The USA Rugby Beagles

It's been two weeks since "Your USA Eagles" took on French championship bridesmaids ASM Clermont Auvergne, yet they still seems to be getting kicked around by everyone who talks about them.
There are so many ways in which this match should be praised and no argument that losing was anything but a huge step forward for these Baby-Eagles.
This was NOT the full Eagles.
These were the babies, a training side that Coach Scott Johnson hopes will be real ruggers by the time that the eyes of world turn on Kiwiland in 2011.
With four guys who are currently matriculating at Cal and two shipped in from "The Haggis" you cannot expect them to look good or fair well against a veteran, battle-tested ASM side.
Why is everyone underestimating these Auvergne Surrender Monkeys? Or are you all simply overestimating the kids they were playing?
A former Basketball and Rugby coach of mine named Tom Clark constantly said "You only learn by getting your arse kicked."
And while Tom Clark was wrong about many things (including telling Jason White that he would "never be a rugby player") he is right here. (He also owned a bar and allowed kids on his teams to get pissed there when they were underage!)

That is what Johno is doing with these Beagles, not the underage drinking, the other thing. He is letting them know that the only way to get better is to play against quality sides and that is what these college kids did.
You have to compare baby's arms holding apples, to baby's arms holding an apples.
In soccer, any top flight English, Italian or Spanish club side would demolish a US National team's training side. And remember Johno's was always a training side (it said so in your overpriced match programs.).
Johnson told me before the match "I am not thinking about the World Cup, I'm not thinking about anything except building this game up from the bottom. There have been too many quick-fixes and look where they have gotten us."
Sorry to name drop, but he is right. He is happy for many of the 1st XV to go abroad and play and knows how this is to excel as a player right now, but he wants top quality rugby in this country at every level.
"Cross-pollination is good for the game, but if we are ever going to improve we need the infrastructure in this country from the early years up."
Sorry this has been verbose, but Johno and Tom Clark are right -- and so am I -- this was a great match, a great ass-kicking and a great way for US Rugby to really look to the future.
... on a final note, look at this picture. Anyone who thinks the Beagles were badly coached look at this. If this is not Rucking and Presenting 101 i don't know what is!
Oh yeah, and possibly Fisting 427.