The International Rugby Board has confirmed that the player who failed the drugs test during the 2011 World Cup was the USA's James Paterson.
http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/157891.html
The International Rugby Board has confirmed that the player who failed the drugs test during the 2011 World Cup was the USA's James Paterson.
Never a good thing to see or hear, hopefully this was a mistake on his part rather than actual enhancing stuff.
Paterson has been hit with a four-month ban - backdated to October 13, 2011 - and will return to the game on February 13, 2012. Paterson tested positive for the painkiller Oxycodone during the tournament - a substance which is on the WADA Prohibited List.
Now it makes sense why he is not playing for the Highlanders in 2012. He is under contract wih nobody and a month after the World Cup said he didn´t want to play right now....... At the time I thought he musy be intending to study.
This does probably explain why Paterson hasn't signed with a team currently, but isn't the reason he wasn't part of the Highlanders squad.
The reason James Paterson isn't part of the Highlanders squad this year is simply because he wasn't good enough to make the squad. His contract expired at the end of the 2011 Super Rugby season, and it was made pretty clear that he wasn't going to be selected in the Highlanders well before the Rugby World Cup even began. The Highlanders already had Telusa Veainu, Kurt Baker, Siale Piutau and Kade Poki signed as wing options for 2012, and quickly signed Hosea Gear and Tamiti Ellison as well (though what position Ellison will play yet is unknown..), meaning there was no room for Paterson in the squad. He would certainly have been behind Buxton Popoali'i too in terms of Highlanders wing options, with many considering Popoali'i very unlucky to miss out on the main Highlanders squad.
Ahh but i think you are forgetting that New Zealand eligible players are inferior darwin
He is simply not as good as the other options. As Darwin said, even the reserve outside back (Popoali'i) is far better.We have all seen what Patterson has to offer for the last few years. He is good at running in a straight line, he has a decent swerve and is a reliable head on tackler. Thats it. He is simply not as good as the other guys mentioned, and that would be the case if he didnt elect to play for USA last year and was still NZ qualified. If he is "surely" better than some of the other guys, name them and explain why.
1. If you can´t spell his name then I suspect you don´t know an aweful lot about him.
2. He played age group rugby for the USA.
3. Has a parent from there too.
4. Went to highschool there.
5. Was a Super Rugby player UNTIL he played senrio level for the USA Eagles
Also, i do think Imhoff and O'Donnell are comparable, and i still think it was ridiculous that you dismissed O'Donnell as a lesser player without giving any reasons. It was only a controversy in the fear and loathing south american wonderland you have constructed in your head.
Truely? With Gear arriving I can understand but surely he´s better than some of the others.
He is not even close to being better than any of the others. There are probably at least half a dozen wings in New Zealand that weren't selected for Super Rugby that I'd prefer over him too. He looks very impressive in the video, but you have to realize that was probably the only good thing he did in 2 seasons with the Highlanders (and it was a very weak tackle by Dagg!), and he did nothing for Southland at ITM Cup level either. He was an ok (at best) defender, but almost never broke the line with ball in hand (he was definitely the least threatening NZ wing in Super Rugby last season). Doing one good thing in 2 seasons with a team (and next to nothing the rest of the time) does not make him a quality player.
Anyone who has watched him play Super Rugby over the last couple of years will tell you the reason that he wasn't selected for Super Rugby this season is simple: he is not good enough!
The Heineken Cup has shown Imhoff is the better play. End of story.
That being the case, and I am not saying it is not, it would seem he was simply not weanted again for the 2012 season. Plausible no doubt. I do question whether it was as simple as this however given that the team has only three genuine wingers - Kade Poki, Telusa Veainu and Hosea Gear. Tamati Elison and Siale Piutau are centres, surely you agree? This is where I am a little suspicious. Sure, I could be totally wrong of course.
That being the case, and I am not saying it is not, it would seem he was simply not weanted again for the 2012 season. Plausible no doubt. I do question whether it was as simple as this however given that the team has only three genuine wingers - Kade Poki, Telusa Veainu and Hosea Gear. Tamati Elison and Siale Piutau are centres, surely you agree? This is where I am a little suspicious. Sure, I could be totally wrong of course.
About Paterson´s abilities. He did not have a good World Cup. The USA were very, very well organized in defence. Italy needed a penalty try to get the bonus point. Ireland failed to get the bonus point and Russia didn´t score a try. Pretty good. The Australian match was the USA´s reserves so things were not the same. On attack, the USA were the weakest side in the World Cup. Ngwenya failed to score a single try. The team was focused on defence so much that they lacked playmakers at 10 and 12. Nonetheless, Paterson did not deliver. His Super Rugby form saw him take over from Kevin Swiryn - no easy accomplishment. I was thinking, at the time, that the Highlanders would be using him mostly from the bench.
In any event, he is in the USA now not New Zealand.
Quite a big call to say he was definitely the least threatening NZ wing in Super Rugby.
and some would say buxton should already be there!