Salaber Hat Trick Slams Door on Tigers 71-5
CLEMSON, SC – The Cal Golden Bears dotted down 11 tries and held Clemson scoreless until the 80th minute to defeat the Tigers 71-5 Saturday on National Athletic Village Field in the quarterfinals of the Varsity Cup.
The Bears will host a semifinal Saturday, April 22, at 1 pm PT on Witter Rugby Field against Penn State, which defeated Army, 47-34, in University Park, Pa.
California (15-3) got a hat trick from inside center Anthony Salaber, two tries from fullback Jake Goena, and a controlled performance as the pace slowed in the second stanza to eliminate Clemson after jumping out to a 50-0 halftime lead.
"Our game plan opened up some gaps inside and we were able to recycle the ball and move it out," said Salaber.
Arkansas State over UVU in VC
Arkansas State weathered a torrid early storm from Utah Valley to emerge 39-12 winners in th Varsity Cup quarterfinals.
The Red Wolves aren't used to being the smaller team on the field, but this time they were, and that changed their approach.
"We knew they were good because of what they'd done against UCLA," said ASU Head Coach Shaun Potgieter. "They were probably had 15 pounds on us per man, and were taller, too. But traveling to Jonesboro isn't easy, and we felt that if we could make them run around, we would be able to finish strong."
Navy Takes Down CWU in OT
The US Naval Academy defeated Central Washington 27-24 in overtime to move on to the Varsity Cup semifinals Saturday.
Navy put in a strong defensive performance, scored a crucial late try, and benefited from several clutch kicks at goal from power-running and multi-skilled No. 8 Connor McNerney (pictured kicking from the tee below right).
Varsity Cup QFs Preview
The Varsity Cup enters its quarterfinals and things get a little tougher for those who pulled out victories last week.
After looking very good beating Boston College, Navy hosts Central Washington. Navy's defense has been really good, with only a late softening against Army to put a blemish on things. They are dogged, and have one of the better 8-9 combos in college rugby. Their midfield took care of BC, but Central Washington is a different prospect entirely.
Rematch Time for Arizona, Air Force
Arizona visits Air Force in one of two DIA playoff games this weekend, and like the other, this one's kind of hard to predict.
In the other game, Utah v San Diego State, they hadn't played each other but they had some crossover. In this Arizona v Air Force game, they actually don't share many similar opponents, the two actually did face off. But, that doesn't really help, as Arizona won, but by the score of 30-28, just to prove these teams could be fairly equal.
SD State v Utah a Tough DIA Playoff to Pick
The first round of the DIA playoffs is halfway done already, but two games remain, and both are compelling.
This weekend, Utah faces San Diego State, and this is a clash of two teams making a push to be taken very seriously on a national level. Utah has been playing a lot of rugby, putting out a mostly development squad into the West DIA conference, and then playing their 1sts in the PAC Rugby Conference. With the decision to choose the DIA over the Varsity Cup, Utah has committed to this playoff and expects to make a move.
Furman Takes Final SoConn Qualifier
The Southern Conference is all set for the conference final 7s tournament at Furman on the 22nd after last Saturday’s final leg.
Eight of the conference’s top teams will be preparing until then in hopes of winning the conference and securing a spot at the USA Rugby Division II Nationals in Colorado on May 19. The conference is hoping to get at least one at-large bid in addition to the champion of the conference because of a recent history of good performance from Southern Conference teams in past national-level tournaments.
The seeding for the conference final is as follows: 1.UNCC 2. Furman 3. Citadel 4. UNCW 5. App State 6. Coastal Carolina 7. UNC 8. ECU.
Utah Valley Not Shocked at UCLA Shocker
Was Utah Valley a surprise in beating UCLA 40-14 in the opening round of the Varsity Cup?
Not if you ask UVU Head Coach Adam Griffee.
“We knew we could compete,” said Griffee. And they did more than that.
It wasn’t that UCLA couldn’t do anything - the Bruins were constantly in UVU territory. But that hugely physical and dedicated Wolverines defense made scoring difficult. In addition, UVU was on the lookout for interceptions, and took one from goalline to goalline during the game - always a massive momentum-shifter.
“We’ve got a tough forward pack. Our flankers are animals,” said Griffee.
AIC Wins Scott Milley 7s
This Sunday AIC Men’s Rugby took the early morning trip to play in the 7th annual Lt. Scott Milley Memorial 7s tournament, hosted by the University of New Hampshire. This annual tournament is put together in memory of Lt. Scott Milley, a former UNH rugby player that was killed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010.
