The USA Men’s National 15s team will officially begin their 2015 season next week as they assemble for the Pacific Nations Cup. 

It’s an assembly that means a lot, in part because it’s an assembly of (almost) everyone, and it’s the first assembly in a World Cup year.

Mike Petri, who will prepare for his third World Cup, likes how things are shaping up.

“In terms of preparedness going into the World Cup, all the guys are really excited; we’ve got a lot of time we can spend together,” said the USA scrumhalf. 

The players have often said they don’t have enough long-term time together, and the second half of 2014 saw them in training as a group for less than a week before some of the overseas professionals had to leave.

“This year, we’ve got a lot of games together to get things right,” said Petri. “We have to be patient. We haven’t seen each other since November, and we’ll be coming in with a couple of days’ practice to play Samoa.”

Petri said the players have been working on their own both in terms of training, and in terms of off the field “we’re doing stuff behind the scenes to be ready, and everybody has a good idea of what our objectives are tactically.”

Perhaps, then, the biggest change to the way the Eagles are doing things is, of course, the shift from Todd Clever to Chris Wyles as captain, with Blaine Scully as vice captain.

The coaching staff has downplayed the move as being a monumental shift, and Petri, too, said he doesn’t think a lot will change.

“Both Chris and Todd are very mature guys and professionals,” said Petri. “Both understand what it takes to be a leader. Todd has done an outstanding job understanding that role, and as his friend since we played together as teenagers,I have a lot of respect for him and everything he’s done for the US program.

“That being said, I am equally excited for Chris. He understands what it means to be the utmost professional and the guys on the squad hold him in the highest regard.”

The leadership change will bring a change, and Scully’s elevation to a sort of Assistant Captain, if you want to use hockey terminology, is important, too, said Petri.

“You don’t get much more professional than Blaine Scully,” he said.

But Petri took time to recognize Clever as a player and a team leader.

“Todd’s a guy to give credit where credit is due,” said Petri. “He’ll be right there alongside you on the field. He’s got your back, and it’s been great playing alongside him so many years. Todd and I have been teammates since 2001; he was my roommate in the Junior Worlds in Italy in 2002. I know he plays his heart out every time he steps out onto the field.”