Columbia, SC –
The kickoff between USC Rugby’s Palmetto
(C) side and Furman University’s A side
took place this past Sunday, as the
Gamecocks suffered a 27-00 loss against
the Paladins of Furman. The match was
scheduled for Saturday, January 30th,
but predicted rain showers forced the
change. It was a tough matchup for the
USC C, as they battled a Division III
powerhouse in Furman University. With
three national championships to their
name, Furman is great team with success
to prove it. They are coached by John
Roberts, a former USC rugger, who is
very proud of the way USC Rugby has
grown over the years.
The first half was the difference-maker
in the match. After USC played a solid
portion of the half in close contention,
the Paladins pulled away in the later
portion. The first try was scored by
Furman’s fly half, who made an athletic
catch and steal, leaving an open alley
to the try zone. The second try was
uniquely similar to the first. With
momentum in their favor, Furman's next
two tries came off rucks in which USC
defenders failed to move the ball away
from their goal line.
After some words of encouragement from
Coach Morris on the sideline, the second
half served much better for USC’s C
side. Defense was stout, and tackling
improved throughout, showing their
efforts would not yield until the
referee’s last whistle. Undeterred by
their first half performance, USC held
Furman to only a drop kick for three
points. It was evident that USC C side
coach Mark Morris was displeased with
the score overall, but showed great
passion when talking about the team’s
effort and improvements.
“We play in one of the finest Division
III Rugby Leagues in the country.
Competition is never easy when going
against recent National Champions like
Furman and Coastal, [not to mention
clubs such as] the Citadel to name a
few. “
Coach Morris talked more specifically
about his C side team and their first
competition together this season.
“My guys played a tough 2nd half,
holding an elite Furman team to just a
three-point drop kick near the end of
the game. We have a few new players
stepping up and giving us much-needed
size and toughness. We look forward to
getting in the win column and hopefully
running the tables the rest of the
season.”
The Gamecock’s A/B and C sides will all
play at home next Saturday. In elite
Division I competition, the A side will
battle Appalachian State at 1:00 PM with
the B side to follow. The Palmetto C
side will take to the field as well,
facing off against College of Charleston
at 11:00 AM. It should be a great day of
rugby matches. All matches will take
place at USC's
STWFC Rugby Field.
In other SC Rugby news, this weekend
marked the start of the 2010 season for
South Carolina High School
Rugby. Sunday’s match at USC provided
the younger generation of ruggers with
the opportunity to play in a collegiate
atmosphere and expand their expectations
beyond their hometown pitch. Spring
Valley played against first-year upstate
team Greer, with a 3:30pm kickoff on
Sunday afternoon. Spring Valley, the
2008 SCHS State Champions and home team
of USC Palmetto side head coach Mark
Morris, controlled the ball through most
of the fixtures and was able to stop an
impressive Greer side with a 17-5
finish. Members of the USC Men’s Rugby
Club attended the match to support the
high school ruggers. |
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Palmetto League
Standings |
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Record |
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Bonus |
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Team |
Div |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
+4 |
-7 |
POINTS |
|
Furman University
|
III |
01 |
01 |
00 |
00 |
027 |
000 |
01 |
00 |
05 |
|
College of Charleston |
III |
01 |
01 |
00 |
00 |
015 |
007 |
00 |
00 |
04 |
|
Citadel Military Academy |
III |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
000 |
000 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
Coastal Carolina University
|
III |
00 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
000 |
000 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
Armstrong Atlantic State
Univ. |
III |
01 |
00 |
01 |
00 |
007 |
015 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
University of South
Carolina C |
N/A |
01 |
00 |
01 |
00 |
000 |
027 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
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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 in 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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