|
ASU Rugby
team overcomes many obstacles for win over UNCC
Kevin Burnette
- Contributing Writer
Along
with the blustery winds from the mountains, Appalachian State University
AHO Men's Rugby brought its new sharp-edged game to the campus of
the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Saturday afternoon
for a narrow victory of 10-0 over UNCC Rugby.
It
was a good day for rugby and referee Ken "Doc" Muir commended
both sides for their play during the match.
"They
played rugby the way they were supposed to. I almost died,"
Muir said with a laugh.
The first half was an experimental period for both teams, as they
adjusted to the new rules set down by the rugby union. These small
changes were some of the main forces behind the blow of the whistle.
Rucks were constrained for safety reasons when too many men might
be underneath.
ASU
head coach David Rogers said referee Muir's calls were instructive
to the players who were not familiar with the rule changes.
Also,
untimely penalties were called not so much because of blatant infractions
by either side but unknowingly broken rules. This resulted in a
multitude of penalty kicks for touch for both teams. Kicks for touch
sent the ball down field to gain ground and to set up lineouts,
sideline throw-ins by the kicking team.
Lineout plays were one of ASU's strong points in the first half
as flyhalf Patrick Mannion kicked and hooker Roger Fay threw from
the sideline. First jumper and tighthead prop Thad Teague also impacted
the lineouts as he caught ASU throws and spoiled UNCC's.
During
the first half, UNCC's scrum incorporated its strength in wheeling
ASU around that drew eight-man John Collins closer to UNCC defense,
making his role in scrum plays impossible.
ASU
was also hampered by bad ball-handling, but made up for it in the
rucks with presenting the ball and the support of the scrum smashing
through UNCC's capture of the ball.
After an adjustment during halftime, ASU went back onto the field
with a new game plan to counter UNCC's scrum wheeling. Simply, the
ball would be directed to the left side where flanker and club president
Jason Kovalcin could pick up the ball and have no scrum defense
in his way.
This
new strategy worked well and helped ASU make a better stand during
the second half. Early on in the half a penalty kick for points
was set up 30 meters from the goal. Flyhalf Mannion attempted the
difficult kick but the ball did not make it through the posts.
Soon after Mannion was slowed down by a rolled ankle. He tried to
walk it off but a few minutes afterward he had to come out of the
game with another injury to the ankle.
While
icing his ankle, Mannion said of the match, "We played alright.
We should have played better. Now we have to pull together, bang
some heads and score some points."
Fullback Darren Ledbetter stepped up to take over the reigns of
flyhalf and successfully took over Mannion's spot totally off the
fly.
Then
during a ruck near UNCC's try line, UNCCÕs hooker Brian Elder, twin
brother of ASU's injured flanker William Elder, suffered a slight
concussion and had to step off the field.
Minutes later, ASU was set up by a penalty for a kick for points
that was completed for three points by inside center Jason "Pabst"
Pass. Now the score had ASU up 3-0 over UNCC.
Within
the last 10 minutes of the half, ASU did not run out of gas as they
had against UNC Greensboro but instead stepped up the intensity
and it paid off.
UNCC
brings the ball all the way up to ASU's 18-meter line and is stopped
when John Collins comes out of the ensuing ruck and advances four
meters. From there, scrumhalf Brendan Keane kicks for touch off
a penalty and ASU has the throw-in from the lineout.
Keane
salvages the ball from the near perfect ruck and passes the ball
down the backs line. The ball finds its way to strongside wing Stuart
Smith who blazes through the thin UNCC defense and turns on his
speed to the try-zone.
ASU
sat at 8-0 until Pass booted the conversion kick for two more points.
ASU won the match 10-0.
Referee Doc Muir said of ASU, "They played an inspired match
against a very tough Charlotte side. I think they weren't expecting
the other side to come out as tough as they did."
Mountaineer
fullback for second half Nate Sullins said, "We played like
hell today. We never died and never gave up."
Forty-niners Rugby Club President Jason "Tons" Gower said
of his team's performance, "I think we played really hardÑ
fought as hard as we could."
On
the sidelines, spectator and ASU Rugby alumnus Billy Linnane was
proud of his old club and said, "They showed a lot of guts.
They played a tough defensive game."
ASU
scrumhalf Brendan Keane thought that his squad performed great.
"Our scrum played great. That's what won the game," he
said with a smile.
Mountaineer
Coach Rogers said that he was particularly proud of the ASU's rucking
skills on the whole. "The presentation of the ball and the
support of the forwards (props) was key," he said.
UNCC
head coach Mike Hanson remarked about ASU also, "Your [ASU]
rucking, compared to us, was tremendous."
The field captain for the Forty-niners, Chris Peas, was surprised
at ASU's attitude. Usually a heated rivalry between both sides,
this game was different because everyone was focused more on the
game than anything else. "ASU seemed like it lost some of its
scrappiness," Peas said.
What the Mountaineers lost in hot-headed "scrappiness"
it made up in the day's victory.
Roger
Fay, ASU hooker, said, "We've got a great squad this year.
And for all those clubs that think they're better than us: look
out because we're coming, full AHO speed."
The
Mountaineers' B-side also claimed a victory against UNCC. Coach
Rogers noted this game as another step ahead for ASU. Greg Schwartz
seemed to have matured in his second game as scrumhalf and performed
greatly.
Backs,
"Smiling" Mike Phillips and Matt "Sway" Penly,
were noted for their try-saving tackles along with outside center
Jeff Riddle.
Mike
Lauff moved smoothly from flyhalf to flanker positions during the
game and earned the mention of "most versatile."
ASU will have a free weekend coming up, but in two weeks will host
Furman University Rugby on Oct. 1.
|
