(David Barpal photo.) Mike Petri is the USA scrumhalf. There's no doubt about that. To have that job and be an amateur athlete in New York (where the weather isn't always condusive to training outside) takes an enormous amount of work. Petri and many other players do that work every day, balancing time with family, the office, and everything else.

Could Petri be a better rugby player as a full-time pro? No doubt. He'd be faster (remember James Prtichard racing past him in the Canada test?), and stronger. BUt, the Mike Petri we have is pretty darned good. He's very smart, he's a solid tackler, his box kick has become useful now (maybe that's a coaching tactics thing ...) and he is a very good passer.

The worrying news is that there isn't much behind him. For the last few USA games, Mike Tolkin has used Folau Niua as the backup for both halfbacks, with Shalom Suniula really the backup scrumhalf. Long-term, that's crazy. The USA needs more at this position and the next.

Click for next