Sensational try that made USA top ‘Dawgs’
Ex-NFL star Perry Baker recalls end-to-end comeback score that made him a web hit
PERRY BAKER had a terrible start to his reign as the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year.
Within a minute of the USA’s openinground clash against Argentina in Dubai in December — the tournament t h a t k i c ke d o f f this season — a concussed Baker was being led from the pitch and into an ambulance.
The flying wing, known throughout the game as ‘Speedstick’, was forced to sit out the second leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Cape Town, but when he did return to action in Sydney, he collected nine tries to prove he really is the best.
Not only did Baker, whose career in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles was halted by a knee injury, breathe life into the USA challenge with his return, he showed that, at 31, he is still getting better, with one try in particular becoming an internet sensation.
In the semi-finals of the Las Vegas Sevens — the home tournament for the self-styled USA ‘ Dawgs’ — Baker found himself with the ball on his own try line and facing three formidable Fijians.
He first appeared to hesitate, then made room close to the touchline where there did not appear to be any before cutting back infield to leave the opposition grasping at thin air as he ran more than 100m to score.
Not surprisingly, the home crowd went wild as the USA claimed the title. Baker, who will be showing off his skills in London in June, said: “I know my try against Fiji has been seen a lot on social media. It came at a time when I really wanted the chance to get the ball in my hands.
“At half-time, some of the guys said to me, ‘ Hang in there, bro, your time is going to come’. Thankfully, the guys grabbed possession and the crowd started chanting ‘ USA, USA’. I got the ball early and saw the Fiji guys rushing up and so I checked.
“That hesitation got me past those initial tacklers as I still felt I had room outside, so I attacked that space, trying to use the width to stretch the defence.
“Then I needed to get past the sweeper, Jerry Tuwai, who is an amazing defensive player and just went for him. But I still had to finish and as I was running, I was looking up at the screen, trying to see where the defenders were coming from.
“We have always talked as a USA squad about winning one of the series titles on home soil, with our family and friends there to cheer us on, and now we have actually achieved that goal.
“Las Vegas was t r u ly a ma z i n g . I remember standing on the podium and thinking, ‘ Wow, man, this is over the top!’ There were fans running on to the pitch, screaming with joy, and the fact it was being televised meant I received texts from people all over the country who I never knew would be watching the rugby.
“It took me most of December to recover from the knock I took to the head in Dubai and initially it was difficult to manage everything because I had to work out what effect was the concussion and what was the jet lag of flying home.”
Despite that false start to the season, Baker has become the top try-scorer in the series with 35 — imagine how many he would have scored if he had been able to play in the Middle East and South Africa.
Together with his speed twin, Carlin Isles, Baker provides the USA squad with world-class sprinting power, allied to increasingly impressive rugby skills. It is a potent weapon and one that every other country will be wondering how they can nullify at Twickenham.
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