Graham Henry, the 2011 World Cup-winning coach, recently asked 'why are we all looking to play the same game?'

One of the clear disappointments of modern rugby is that in the main we have lost our innovation. There are a number of different ways and styles to play, but [teams copy New Zealand] even though it probably doesn’t suit the DNA of players or the development environment they grow up in.

Henry suggests video analysis is driving imitation, but in America, the lack of distinctive purpose can't be ascribed solely to the national team.

In the late 20th century, US coaches and officials constantly discussed refining an ideal playing style. For example, Eagle coach Dennis Storer studied how body types contribute to success in contact sports, and his master's thesis addressed adapting American athletes to rugby. His teams emphasized the counterattack and broken-field running as well as tackling skills brought over from football, the international stereotype that persists to this day.

Each of USARFU's four territories also sought to develop their own approach. They were particularly conscious of regional geography -- the influence of weather on strategy and tactics. Some of the conversation, however, came to be conflated with the question of a unified playing season, a Gordian knot of fairness.

Also contributing to the lapsed quest for an American style is the latter-day abandonment of representative rugby. At the Inter-Territorial Tournament, the national team transmitted knowledge and planning to the competitors. The modern USARFU, believing competition inefficient and preferring to rely on scouting combines, has effectively reduced the scope to the coaches and players within the national team's immediate orbit. This is Henry's echo chamber.

One can argue the American playing base has changed dramatically. Most now come into rugby a decade earlier, in their teens, and there are probably proportionally less crossover athletes. Moreover, over the past two decades, players at every levels have been able to watch increasing amounts of rugby, with the best heading overseas and conversely, the union recruiting 'America qualified' elites from abroad. But athletes do not drive playing style: they are a resource in its formation.

In the wake of another winless World Cup, the conversation is worth renewing. No matter the importance of daily training environments, if America is practicing to play the same way as everyone else, we are unlikely to surpass our rivals.