Columbia, SC –
On a misty Sunday morning in Columbia, the USC Men’s Rugby
Palmetto C Side ended their Fall season
with a 26-16 win over the freshman squad
of The Citadel Military Academy, a
fellow member of the USARS DIII Palmetto
League. The match was closely contested
in the first half, though USC used their
strength in the forwards to control the
scrums and win valuable field position
when needed. USC got on the board first
with a try by second-season fullback
James Jacobs, which was converted by
freshman center Colin McKeon. The
Citadel responded with a penalty kick
near the 22 to make it 7-3 early in the
match. With 15 to go in the first half, USC bounced back with a try off an 8-man
pick by Pat Lawler, his first of three
for the day, and was again successfully
converted by McKeon. Not to be outdone,
the Citadel freshmen fired back with an
unconverted try through loose defense to
end the first half with USC leading
14-8.
The second half was much of the same
story for USC. With strong play in the
set pieces, the forwards were able to
control the ball and allow the backline
to get out wide for great field
position. Numerous infractions called on
The Citadel, due to a combination of
knock-on’s and forward passes, also
allowed USC to maintain possession of
the ball for much of the second half.
One of the greatest assets for USC was
8-man Pat Lawler, who troubled the
Citadel defense every time he touched
the ball. His support led to another
early try in the second half, increasing
the Gamecocks’ lead to 19-8. The Citadel
struck back with an unconverted try of
their own off a breakaway run, later
adding a penalty kick, to shrink USC’s
lead to 19-16. Not to be deterred, USC
finished strong with another try by
Lawler and a successful conversion by
McKeon to make the final tally USC 26
–The Citadel 16.
USC was best served by 8-man Pat Lawler
with three tries, fullback James Jacobs
with one try, center Colin McKeon going
3 for 4 in kicks, Lock Jack Protzman,
and scrumhalf Mike Varga.
The victory was the first for the C-side
against The Citadel, capping off the
Fall season at 5-2, and giving the team
plenty of momentum heading into the 2010
Spring matrix. Palmetto Side Head Coach
Mark Morris was especially proud of the
team this season:
“It’s been great working with the C team
this year. To go 1-5 in the Spring and
then 5-2 in the Fall, it really shows
how far the program has come in such a
short amount of time. We made steady
improvements all season, and it won’t be
long 'til most of these players start to
move up to the A & B sides.”
“It’s obvious how much the club has
benefited from the addition of the new C
team. Whether it’s winning the B bracket
at Rucktoberfest, winning the Palmetto
Tournament with a mixture of A’s & B’s,
or playing with both sides at SEC, the C
team has been a crucial part of USC’s
recent successes. The Palmetto Union has
been very supportive of USC’s move to
three full sides, and for that we are
very thankful. My only hope is that more
clubs will follow our lead and work
towards giving everyone an opportunity
to play a full game of rugby.”
Second-season player James Jacobs was
also encouraged by the team’s recent
successes:
“It’s great to see how much we’ve
improved since last year and how much
potential the C team holds. We all owe
much of our success to Coach Morris for
everything he’s done for us. He’s been
there since day one and he’s worked hard
to turn us into great rugby players.”
___
This spring the Gamecocks Palmetto ('C')
side will play in USA Rugby South's
Division III competition, taking on
Furman, College of Charleston, The
Citadel, Coastal Carolina, Lander, and
Armstrong Atlantic State in the Palmetto
League - a brutal conference that has
produced the last 7 South Championships
while capturing 6 of the last 7 Division
III National Championships. Such
competition will do wonders for the
continued growth and success of USC
rugby, as participation in last year's
league is a large factor behind USC's
dominant run in Fall 2009. The
University of South Carolina is the only
school in all of USA Rugby South to
operate 3 full sides in South matrix
competition, with USC A and B
participating in USA Rugby Division I.
USC finishes its Fall season at home on
Saturday, November 7th at 1:00 pm
against Appalachian State University.
The B-side match will follow at 2:30 pm.
Both matches will take place at USC's
STWFC Rugby Field, behind the Strom
Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center.
|
The Citadel 'B' versus
USC 'C' at the Blatt |
Lineout
| Photography by Matt Riley |
The two sides scrumming
down |
The Citadel 'B' on the
run |
The Citadel 'B' versus
USC 'C' at the Blatt |
Photography by Matt
Riley |
|
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