Columbia, SC –
On a cloudy Saturday afternoon in
Columbia, USC Rugby’s A side capped off
their first match of the Carolina Rugby
League’s spring matrix with a 20-17
victory against Wake Forest University.
The match came down to the final minutes
and was full of excitement. The first
half was controlled mostly by USC,
although Wake Forest hung close. The
scoring was started by fullback Cullen
Clair as each team made a penalty kick.
The next two scores came from USC, as
center Peter Boland completed an
unbelievable run through multiple
defenders for the first try of the
spring season. Team Captain and 8-man
Anthony Hughes gave an invaluable effort
throughout the game. Before leaving with
an injured knee, he used his fellow pack
members to rush for a tough try, the
second of the game for USC.
With a 15-3 lead, it seemed as though
USC could put the game out of reach with
another try. In the second half,
however, Wake Forest’s A side battled
back. They did a nice job of controlling
scrums and rucks for a good portion of
the half, and an early try gave Wake
Forest much-needed momentum, narrowing
the gap to 15-10. USC was pushed closer
to panic mode when Wake Forest scored
their second unanswered try. Again, the
conversion was successful. Not to be
outdone, the experienced USC squad gave
the final blow with about 5 minutes to
play. Flanker Justin Drum took the ball
over the try zone off a line out near
the opponent’s goal line. After a USC
penalty, a late attempt at a 3 points
was the last opportunity for Wake
Forest, but the failed attempt capped
off a disappointing day for the Demon
Deacons’ kicker.
Coach Ken McCarthy was very pleased with
the win, but felt much need for
improvement:
“The problem was in the rucks. As a
team, we lost 1 out of every 3 compared
to their 1 out of 6. To be a good team,
we need to do a better job of this.”
A similar message was expressed by team
captain Anthony Hughes:
“We did enough to get the win. That is
of most importance. I am pleased with
the team as whole. We came together at
the end and scored a try when it was
needed. “
USC Rugby action continued after the
victory over Wake Forest. USC’s B and C
sides clashed in a game that ended 26-10
in favor of the B side. Wake Forest’s
inability to field a full B team
resulted in a 20-00 forfeit victory in
the CRL standings, giving USC B 5 points
as it looks to win its first league
crown.
Carolinas Rugby
League Standings
___
The next home match for the Gamecocks
will see
USC's Palmetto (C) side will be taking
on 3-time national champion Furman
University on
Saturday, January 30, at 3:00 PM on USC's
STWFC Rugby Field.
Carolina A & B will be traveling to
Greenville, NC to take on East Carolina
University that same Saturday, and will
play its next home match against
Appalachian State University on
Saturday, February 6 at
1:00 PM on USC's
STWFC Rugby Field.
The
Carolinas Rugby
League is USC's new spring matrix, and consists of the top 7 clubs
in North and South Carolina, including
USC, Wake Forest, Clemson, North
Carolina, Appalachian State University,
North Carolina State University, and
East Carolina University. As the league
is a mixture of Division I and Division
II competition, it will send its top DI
school into the South DI Final Four and
its top two DII clubs to the South DII
Quarter-Finals. The CRL will be naming
its own all-star team, as selected by
coaches and referees, and will reward
the top club with its own trophy at the
end of each season. The brainchild of
former UNC head coach Andy Richards, the
league is intended to limit regional
clubs' travel time while promoting local
growth through rivaled competition.
The Gamecocks Palmetto ('C') side is
playing USA Rugby South's Division III
competition, taking on Furman, College
of Charleston, The Citadel, Coastal
Carolina, and Armstrong Atlantic State
in the Palmetto League - a brutal
conference that has produced the last 7
South Championships while capturing 4 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. |
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Copyright 2010. Erik V. Geib
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