The feeling surrounding the Eagles after their fall tour is completely different than it was after the summer. They won back to back games for the first time in four years and have momentum heading into their Uruguay series. At the center of it all is head coach Mike Tolkin. We caught up with him to get his thoughts on the tour, players, and the upcoming series against Uruguay.
On whether he feels good about the results after a poor summer: Yeah, there's no doubt it. From the Maori game, playing with a group of mainly amateurs to put in a good performance in front of a big crowd was good to see. Against Georgia we stuck in there against a hard, physical side in a difficult environment. Against Russia we got a 21 point win but we didn't play our best rugby. We got in some good areas to play the game but we got a little too off the cuff and it impacted our decision making, but we got the win.
On going forward: We're making strides. We keep having small goals. We won two games in a row for the first time in four years. So for us to get out of the doldrums of the summer was big. If we can keep knocking off small milestones we'll gain momentum.
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On which win was most satisfying: Good question. It's between the Maori and Georgia matches. In Georgia it looked like the game was lost but to keep composure and then win it in dramatic fashion was phenomenal. Against the Maori playing they way we did with the group we had and to see it come down to the wire was awesome. The Georgia match was the first win we've had in awhile so I'll take that one but the Maori match was a close second.
On whether he has a better sense of his starting team after the tour: No question. In total we had 32 guys in and out. You can count another five or six that are top of the line guys that are injured and you have a pool of almost 40. However, it became apparent who the majority of squad will be. There will be a few question marks.
On depth at back-row and lock: We have about two years before the World Cup should we get there so that gives us time to work players into our system. There are always injuries so you can never be too prepared. With all those guys getting major game time and proving themselves we're setting ourselves up to ready for anything that comes our way.
On improved handling: It was noticeably improved. The last game we had more than we had in the previous two matches but that was a result of being over anxious. We were trying to offload a number of times in traffic so it was more decision making that out and out drops. We have guys that have proven that they have good hands and can be trusted. That's all part of of who gets a starting job or on the squad. Guys in the past that have been guilty of drops or unforced turnovers have been removed from the starting squad or not in the squad at all. It all goes back to depth. Now we are in a position where if we have a guy that is going to cost us a turnover he may not find a place in the team.
On defense: I thought the defense did very well. They were aggressive. I thought against the Maori we had a few rusty players that led to some soft tries. Against Georgia the tries were very preventable. We know exactly why they happened. It wasn't a team breakdown so much as an individual breakdown. The one against Russia was a 50/50 bomb. There were areas that overall we were very pleased and there were areas we thought we had improved. We've set ourselves up to be more consistent on one-on-one tackling. In the first game we were excellent, in the second game we were poor, and in the third game we were somewhere in between. But we were aggressive and weren't getting beat around the corner.
On the scrum: We lost our best scrummager in Shawn Pittman after the first game. Obviously that will impact the scrum. We had three very young guys so that's an issue, a good issue. We have a lot of guys who don't do a lot of scrummaging over the course of the year in domestic rugby. It's going to take some time. Titi is at Saracens which is good. Hopefully Wally (Nick Wallace) can get overseas as well. We're happy with the guys we got. We think we have some size and power. With the second row of Tai and Samu, and hopefully Hayden Smith coming back, we have power in the engine room. We need to get more experience in the front-row.
On younger players stepping up: It's great to know that we have the guys who can do the job. I think we always knew it but it's good to see them come through. They have a passion for the program. It's been good to have those guys because they've worked their butts off and it means a helluva lot for them. It shows our country is capable of producing top players.
On Samu Manoa and Chris Wyles: Samu is such an impact player. To me, Chris is the ultimate professional. When we were on the losing streak this summer I felt bad for him. He always brings it. He's enthusiastic. It was a tough time. I'm happy for him this time because he played well was reward. There is no doubt he could easily be named the player of the tour. He had composure, he came through in clutch situations, scored tried, and kick out of hand consistently. A great centerpiece for the squad.
On Cam Dolan: Cam is a young guy who has always had athleticism but he has steadily grown into a better player. The good thing about his development is that we've had depth on the back-row so he's been able to see time in bits and pieces before earning his way on. We didn't have to rush him. I thought it matured very naturally. He stood out at the ARC (Americas Rugby Championship) both years and showed some leadership qualities. He got more Eagle time over the summer and this fall fit in to place. His big part of his emergence was it was done naturally and not forced.
On Todd Clever: Having a cast around him with Samu, Cam, and Scott LaValla, as well as Tai Tuisamoa, has helped him. Being at six has also allowed him to be a bit more of a ball carrier.
On Phil Thiel: I think he did a tremendous job this tour. I thought he was back to the same form he had in 2011.
On Toby L'Estrange: Toby's injury is better than expected and he didn't need surgery. He'll be able to start training in the new year and if all goes well should be available for at least the March assembly.
On preparations for Uruguay: The guys overseas will be playing and in form. The guys on the domestic side will be the challenge. (Click here to see the team's plans).
On the battle at fly-half: Adam was exceptional in his kicking. He's putting up points. That's a big thing. His tactical kicking was good. Toby is a good playmaker and has excellent hands. I think he's a little better playmaker than Adam. We have two excellent guys and we're going to have to decide who's in better form and whether or not we can leave off points. They both can play multiple positions. It's nice to have options.
On scrumhalf: We need more strength and better leaders. We need more of a presence there. It's an area we have to continue to work on. For me it's an area of concern.