2010 Cal rugby recruits

This is a month old but I don't think it made it to the front of calbears.com.  Cal rugby welcomes 2010 newcomers. Here's a few of them after the jump:

via www.rebellionrugby.com 

The 128th year of Cal rugby commences in January just as the weather gets nasty.

New Yorker Seamus Kelly, a 5-11, 193-pound center, switches coasts to join the Bears for the 2010 season after a standout rugby and football career at Xavier High School in Manhattan, where he played rugby under coach Mike Tolkin, who guided Xavier to the Northeast Championship 2006-09 and the Tier B National Championship in 2007. Kelly, a two-year rugby captain and 2009 team MVP, played sevens with New York Athletic Club this past summer. His achievements on the gridiron, which earned first-team all-city marks in 2007 and '08, and first-team all-state honors in 2008, generated interest in his football talents from Holy Cross and Johns Hopkins, among others. Kelly was named ESPN's East Regional player of the week after a football game last October in which he scored seven touchdowns and had four 2-point conversions, rushing eight times for 291 yards (5 TDs), catching a 72-yard touchdown pass and going 80 yards for a score on a kickoff return for a reported 478 all-purpose yards.

via grfx.cstv.com

Of course a dude named Seamus plays rugby.

A very large lock from North Carolina:

A 6-8, 260-pound lock, Asher Thomas left Chapel Hill, N.C., to embark on his Cal journey after graduatiing from East Chapel Hill High School as a Distinguished National AP Scholar as recognized by the College Board. He enrolled at his mother's alma mater after a successful rugby career with the Chapel Hill Highlanders, the 2006-09 state champions and 2009 South Region champions under coach Robert Joseph.

The thought of getting tackled by someone of Asher's size makes me shudder.

via www.dailycal.org

Sounds like he was a great student in an area which I presume has excellent schools and students.  In the scrum, the two locks push with their heads inbetween the prop and hooker and have the flanker on their side.  In lineouts, the locks are the crazy dudes in the air that jostle for the ball:

Cal loses a lineout in the national championship game vs BYU.  Perhaps Asher can make an impact early?

via 4.bp.blogspot.com

via blog.dailycal.org

What's neat about rugby is that players of all shapes and sizes can be on the field at the same time.  Josh Tucker's a FB/wing from the Sacramento area:

Josh Tucker is a 5-8, 184-pound fullback/wing who excelled at rugby for Christian Brothers High School for three years under coaches Sean Lyon and Bob Lutrell while also garnering collegiate interest for his achievements in football as a running back and strong safety (two-time all-league and 2009 Sierra Valley Conference MVP), soccer (Olympic Development Program U-17s) and track & field (4x100 regional qualifier). His father, Jerry, was a standout discus thrower and shot putter at Ashland University in Ohio.

The dude was on the relay team in track...he'll be fast as hell on the rugby pitch.

Cal even managed to get a recruit from Canada:

The lone international student-athlete to join the team this season is Andre Coquillard, a 6-4, 206-pound fullback from Brentwood College School in British Columbia, Canada, who attended the Cal Rugby Summer Camps in 2007 and '08. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and holder of a U.S. passport, Coquillard lived in China and Japan before enrolling at boarding school in B.C. His father, Nowell, played football at Dartmouth. Coquillard attained varsity-level recognition in soccer, basketball and rugby at Brentwood, acting as captain on the hardwood and rugby pitch. He was chosen to represent North Vancouver Island at the Provincial Rugby Championships and also played for the Cowichan Rugby Club his junior and senior years. He was his basketball team's leader in points, assists and rebounds, and the top goal-scorer for his soccer team.

Those are impressive dimensions for a rugby FB.  The guess here is that he's quick, good in the kicking game, and a sure tackler - all essential qualities as the last line of defense.

via www.dailycal.org

Do your quads look like that?