Project Gemini: Shaping the Next Generation of Eagles for RWC 2027 in Scott Lawrence’s Vision

This post is the third installment of my series about the Scott Lawrence Plan that is designed to take the Eagles into the RWC 2031.  If you are just digging into this series, I would suggest starting with He has a Plan… Trust the Plan.  Like the original Star Wars Trilogy, this one is best tackled in order, Episode V Project Gemini …

As the second phase of Moonshot 2031, Project Gemini is orchestrated to take our Eagles into RWC 2027 which is being held in Australia.  Like Project Mercury, there are 3 Big Plays built into this portion of the plan: 2027 Qualification, Grow the Base, and Build the Next Generation.  An emphasis was placed on all three of these Big Plays in 2024.  The most important to our 2031 aspirations is Build the Next Generation.  It involves developing our 18-23 year old players by providing them with frequent high quality matches together.  This is where the U20 World Junior Championships play a role.  We lost the 2024 Tier 2 Championship to Scotland soundly. The junior Eagles need to be more competitive in this tournament moving forward.  As fans we must recognize that success here will require both patience and money.

The Big Play immediately important to our national Eagles program is RWC 2027 Qualification.  In order to qualify for 2027 an importance  has been placed on our “core squad gaining reps.”  This will involve most directly international tests.  But, the other Big Play, Grow the Base, will be important as well.  This component centers around Anthem Rugby Carolina (ARC).  In the ideal world, a core of Eagles will be playing together in 16 MLR matches a season.  It will take several seasons to see this come to fruition.  But, the recent demise of Dallas has allowed for a few key pieces of the core to be added to the ARC roster.  The biggest are Sam Golla, Jason Tidwell, Vaughn Issacs, and Makeen Alikhan.  All four are 25 or younger and could figure into the 2027 base.  

In the short term, Scott will be challenged by getting reps for the larger Eagle squad.  Only a handful of players will be brought into the ARC camp and playing test matches requires money.  Without the money, it is hard to arrange Eagles test matches years in advance.  The Tier 1 nations have tours and tournaments organized years in advance (ie. 6 Nations and Rugby Championship). Fortunately, in 2024, thanks in part to the Pacific Nations Championship, the Eagles will play 9 total test matches.  Thus, in the first year of Project Gemini the Eagles have completed 6 of the 9 test matches.  To Scott’s credit he has both found the money to fund there matches and built an ideal set of teams for our boys to play:

• Romania 7/5/94
• Scotland 7/12/24
• Canada 8/31/24
• Japan 9/7/24
• Fiji 9/14/24
• Samoa 9/21/24
• Portugal 11/9/24
• Tonga 11/16/24
• Spain 11/23/24

These are ideal opponents as many are teams that we will need to play in order to qualify for RWC 2027, through the 2025 PNC, and several are teams that we have faced in previous pool play (Japan, Samoa, Tonga, Romania).

What do the rosters in the 2024 matches tell us about the squad?  Full stop… It is a team in transition.  ALL international teams transition players in and out of their larger squad.  But, we are seeing a changing of the guard in the core of the Eagle’s roster.  We will see the Notable Veterans, the core for RWC 2023, phased out and Bubble Players and Young Caps begin to accumulate test experience.  Thus, they will form the Core Players.  For context, the 2019 Eagles 31 Man Squad accumulated 683 total test caps (22 Cap Ave/man).  Therefore, Scott will have to get the Bubble Players and Young Caps matches over the next three seasons to be competitive in 2027.  Additionally, watch for Notable Young Caps to be brought into the playing squad.  Two trained with the team, Cyrille Cama and Will Waguespack, but have yet to be capped.  While Colin Grosse, Lucas Gramlick, Oscar Lennon, and Connor Buckley are all under 25 and non-traveling reserves for the July and September tests. We may see them earn their first caps this November.  With the exception of Cama, they have the potential to be in the 2031 Squad. But, they will be on the other side of 30 years old.

Rob Hammerschmidt "The Hammer" Dean of Students

I have always had a passion for sports having played football and wrestled at an early age. I did not find egg shaped ball until a young adult. I have been hooked ever since. After my playing days were over I was always searching for an outlet to connect with the game, not too long after I became a youth coach for my son’s team. I never thought that I would start a podcast or be involved in the professional game. The Rugby Rant started as a fun outlet but has become a labor of love. It has allowed me follow the game with some great mates… whom I never would have met without it. I also have the tremendous honor of working as the Chicago Hounds sideline reporter. 8 games a season I get to walk on the grass at Dawg Town and provide folks at home with a glimpse of what it is like to be there beside me.

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