Greenville, NC –
With weather wreaking havoc on the
Carolinas Rugby
League
this year, the #21 USC Gamecocks had
little time to cherish their hard-earned
victory over UNC,
as they made the short drive from Chapel
Hill to Greenville to take on the
always-feisty East Carolina Pirates.
Continuing the strong tradition of USC
pack dominance, the Gamecock forwards
were once again the difference in
controlling the match for South
Carolina. Though ECU has the largest
pitch in the league with 22m try-zones,
a strong, swirling wind limited their
ability to strategically kick around the
field.
Hot off the heels of their strong
performance the previous day, the USC
pack dictated ball possession in their
rucking by a 2-1 margin, winning 52 of
their 60 rucks. ECU won 31 of their own
35 rucks, but lost over 50% of their own
scrums and line-outs, with little
ability to affect USC’s put-ins.
According to USC assistant coach Ken
McCarthy, “Steve Hengehold and Calvin
Storey were again too powerful for the
opposition, and were ably supported by
Corey Benov, Andrew Hudson, and Owen
Shearer.”
In a remarkable outburst of offense, the
Gamecocks put up 46 points on the day,
earning their first bonus point of the
CRL season to compliment their
league-leading defense. Tries were
scored on the day by James Taylor, Corey
Benov, Chris Johns, and Peter Boland.
Positioning himself at inside center,
Boland was once again fantastic for the
Gamecocks, notching four tries and three
conversions, accounting for 26 points of
the USC offense.
In second-side action, USC ‘B’ was once
again awarded an official forfeit as ECU
was unable to field a full side without
use of its A-Side roster. A match was
played nevertheless, with the Gamecock
reserves coming up short against
first-tier competition, 22-17. The USC
B-side forwards were, according to
assistant coach Ken McCarthy, “not going
to be intimidated, and fought hard all
the way to the finish. The forward play
again was encouraging as the younger USC
players showed the way to the future of
USC rugby.”
The B-side victory also ensured that
USC’s second-side will capture the
inaugural Carolinas Rugby League ‘B’
Championship, as final opponent Clemson
University is unable to catch USC in the
standings.
To ensure its own shot at CRL
Championship glory, the #21 Gamecock
A-side will take on arch-rival Clemson
University this Friday, March 5, at 7:00
PM on USC’s
STWFC
Rugby Field.
After years of futility against their
hated foe, USC has now beaten the Tigers
in three consecutive meetings, though
the sides haven’t met since the fall
2008 season. While Clemson has struggled
some the past two years, this match is
always intense, and USC appreciates all
of those who are able to attend the
final A & B-side home matches of the
season. With a victory, USC will seal
its trip to the USA Rugby South Final
Four, and lock up a date with the #6
Arkansas State Red Wolves in
Murfreesboro, TN.
Also potentially on the line is USC’s
chance at capturing the inaugural
Carolinas Rugby
League
A-side Championship, though it will
ironically need a little help from its
rival. A victory with a bonus point,
coupled with an N.C. State victory
without a bonus point over the Tigers on
March 12, will likely give the Gamecocks
the first-ever CRL league title. A
victory of any sort coupled with a
Wolfpack loss to Clemson also ensures
the CRL Championship will come to
Columbia. Thanks to a bonus-point
advantage and a tied match between the
clubs, NC State as a 1-point advantage
over USC in the standings at this time,
as it was able to score 4 tries against
Wake Forest while USC did not.
Please join us this Friday, as the final
USC home match is make-or-break for the
#21 Gamecocks. Kick-off is at 7:00 PM
and, as always, admission is free.
___
|
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. |
|
