do too much all at once." 

Patience and discipline, then, will be the watchwords, but added to that will be the team's athleticism, which is where the South can shine.

"I am excited about this group," said Williams, "but we have a lot of work to do before Saturday."

The South team had a late roster change, with conflicts preventing John Curley from being able to play, and thus St. Xavier HS of Louisville prop Tucker Donlon will replace him.