Bring back the American football quarterback pass to rugby, says USA sevens great Tommy Smith
- The former scrum half and 1986 Hong Kong Sevens best player delighted fans with his American football skills
- He says the skill is lost to most American rugby players but he is trying to revive it through the youngsters he coaches at high school and college
United States sevens legend Tommy Smith was once dropped because he tried an American football-style quarterback pass in a 15s match – but the pioneering former scrum half insists the overhead throw can be a key tactical option in rugby sevens.
Smith is one of the most popular players to have graced the Hong Kong Sevens and was part of the great American teams of the 80s who won Plate titles in 1986 and 1988.
One of Smith’s trademarks was his 50-yard, cross-field quarterback throws that would catch defences off guard, switch play in an instant and often result in acres of space for the receiver to run in for a try. It also drew gasps and cheers of delight from the Hong Kong Sevens crowds.
“It was both tactical and for the crowd,” Smith told the South China Morning Post from Redondo Beach in California. “It was important for us as the US team, who were pretty new to sevens, that we added some of our own flair to the game. I was a quarterback in college and I still believe in that throw.
Watch a Tommy Smith overhead classic during the Melrose Sevens
“In rugby, if we had an electric winger, like [former Eagles player] Barry Williams, if we could whip the ball to the wing quickly we can create a huge amount of space.