Another Last-Minute Decider as Cal Poly Edges UCLA
Another Last-Minute Decider as Cal Poly Edges UCLA
Scoring 10 points in the final minute of regulation, Cal Poly came back to secure a thrilling victory over UCLA Saturday in Los Angeles to throw GRR’s D1A rankings and the D1A playoff seedings into a little bit of turmoil.
The hometown Bruins started well, breaking through the Cal Poly defense to get themselves into scoring position. However, Cal Poly scrambled to defend quite well and with inside center Tucker Barth laying in some teeth-rattling hits, the Mustangs held on.
Finally, however, UCLA got a penalty, worked the maul, and then ran a series of picks and quick passes to finally put flanker Iba Lin over for the opening try. Vicente Allue converted and UCLA led 7-0.
Cal Poly responded nicely with a wide kick from flyhalf and captain Coby Baker, which was gathered by wing Nate VanderKlugt. In support was flanker Dean Hall, who picked up, saw no one was covering the weak side, and raced in untouched. Baker hit the touchline conversion to tie the game. And after a long period of pressure the Mustangs opted for points on a penalty and Baker’s kick made it a 10-7 Cal Poly lead.
UCLA weathered a little bit of pressure from the Mustangs, thanks in part to a 55-meter kick for touch from Baker. But they got out of it and when Cal Poly kncok-on a ball box-kicked out of Bruin territory, the hosts were on the front foot. They worked the ball closer from there before finally getting the ball quickly to the wing, where Sergio Roccia was able to finish it off. Allue’s touchline conversion attempt was just about perfect and it was 14-10 UCLA.
The half ended with Cal Poly scrumhalf Nicho Domine getting a yellow card for hitting a player in the air, but neither team scored.
The second half began with Cal Poly camping out in the UCLA half. The Bruins defense was strong, however, and the Mustangs didn’t really get anywhere. Finally, Baker had had enough of his team going back-and-forth but not forward and popped a very nicely-taken drop goal to inch his side to within a point at 14-13.
The decision to just keep the scoreboard ticking when the option was there was a crucial part of Baker’s decision-making in this game.
Baker, however, would be watching for a bit after that. With a warning from referee Diego Villalobos hanging over the team, Baker was penalized and, ultimately, yellow-carded for a clearout that went too far.
UCLA capitalized, worked the ball into the Cal Poly 22 and setting a nice, flat pass for captain and No. 8 Logan Turner to burst through. Allue’s conversion was good and UCLA led 21-13.
However, the remainder of Baker’s yellow card was eaten up by a stop-start period that featured scrums and a lot of talking. Cal Poly escaped with no more damage.
Instead, they scored again. A penalty, lineout, and then a nifty snipe from Domine had the scrumhalf over. Baker converted to make it 21-20.
Back came UCLA. With about 12 minutes to go they ran a maul close, were stopped, and then ran their short yardage offense until Lin went over for his second.
Conversion good and UCLA led by two scored with time winding down 28-20.
Neither team could seem to take control as full time approached, and you wondered if, perhaps, there would be a special moment that could tilt the game.
There was.
With about two minutes left UCLA was pinged for no tackler release. The mark was in the middle of the field and about five meters inside the Cal Poly half. Baker had no hesitation, and pointed to the sticks. He took a few steps and thumped the kick, which soared over the bar with plenty of space to spare. It was an astonishing piece of skill and power, and it made it a one-score game at 28-23.
This was a smart tactical move by Cal Poly as they needed to score twice regardless, so get one score in and leave yourself time. It was less than a minute, but as long as Cal Poly had the ball, they could be patient.
Cal Poly kept possession and Domine sliced through with a snappy show-and-go. Later on he did it again and UCLA’s defense was getting stretched. The ball was sent out to fullback Julian DeRaffele, who cut through and sped over in the corner.
Tie ballgame 28-28.
Baker calmly slotted the conversion. There was time for the restart, and UCLA seemed to win it only to get pinged for in from the side. Baker tapped and kicked to touch, and Cal Poly had their victory.
This was a huge win for Cal Poly, following on the heels of a midweek win over Army.
“Two tough 80-minute games,” said Mustangs. Head Coach Chris O’Brien. “We showed we can play in the 60th to the 80th minute now.”
That ability was mostly about mental focus and making smart rugby decisions, and few decisions were as consequential as Baker’s decision to go for posts.
“Coby has been very good for us as a player and a leader,” said O’Brien, who acknowledged that the confidence of players such as Baker, Ryan Westrom, Brett Dowgiewicz, and others, has become infectious. “We have had lots of injuries and it’s been pretty cool how the guys have stepped up.”
With front rowers such as Ben Gallindo and Jack Zilligan doing the hard work and getting little notice, the entire team has bought into the cause.
The result has been a 9-3 season so far, with losses to Cal (a short-notice game scheduled at the beginning of the season when the Storer Classic was canceled), Central Washington 20-12, and Saint 43-38.
Finally sick of those close losses, the Mustangs beat Army and UCLA in the space of four days.
