This is another article take a look at all the backs that Old Glory has signed for their 2020 squad. It is an interesting group of players with plenty of versatility and depth, plus experience which should make them ready to match up against other backs in the league. With that being said, let's take a look at each player.
Scrumhalves
Sean Hartig
Hartig is another intriguing player as he played for local high school DeMatha where he made the All-Star team his senior year. After DeMatha, he went on to captain Mount Saint Mary's and was named to two NSCRO First–XV's. Hartig does have some experience playing abroad as he played in New Zealand, but he came back to the DC area as he was named to the Capital Selects and played for local club Rocky Gorge RFC. Hartig is a long shot to win the starting job, but he does provide depth and will battle Reid for the backup role.
Michael Reid
What's great about Old Glory has been that they have been able to find some real good talent and build nice depth. Reid is another one of those as he is a young player from South Africa who had played for Austin in 2018 and for the San Francisco Rush in the PRO league. He played for Old Glory in their exhibition season, but he does provide depth. He will undoubtedly compete for the starting role, but he will likely be named as a replacement.
Danny Tusitala
Tusitala might be one more underrated signings by the team, but he will be vital to the offensive flow. He has experience as he has played for the Samoa national side three times, played in France, and has played for Auckland in the prestigious New Zealand domestic tournament Mitre 10 Cup. Having more professional experience should make him look like the favorite to win the starting role, but he should be named for the gameday squad every single match.
Flyhalves
Mike Dabulas
Dabulas was the first choice flyhalf for Penn State and was a Collegiate All-American, so clearly he has a lot of talent. The question is whether his talent will help push for the starting role as he is just coming out of college and is facing off against players who have been playing for a while. There is no doubt that he will probably become the starting flyhalf for the team down the line and develop into a star, but he lacks Major League Rugby experience which is a huge step up from the college game. So, in his development, do you start him and hope he can gain experience that way or do you have him watch from the sidelines and have him come in as a substitute to gain that experience? There probably are other ways too, but those two are most likely that will spark debate within the coaching staff.
Tyler Myles
Myles gives Head Coach Andrew Douglas more depth at the flyhalf position as he impressed the club during the 2019 exhibition season. Myles is from the Frederick, Maryland area as he played rugby during his high school years. He enrolled at Mount St. Mary's University where he was a co-captain then eventually captain for the school. He helped lead the team to a second place finish in the National Championship in 2015 and won it in 2016. He also played while he lived in Australia and in New Zealand while then playing for Baltimore-Chesapeake in 2017-18. He actually got a chance to play in the Glendale Raptors Academy in 2018-19, but he came back to Maryland to play for Rocky Gorge.
Jason Robertson
Of all the players listed in this article, Robertson is clearly the most experienced. Robertson has had the pleasure playing in the Mitre 10 Cup, which is a pretty prestigious rugby tournament in New Zealand and that could come in handy with his move to MLR. Americas Rugby News describes him as a creative attacker and a right-footed goal kicker and that is very promising to see, but he isn't quite as heralded as Dabulas. That being said the coaching staff will have to debate whether his experience should determine if he should be the starter or if he would come in as a replacement.
Centers
Doug Fraser
Fraser is coming from Austin where he played in the 2019 Major League Rugby season, but only played in four matches. In those four matches he carried the ball 21 times for 182 meters and made 22 tackles. Those numbers suggest he could also be a very solid defensive player and carries the ball well. Essentially, this is exactly the type of player that Old Glory would need on offense as he could be a game changer. Before joining the Canadian national side, some saw him as a "high-level prospect" while he was playing for his provincial side BC Bears of British Columbia. He then made his international debut in 2018 during the America's Rugby Championship against Brazil. He has played for Canada four times.
Ciaran Hearn
Hearn has played for Canada in the 2011, 2015, and the 2019 Rugby World Cups and has 73 appearances for the national team including 7s. For the national side he has 8 tries, made 7 conversions, and 3 penalty goals. He also played for the London Irish in England. Hearn has a big frame as he is 6'3" and 225lbs and that could help in the backline defensively. He is likely to pair up with his Canadian teammate Fraser in the backline, but he also can play at fullback if needed. So it will be interesting what that partnership does for the team as they probably have a lot of chemistry together.
