The University of South Carolina men’s rugby club played poorly during the first half of the Citadel Invitational March 5 but recovered in afternoon games.
Facing a talented field that included Clemson, SRC leader Citadel and Western Michigan, the Gamecocks took an early 5-0 lead over the Tigers during the tournament’s opening game but were worn away by Clemson who secured a 26-5 win.
The Gamecocks did not fair any better against Western Michigan in their second contest and were undone by knock ons and penalties, losing 20-5.
The second half of the day was much better. The Gamecocks bested the Citadel 19-7, which defeated the Tigers 19-7 in a morning game. Later, the Gamecocks closed the gap against Western Michigan, but fell short by a failed end-of-game conversion, 19-17. The Gamecock reserve side, which included many players playing their first 7s matches, finished 0-3-1. So far this season, the Gamecocks have compiled a 6-6-1 record and will travel to the University of Georgia March 26 for a 7s Invitational.
