Chapel Hill, NC –
The
#21 University of South Carolina Men’s
Rugby Club traveled to Chapel Hill, NC
this past Saturday to take on the UNC
Tarheels in a critical
Carolinas League
showdown. The outcome of the match was
likely to determine the league’s
Division 1 representative at the USA
Rugby South Final Four, and the
Gamecocks held nothing back in their
quest for the playoffs.
Playing at UNC’s
Ehringhuas
Field,
the Gamecocks used the strength of their
forwards to capitalize on the pitch’s
small dimensions, denying North Carolina
the ball for most of the match.
According to records compiled by the USC
coaching staff, the Gamecock forwards
took the ball in to an incredible 74
rucks, winning 68. In comparison, UNC
was only able to take the ball in to 20
rucks, winning 18. This impressive
display of power meant that the USC pack
was able to dominate possession by a
near 4-1 ratio.
The dominance of the Gamecocks was not
limited to loose play, however. In
addition to their prowess at the
breakdown, the Gamecock forwards also
won 8 out of UNC’s 10 line-out throws,
allowing the USC XV to essentially “live
in UNC’s half of the field,” according
to USC assistant coach Ken McCarthy.
Scoring in the match was provided by six
penalty goals from USC center Peter
Boland, as well as an additional penalty
goal by senior flanker Corey Benov,
pacing the Gamecocks to an inspiring
21-10 victory in this ‘Battle of the
Carolinas.’ Stand-outs in the match
included senior captain Anthony Hughes,
SEC All-Star Calvin Storey, senior Corey
Benov, and sophomore Steve Hengehold.
The victory over the Tarheels ensures
that USC controls its own playoff
destiny, as it seeks to take on #6
Arkansas State at the South Final Four.
The event, to be held this year in
Murfreesboro, TN, is essentially a
national ‘round of 32,’ as the top two
teams will advance to the USA Rugby
National Round of 16 held in Marietta,
GA and Santa Barbara, CA.
In second-side action, USC ‘B’ was also
victorious this Saturday, taking down
the famed UNC ‘Killer Bees’ on their
home pitch. Continuing the strategy of
the USC A-side, USC assistant coach Ken
McCarthy noted that the B-side forwards,
”controlled the rucks and lineouts and
did not allow the [previously] unbeaten
UNC B-side into the game.” Junior
forwards Andrew Hudson and Andrew
Franklin led the Gamecock pack,
“shutting out any efforts by UNC to make
any progress into USC’s half of the
field.” Senior Justin Schlachtermann had
a stand-out performance with solid
front-row play and a hat trick of tries,
pacing the Gamecocks to a 30-10 victory.
___
Note: Standings as shown include the
results of Sunday's
victory over ECU.
|
Carolinas Rugby League:
A-Side
Standings |
|
|
|
|
Record |
|
|
Bonus |
|
|
Team |
Div |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
+4 |
-7 |
POINTS |
|
North Carolina State
University |
II |
05 |
04 |
00 |
01 |
125 |
056 |
02 |
00 |
20 |
|
University of South
Carolina |
I |
05 |
04 |
00 |
01 |
102 |
043 |
01 |
00 |
19 |
|
University of North
Carolina |
I |
05 |
03 |
02 |
00 |
159 |
104 |
02 |
01 |
15 |
|
Appalachian State
University |
II |
05 |
02 |
03 |
00 |
088 |
045 |
01 |
03 |
12 |
|
Wake Forest University
|
II |
05 |
02 |
03 |
00 |
105 |
183 |
01 |
01 |
10 |
|
Clemson University
|
I |
04 |
01 |
03 |
00 |
054 |
101 |
01 |
01 |
06 |
|
East Carolina University
|
II |
05 |
00 |
05 |
00 |
073 |
177 |
01 |
01 |
02 |
|
|
|
Carolinas Rugby League:
B-Side
Standings |
|
|
|
|
Record |
|
|
Bonus |
|
|
Team |
Div |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
+4 |
-7 |
POINTS |
|
University of South
Carolina |
I |
05 |
05 |
00 |
00 |
110 |
010 |
05 |
00 |
25 |
|
University of North
Carolina |
I |
05 |
04 |
01 |
00 |
116 |
049 |
04 |
00 |
20 |
|
Clemson University
|
I |
03 |
02 |
01 |
00 |
044 |
032 |
01 |
00 |
09 |
|
North Carolina State
University |
II |
04 |
01 |
03 |
00 |
037 |
074 |
01 |
01 |
06 |
|
East Carolina University
|
II |
03 |
01 |
02 |
00 |
020 |
042 |
00 |
01 |
05 |
|
Appalachian State
University |
II |
02 |
00 |
02 |
00 |
000 |
040 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
Wake Forest University
|
II |
04 |
00 |
04 |
00 |
000 |
080 |
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) |
|
* - Forfeit victories
also receive a bonus
point, as they are
recorded as 20-00 (4
tries) |
___
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. |
|
