Columbia, SC –
On a crisp, cold Tuesday night in
Columbia, USC Rugby’s A-side faced off
with Carolinas Rugby League opponent
Appalachian State University (AHO). As
is typical with this rivalry, the
scoring was low and the intensity was
high. In the end, the Gamecocks
prevailed to walk away with a tough
07-03 victory. With the win, the
Gamecocks improve to 2-0-1 in spring
league competition, and move back into a
tie for first place atop the standings.
The solo try on the day was a
sensational run through the middle of
the ASU defense by center Peter
Boland. Fullback Cullen Clair’s
successful conversion gave USC a 07-00
lead going into the half. Stout defense
by USC kept the Mountaineers from
gaining a single try throughout the
match. Early in the second half, the
Mountaineers were awarded a penalty
kick, which was easily converted by
AHO's kicker. This brought the score to
07-03 in favor of the
Gamecocks. However, this is as close as
the visitors from Boone, NC would
come. With the final whistle blown, the
two sides once again finished a
sensational match in this storied
rivalry.
USC webmaster Erik Geib notes that,
ironically, the score was the same as
AHO's heart-breaking victory over USC in
the 2006 South Quarter-Finals, only this
time luck was on the side of the garnet
and black. The score also represented a
number of records for USC's
STWFC Rugby Field,
setting the mark for fewest points
scored by USC and total combined score,
as well as tying the mark for fewest
points by an opponent.. The previous
records stood for 1 year, 1 day (8 pts.
vs. Arkansas State, 02/15/09), a day shy
of 4 months (26 combined from USC and
N.C. State, 10/19/09) and 1 year, 2 days
(Georgia's 3 points vs. USC, 02/14/09),
respectively. The Gamecocks have also
tied their longest winning streak on
their current home field (7, previously
09/22/07-02/09/08; now
09.05.09-present), and are undefeated at
home this season. Since the
STWFC Rugby Field's
opening on February 3rd, 2007, USC is
17-5-1 all-time at the facility.
In other USC Rugby news, the Division I
B side was awarded yet another victory
via forfeit. This marks the third
consecutive match for B side with a
score of 20 points (four tries) and five
match points. USC’s B-side sits tied
atop the standings among all CRL B-sides
at 3-0-0, with only Division I foes UNC
and Clemson realistically standing
between them and the CRL B-side title.
This weekend, USC’s A/B sides will have
a break from rugby as the C-side travels
to Summerall Field in Charleston, SC for
an all important matchup with The
Citadel’s A-side. The match is set to
kickoff at 2 pm.
The following weekend, February 27th and
28th, USC’s A- and B-sides will travel
for a two game road trip through the
Tarheel State. On Saturday, USC will
play UNC in Chapel Hill on
Ehringhaus Field
at 3:30 & 2:00 pm, respectively (UNC
prefers the B-side match played
first). The Tar Heels and the Gamecocks
will battle for critical points in the
race for first place in the CRL, with
the N.C. State Wolfpack nipping on both
teams' heels. On Sunday, the Gamecocks
will then travel to
Greenville, NC
for a matchup with the 2009 South DII
Champions, East Carolina University.
Each game will be vital in USC’s hopes
for a CRL championship and a birth to
the USA Rugby South DI Final Four in
Murfreesboro, TN.
___
|
Carolinas Rugby League:
A-Side Standings |
|
|
|
|
Record |
|
|
Bonus |
|
|
Team |
Div |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
+4 |
-7 |
POINTS |
|
University of South
Carolina |
I |
03 |
02 |
00 |
01 |
035 |
028 |
00 |
00 |
10 |
|
University of North
Carolina |
I |
03 |
02 |
01 |
00 |
113 |
056 |
01 |
01 |
10 |
|
North Carolina State
University |
II |
02 |
01 |
00 |
01 |
029 |
026 |
00 |
00 |
06 |
|
Clemson University
|
I |
02 |
01 |
01 |
00 |
027 |
029 |
00 |
01 |
05 |
|
Wake Forest University
|
II |
03 |
01 |
02 |
00 |
057 |
110 |
00 |
01 |
05 |
|
Appalachian State
University |
II |
02 |
00 |
02 |
00 |
019 |
027 |
00 |
01 |
02 |
|
East Carolina University
|
II |
01 |
00 |
01 |
00 |
008 |
012 |
00 |
01 |
01 |
|
|
|
Carolinas Rugby League:
B-Side Standings |
|
|
|
|
Record |
|
|
Bonus |
|
|
Team |
Div |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
+4 |
-7 |
POINTS |
|
University of North
Carolina |
I |
03 |
03 |
00 |
00 |
079 |
007 |
01 |
00 |
15 |
|
University of South
Carolina |
I |
03 |
03 |
00 |
00 |
060 |
000 |
03 |
00 |
15 |
|
Clemson University
|
I |
02 |
02 |
00 |
00 |
032 |
005 |
01 |
00 |
09 |
|
East Carolina University
|
II |
01 |
00 |
01 |
00 |
005 |
012 |
00 |
01 |
01 |
|
Appalachian State
University |
II |
02 |
00 |
02 |
00 |
000 |
040 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
North Carolina State
University |
II |
02 |
00 |
02 |
00 |
012 |
059 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
Wake Forest University
|
II |
03 |
00 |
03 |
00 |
000 |
060 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
|
|
Palmetto League
Standings |
|
|
|
|
Record |
|
|
Bonus |
|
|
Team |
Div |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
+4 |
-7 |
POINTS |
|
Coastal Carolina University
|
III |
02 |
02 |
00 |
00 |
099 |
006 |
02 |
00 |
10 |
|
College of Charleston |
III |
02 |
02 |
00 |
00 |
054 |
007 |
01 |
00 |
09 |
|
Furman University
|
III |
02 |
02 |
00 |
00 |
040 |
012 |
01 |
00 |
09 |
|
Citadel Military Academy |
III |
02 |
01 |
01 |
00 |
061 |
028 |
01 |
01 |
06 |
|
University of South
Carolina C |
N/A |
03 |
00 |
03 |
00 |
000 |
098 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
Armstrong Atlantic State
Univ. |
III |
03 |
00 |
03 |
00 |
028 |
131 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
|
|
Key: |
|
Div - Division |
PF - Points For (in a
match) |
|
GP - Games Played |
PA - Points Against (in a
match) |
|
W - Win (4 pts) |
-7 - Bonus (1pt) - Loss
by 7 or fewer |
|
L- Loss (0 pts) |
+4 - Bonus (1pt) - 4
tries in a match |
|
T- Tie (2 pts) |
POINTS - Total League Points
(pts) |
___
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 and MVP, 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. |
 |
Boland's sensational run
through AHO |
USC's first try was
early and sensational
|
Referee John Meyers
signals the try |
Senior Mike Weidman on a
run |
AHO looking to off-load
on offense |
Senior Captain Hughes in
the lineout |
The two sides scrum on
the far sideline |
Defense made the
difference this night
|
|
|
|
|
