The band is back together, and that makes Cam Dolan happy.

As the USA No. 8 and the rest of the Eagles assemble for the Summer Series—which kicks off Saturday in Denver against Russia—there's a feeling of familiarity, as players who have suited up together are (for the most part) healthy and available.

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That's a rare thing. Since the beginning of 2016 the USA has played 24 games (22 capped tests plus two games against the Argentina XV, which were non-cap). In that time, the Eagles fielded 85 players. 

Compare that to two teams that were just on U.S. soil: Wales played 30 games in that period and used 67, while South Africa played 26 games and used 74.

A Little Stability?

The turnover has been noticeable, with the struggle to get players available from pro clubs part of the equation. Now almost all are involved, and Dolan said that's a good thing.

"It's great to have just about everyone healthy and available," Dolan told FloRugby. "It should be a good summer, and while it's international rugby and you can't count on anything, the boys will put a good product on the field."

Ironically, the player who has appeared in the most games for the Eagles in the last year and a half won't be there, as Mike Te'o is recovering from a knee injury that will keep him out until the end of the year. 

Gold Standard

One of the newer faces in the squad is the head coach. Gary Gold got his feet wet at the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship, and with his Eagles going 5-0 in that competition, he is pretty much in can-do-no-wrong land. He certainly has the backing of the players.

"We got off to a great start with Gary in the ARC," Dolan said. "We’ve had a little bit of everything with coaches over the last few years, and Gary’s a really positive, enthusiastic guy. He's kind of in between being a coach's coach and a player's coach, which is what I like."

What that means is he's good for a joke and sometimes to relax, but when it's time to focus, the players are expected to be grown-ups—which is what they are—and focus. 

"He can relate to you on a personal level, but he doesn’t try to be your dad," Dolan said. "We've bought into his game plan and I think the boys really enjoy it. But he still expects performances—when it's time to work, we work."