Hong Kong Sevens 2022: injury-plagued USA ‘face baptism by fire’ says coach Mike Friday
- With plenty of absences, Friday has selected youthful squad with four players making their debuts
- ‘I’m excited about this group,’ says skipper Perry Baker – ‘the young guys always bring that hunger, and they have that edge’
United States coach Mike Friday is under no illusions as to the size of the task that awaits his young squad when they get their Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens campaign under way against Spain tomorrow.
“It’s a baptism by fire,” Friday said. “Look, we won’t hide from the fact that this tournament is probably a month too early for us, but it is what it is.”
The USA squad arrived in Hong Kong with barely a month to recover from the end of last season and there is plenty of wear and tear to show for it.
Key players including captain Kevon Williams and vice-captain Stephen Tomasin, along with Maka Unufe, Joe Schroeder and Faitala Talapusi, have been sidelined with injury. Carlin Isles – 2019’s top overall try scorer and arguably the fastest man in rugby – remains on sabbatical.
Instead, eight of the travelling 13 players are dipping their toes into the Hong Kong Sevens extravaganza for the first time – with four making their US debuts. All the more incredible is the fact that two of those four are still at school.