Thretton Palamo
Palamo has played for USA at the Rugby World Cup three times (2007, 2015, 2019), but also has a distinguished 7s career. He also has played at very high levels in club competition as he played for Biarritz Olympique in the Top 14 in France to start off his professional career. He came back to the US to go to school at University of Utah, where he played rugby and helped Utah win the Collegiate Rugby Championship. Palamo resumed his professional career when he went to England to play for the Saracens, London Welsh, and Bristol Bears. In 2017, he was loaned to the Dragons in Wales in the Pro 14 competition. In 2019, he joined the Houston Sabercats and is now in the Nation's Capital for the 2020 Major League Rugby campaign. It will be interesting to see how the team uses Palamo as they had also acquired two Canadian national side teammates in Fraser and Heard whose primary positions are at the centers. He is 6'2" and 256 lbs, so he will pack quite a punch defensively. The other two have more versatility, so Old Glory could theoretically start one of them at one of the wings, but if not, would come in as a replacement. The club could also try a rotation between the three players, but there is no doubt they all will be named on gamedays. What we do know from Palamo is he will provide experience on the field and that will come in handy if the club is going to make a playoff push.
Wings
Ryan Burroughs
Burroughs is an interesting case as he has the strongest case to be named on gameday as he has a proven rugby background. He's originally from Northern Virginia and played football during his high school years. He actually played rugby league where he joined Northern Virginia Eagles Rugby League Club in 2015 racking up tries like crazy. He then played internationally for the USA Rugby League team. Burroughs moved to Australia where he started playing rugby league professionally and even moved to Toronto to play for the Wolfpack in the Super League. He would also then go on to play for the London Skolars and Barrow Raiders before moving back to Northern Virginia. He switched over to rugby union and played for NOVA Rugby. He is versatile as he can play either on the wing or at center.
Vetekina Malafu
Malafu was retained after impressing in the exhibition season for Old Glory. Also able to play center, Malafu's build, 6'0" and 210 lbs, will play as a huge factor as it could help in rucks and running the ball. The Hawaiian had spent the 2018 season with Austin Elite and is now getting another chance with Old Glory. The 25 year old has a chance to prove that he can develop into a top player in the league.
Declan O'Donnell
O'Donnell hails from New Zealand in the Waikato province. He actually got his start playing for New Zealand in Sevens in 2010, but got a chance to play for the Maori All Blacks in 2012. O'Donnell then took his skill sets to Super Rugby where he played for the Chiefs, Blues, and Highlanders. He also played in the Mitre 10 Cup having played for Waikato and Taranaki. O'Donnell will join his Waikato teammate Api Naikatini at Old Glory. Wing was a glaring need for the team, but getting O'Donnell certainly helps alleviate the problem. Now, in terms of how the lineup will be set up, O'Donnell should figure to start at one of the wings.
Renata Roberts-Tenana
Roberts-Tenana was born in New Zealand and has been a Sevens player for numerous clubs. He also played in a tournament based in Dubai called the Dubai International Invitational 7's Tournament. In 2018, he joined the Mitre 10 Cup as he played for Northland and he also played for them in 2019. Roberts-Tenana is a versatile back as he can play at wing, fullback, and even at flyhalf which gives the team some much needed depth. Because of his versatility, it would seem likely that he either starts or is named as a replacement on gamedays, but how head coach Andrew Douglas prepares for matches remains to be seen. That being said, this is a fantastic signing and could be a very underrated one.
Fullbacks
Dylan Taikato-Simpson
Taikato-Simpson comes over from the Colorado Raptors after having a great season in 2019. While he is expected to be the starting fullback, Taikato-Simpson can also play on the wing and at flyhalf if needed. He is a fast player who has great footwork and is a brilliant attacker according to Americas Rugby News and he even scored six tries for the Raptors this past campaign. He will be a valuable member on offense.
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