|
(Phil Thiel with Cinderford in England before he moved back to the USA.)
By Alex Goff
The USA Men’s National Team has players that come from all over, but it's interesting to note that the classic pathway for American-born players - high school, age-grade national team, college, All Americans and then National Team - doesn't always work.
John van der Giessen was a college rugby player, but was never an All-American. He became a national-team candidate after spending tine overseas on his own initiative. Nic Johnson is the same way. He played in high school, but then opted to play in New Zealand for a time before returning to the USA. It still took him two years to get into the national team.
Another with such a story is Phil Thiel. Before he was an Eagle, or, for that matter, a Running Eagle at Life University, Thiel was just a big strong boy from Michigan. He was a football star at Traverse City West HS in Michigan, and also played rugby for the Alliance U19 program in that town.
After that Thiel moved on to play for Traverse City men's club. Not exactly a Super League team, TCRFC is a successful DIII club. Head coach Tony Dell'Acqua sent Thiel to play lower-division rugby in England, and it was only after that that he was recruited by Scott Lawrence, who headed up the Life program and used to play with Dell'Acqua.
"At first when I met Phil I saw a great athlete with an outstanding work ethic, attitude and implementation," Dell'Acqua told RugbyMag.com. "The best part of Phil is his intelligence and coachability. His height at prop was my initial concern - but we all thought hooker was in his future because of his speed and athleticism."
Thiel also is enormously strong, and his power numbers rival those of the likes of Will Johnson and Jake Sprague, who are part of a flood of young, strong, imposing front-rowers in the USA. They are also smart.
"He absorbed a tremendous amount of progressive rugby and coaching when we sent him over to Cinderford RFC [in England]," Dell'Acqua added. "He came back and the first thing he said he wanted to do was make the US team as his #1 goal."
The goal has been reach as Thiel, on the fringes of selection for most of the year, as named as starting hooker for the Eagles against Uruguay on Saturday.Dell'Acqua said he has an idea of what Thiel will want to accomplish in his first international.
"I think Phil would want his scrummaging to be above standard and he is a bit of perfectionist when it comes to his throw-ins," Dell'Acqua said. "I expect Phil will be a formidable asset, as his tactical power and technical contribution to the front row is much needed. He is also a natural leader from his team focused attitude. Phil is a very unselfish, humble guy and that is what makes his selection even more validated. The Eagles need role players and Phil is exactly the attitude needed."
The Traverse City, Mich., Rugby Club is 36 years old and has qualified for the DIII playoffs in seven of the past 10 years. Located about a two-hour drive north of Grand Rapids, the club has expended to include both boys and girls high school programs, touch rugby in junior high (middle school), and high school touch as well as senior men and old boys. Traverse City is the only club in Michigan with a clubhouse and a designated pitch in the center of town.
|