Players at the HS All-American Winter Camp were expected to reach tougher fitness and skill standards than in the past, and the players welcomed the change.

“It was very intense,” said Arkansas-based scrumhalf Ruben de Haas. “We had to work really hard and as a result it was a really high-quality camp.”

“We want to up our game,” added Jesuit center/flyhalf Christian Dyer. “What I really liked was how hands-on it was. The ratio of coaches to players was better than in the past. So you got to know the coaches and you could always get some feedback from them after sessions. That’s what you want.”

“It was more intense,” added prop David Ainuu. “There was definitely more competition from all of the players. Everyone wants to get to the next level and having a camp like this helps you.”

The takeaway from the camp was, in part, that the U17 players were pushing the U19s. It was a sentiment put forth by Coach Salty Thompson, and confirmed by the players.

“There’s definitely a lot more competition coming from the U17 guys,” said Dyer.