USA speed demons Carlin Isles and Perry Baker to terrorise Australia at the Sydney Sevens
RUGBY might be a small sport in the USA but in Sevens, the Americans are giant-killers. Especially when they boast two men with the speed to tear a hole in any team.
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HE is a nationally-ranked US sprinter, talks to good friend Justin Gatlin most days and wants to play rugby and run the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics.
Meet American flyer Carlin Isles, the biggest threat for Australia in their opening game of the Sydney Sevens.
Or to be more accurate, one-half of the biggest US threat to Australia.
The Eagles will take on Andy Friend’s side first-up on Friday night in a game that crucial to the chances of a tournament victory on Sunday.
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Though rugby is still a comparative minnow sport at home, the US team are known as giant-killers and finished fifth in the world last year; one ahead of Australia. In Cape Town last month, they dusted eventual winners New Zealand in the pool stages.
A big part of the Eagles’ success has been the jaw-lowering speed of two men: Isles and fellow gazelle Perry Baker. Give either the ball and the faintest sniff of space and it’s goodnight nurse.
Isles, who trains with a diamond earing, has represented the US in indoor athletics, a personal best of 10.1 in the 100m and counts top US athletes as his pals. Though only 75kg, he trialled with the Detriot Lions NFL team in 2013.
“I am in real good shape so I am ready to put the hammer down and tear it up,” Isles said.
“I am only getting faster each year.”
Having one rapid finisher would be a blessing for most coaches but USA boss Mike Friday has two.
“They’re exceptional athletes. I align them to racehorses,” Friday said.
Like soccer strikers, Friday rarely plays the pair together so they don’t get in each other’s way. Often, one or the other thoroughbred is injured, too.
So apart from the odd training session where they mark each other, it can be hard to know who is actually faster. Well, for some, anyway.
“I am faster, of course,” Isles declares.
“But he is fast as well. We raced a couple of times. Perry is a phenomenal athlete ... we feed off each other. I love my speed man, I am all about speed.”
Baker laughs off Isles’ boasts. They’ve never officially raced, he says.
“He got it, he can have it,” Baker, 31, laughs.
“I am older now though, they didn’t want to race me when we I was in my prime.”
Isles has a higher profile but Baker is now the more accomplished player, after switching to the game from gridiron and basketball at high school. He was a nominee for the best player in the world in 2017.
The goal is to use Baker and Isles to inspire more converts to rugby, and Friday’s oft-stated goal is to position the game in high schools as a “credible alternative” and complementary sport for the “99 per cent” of kids who don’t make the NFL or NBA.
With Baker now in his seventh season, though, it’s taking time.
Nate Ebner’s switch from the Patriots to play in Rio caught some attention in the US, and if Isles has his way, he’ll do the same in Tokyo. After aborting an attempt to qualify for the US mens track team in 2016, Isles wants to do both at the same Games in 2020.
“I told myself, next time I’m gonna do both at the Olympics,” Isles, 28, said.
Is that even possible?
“Anything is possible baby, come on now.”