NEWS

Jack Iscaro: Old Glory DC Prop on Staying in the Fight & More

Written by Joe Harvey | Photos by Paris Malone

Following an opening weekend defeat at the hands of Rugby ATL in Georgia, Old Glory DC prop, Jack Iscaro spoke to majorleague.rugby. Discussing the teams loss, their upcoming game against the Austin Gilgronis in Texas, and the Rise of Rugby.

THE OPENING WEEKEND

To open up their 2022 campaign, Old Glory were beaten 55-22 by ATL at Silverbacks Park. While the scoreline suggests that ATL dominated the tie from start to finish, the reality is much different.

In the 57th minute, DC were just five points short of their hosts, dropping the ball on over the try line, a win on the cards for Andrew Douglas’ team. But in the following 23 minutes, the reigning Eastern Conference champions scored four tries to put the encounter to bed.

Starting the game in Georgia, Jack Iscaro says that he and his teammates will be looking at the fine margins which they feel they were deficient in over the opening weekend.

“The scoreline got away from us at the end,” Iscaro said. “They beat us, they were the better team and I think we can take the positives from those first 60 minutes, and I think we need to learn how to stay in that fight a little longer.

“They are a very good side, obviously made the final last year, and a team like that is not going to go away, so we need to be a bit more clinical.

“I think we were a bit ill-disciplined and let ourselves down in some one-on-one tackling, so we will look to make some fixes and come back better for it next week.”

If their opening clash last weekend had to be described in any way, it would be as a game of attrition. 

Making 244 tackles across the 80 minutes, the game largely fought in close quarters by the two sides, each side working one another out before the field opened up in the closing stages.

Going toe to toe with a Rugby ATL side that made the MLR Final last year, Iscaro says that physicality for Old Glory this season extends beyond just putting the shoulder in.

“Any rugby team is going to be described as a physical side, and I think that is an emphasis for us,” Iscaro said. “I don’t think that we necessarily are trying to paint ourselves as some big, physical bully this year, but we want teams to feel our physicality in more ways than one.

“We want teams to feel our physicality in how fast we can play, how quickly we can get into position and how effective we can be at the set piece. That’s how I am going to define our physicality a little but more, more so than just the traditional ‘beat you up’ style of play.

“If that means we have to go out and make 100 more tackles than the other team, that is something we absolutely want to be proud of.”

For their second game, Old Glory will be making a trip to Texas in order to play the Austin Gilgronis at Bold Stadium. Sam Harris’ side got their new season off to a fine start, picking up a bonus point 41-7 win over the Dallas Jackals.

Last season, Austin only missed on the playoffs narrowly, their efforts closely followed by Inside the Scrum. No doubt looking to push on from the 2021 season, Old Glory know full well of the challenge that is coming their way on Saturday evening.

“They are a really professional side,” Iscaro said. “They are well-run, a wide array of really talented players that have been with Austin, and others they have brought in.

“I think that they’re every bit a real, top caliber side in this league and they will be another significant challenge.

“We gave ourselves enough things to focus on this past weekend. I am sure most of our time will be spent correcting those mistakes. A significant portion is going to be focused on ourselves, but they are a talented side with some really good players, so we are going to do some analysis on them to try and see what we are preparing for.

“But, as I mentioned, I think a lot of the mistakes from this last weekend were self-imposed and we will spend a lot of time trying to right that ship.”

RISE OF RUGBY

With the Rise of Rugby in full focus, a conversation with Iscaro is more than appropriate. Born to an Italian father, the 24-year-old’s rugby education started sooner than some of his peers.

Playing in the Maryland Exiles program before attending Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC, the same school which several more current Old Glory players attended, before attending the University of California – Berkley. It is a pathway that, in the early days of professional rugby in the region, plenty more will be wanting to follow in the years to come.

“My dad (Paolo) played a lot of rugby in Italy, so I grew up watching the Six Nations and stuff with him,” Iscaro said. “Rugby was always a legitimate sport and something I aspired to play (professionally) one day. I just didn’t think it would be in my backyard.

“I had aspirations to play professional rugby, but there was no avenue at that time to do that in the United States, and then to have it in my backyard is pretty incredible and cool for the younger guys.

“I see people that were just like me at Gonzaga, and they are now able to come to games, and see this avenue towards professionalism for themselves, and I think that is fantastic. Furthermore, I think it is something that can translate to success with the national team.”