Talking Rugby (Vol. 2, Iss. 12): Clevergate

You’d think that the opening of the Pacific Nations Cup this past week would have been the big story of the week. Right? Nope.

The USA nearly pulled off an upset over Samoa? Eh, not the top story.

The most talked about story this past week in the USA was Todd Clever being released from the USA Eagles PNC squad. The past few weeks have been up and down for the former Captain and one of the most-capped USA players of all-time. He was included in the yearly ESPN Body Issue with a host of well-known athletes, then he was dropped as Captain in favor of Chris Wyles, then he got to live it up at the ESPYs, and finished with his release from the Eagles.

Talk about a roller coaster.

The outcry from fans online ranged from practical to completely off the charts. For the majority of rugby fans in the USA, Clever is the face of USA Rugby. The same goes for fans from abroad. He has been the focal point of the team for years. If you ask most of this demographic about who is the Eagles’ best player, Clever’s name is likely to come up. All of the people in this boat are beyond upset by the dismissal, citing the Eagles throwing in the towel on the Summer by not having him in the lineup and calling for Tolkin’s firing. The list goes on and on.

I’m sorry to burst a bunch of bubbles, but Clever hasn’t been the Eagles top player for a few years. He’s remained a solid performer, but not nearly the best the Eagles have to offer. While he continues to be used in advertising, his play on the field has degraded in recent years as should be expected from a player in his early 30s that has been playing top level rugby for the better part of the last ten years. It was inevitable.

In the last couple of seasons, Clever’s game time in Japan had all but disappeared. He moved back stateside in the Spring and played for his old club OMBAC in the Pacific Rugby Premiership. As a pro in an amateur competition, Clever should dominate, but reports coming out of the PRP were that he had slowed down a few steps and wasn’t the same player he was even a year prior.

With a growing number of Eagles playing in top flight professional leagues, not only was Clever no longer the top player on the Eagles, he might not even be considered in the Top 10. To make matters worse, with proven vets like Samu Manoa and Scott LaValla and the crop of young and talented back row players led by Danny Barrett and Cam Dolan, Clever became expendable.

When the USA 7s started their turn around, one of the first things that Mike Friday did was take away the automatic selections and complacency that had plagued the squad over the years. He opened up competition and made everyone accountable. Perhaps seeing this approach work successfully, Eagles Head Coach Mike Tolkin saw an opportunity to send a message to his troops.

Yeah, one heck of a message right? If Todd Clever can be dropped, then anyone can be dropped.

I’m certain there is more to the story than a couple of missed practices. There is always more to it than what the public is given. There have been rumors of friction between Clever and the coaching staff. When Wyles was named Captain, it may have been a sign from Tolkin that he didn’t expect Clever to be on the field for every match. This could have further strained that relationship.

The story has also been one-sided without anything coming out of Clever’s camp. I dare say that there are probably two very different sides to this tale. We’ll probably never know the full story. This is not to absolve Clever for missing the trainings. Every player should be held accountable for their actions. I certainly don’t hold anything against Tolkin for laying down the punishment.

The real story here is how Clever responds to the release. It would be an absolute shame for him not to get a shot to compete for a place on the Eagles’ World Cup squad. It would be his fourth World Cup. With few professional prospects looming, playing in one final World Cup would be a fitting end to his career. The question is whether he is willing to serve in a backup role if he doesn’t earn a starting nod, which is very likely considering the players that have moved up on the depth chart.

There is absolutely no doubting the impact that Todd Clever has made on USA Rugby over the years. His service to the program can never be overlooked. He will always be considered one of the best to ever put on the jersey. Hopefully, for all involved, this story ends well and there are not any lasting repercussions.