“The Milley’s have such a positive outlook on life. Out here, grilling lunch for the teams, honoring the memory of their son; It’s a beautiful event. They’re certainly making the best out of a terrible tragedy. They’re creating a wonderful legacy for their son Scott and doing great work for veterans through the foundation in his name,” said AIC Coach Rob Guiry.
Finalists Named for Scholz Award
The finalists for the 2016-17 Rudy Scholz Award have been named, as the search for the top men's DI-level college rugby player is now down to four.
A panel of coaches, USA Rugby representatives, and media selected the nominees, and the college rugby public was then asked to vote for the finalists. The Rudy Scholz Award is named after two-time Olympic Gold Medal-winning scrumhalf Rudy Scholz, who fought in two world wars, was a prominent attorney, and played rugby into his 80s. It is given to the top men's college rugby player in the country, and is sponsored by the Washington Athletic Club of Seattle, Wash.
Rhode Island Wins Rhody, Hoder Cups
The University of Rhode Islands defeated Providence College this past weekend to regain the Rhody Cup.
Rhode Island ran out 48-29 winners over the Friars to the take annual competition. The Rhody Cup is a competition between rugby-playing colleges and universities in Rhode Island. Begun six years ago, it has been won by Salve Regina once, Providence College three times, and Rhode Island twice. The URI 1st team, the Rams, were led by the spine of the team - hooker Justin Zeramby, locks Kevin Almond (also the captain) and Tyler Inkley, and No. 8 Josh Adams. The Rams were excellent in the scrums, lineouts, and restarts, and also made the gainline repeatedly, allowing the backs space to run.
The victory was also revenge for URI as they lost the Rhody Cup to Providence College last year on the final play.
7s Training Plan at Heart of St. Joe's Spring
As the sun comes out and Spring arrives, many collegiate teams are making the transition from traditional 15s rugby to 7s rugby.
With less than half the players on a field that could measure 100 meters x 70 meters, with only seven-minute halves, 7s is a whole different beast entirely. In order to prepare for the many changes that come along with 7s rugby, teams are changing their focus and workout routines to be fully prepared for the spring.
One team in particular, St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa, is switching up their training to make sure they are fully prepared for the upcoming 7s season.
URI Prop at Powerlifting Championships
University of Rhode Island prop forward Darryl Brooks was in intense competition this past weekend, but it wasn’t in rugby.
On Sunday in San Antonio, Texas, Brooks competed in the NCAA Powerlifting Championships. A big, powerful prop, Brooks competed in the 1
20-kg-plus division. He logged a squat of 270kg, a bench press of 155kg, and a dead lift of 250kg.
“We’re proud of him,” said URI Coach Mike Traynor. “Darryl came to us three years ago and he was a competitor, but he was over 300 lbs. We would run ten yards and then walk ten. But he worked really hard to build up his stamina.”
While still competing as a powerlifter, Brooks ailed down the tighthead prop spot for Rhode Island’s rugby team. He dropped to about 260lbs, and continued to build his understanding of rugby.
Davis, GCU Battle it Out
It hasn’t been an easy ride for UC Davis, but the Aggies will play for the Spring DIAA championship in two weeks against Florida State.
The road took them through a very difficult Chico State in the Pacific Western final, a gritty Cal State Long Beach team in Saturday’s Spring quarterfinal, and then an exciting Grand Canyon team that proved much this weekend.
Davis beat CSULB 46-21 on Saturday, while GCU came back to overhaul Western Washington 17-14. On Sunday, Davis looked to be in control against Grand Canyon, running a nice misdirection play off a scrum to get close, and then squirming over the line for the opening try.
FSU Wins DIAA Spring Semi
Florida State is in to the national Spring DIAA final after an overwhelming 38-0 defeat of Missouri in the eastern bracket semi Sunday in Spartanburg, SC.
FSU held off a tenacious North Texas team on Saturday, 30-28, and then slammed Missouri on Sunday.
"North Texas had a lot more speed on the outside than we expected, and it took us a while to figure out how to stop them," said FSU Head Coach Michael Gomez. "Saturday was a bit of a scare for us, but the thing about the team is they have such a great level of composure. With other team's we've played when there's a penalty or they give up a try, they turn on each other. Our guys don't. They keep that 0-0 mindset and just keep playing with composure."
