Another Late Surge Takes Navy Away from Walsh
Another Late Surge Takes Navy Away from Walsh
Navy continued their winning ways with a 40-11 defeat of Walsh University Saturday in Rugby East action.
As has been their script throughout the fall, Navy absorbed some pressure and battled through some difficult times before opening up the spigot in the final quarter. The game overall was much closer than the final score suggests.
Early on both teams looked to test the other with kicks. Walsh’s Lachie McDonald and Tomas Rojas driving lower line drive kicks (somewhat into the light wind) and Navy’s Roanin Krieger trying to carve off large chunks of territory with bigger hoofs.
Neither team was able to garner a massive advantage until Walsh was penalized at midfield and Krieger slammed over the long-range kick for a 3-0 lead.
Walsh responded well; a dummy and sidestep from captain Remy Thomson allowed the scrumhalf to take off for a huge run. He was caught, but wing Nicola Bitossi Coronedim was in support. Still navy’s cover defense was there, but they were penalized for no tackler release, setting up a lineout and maul for the Cavaliers. The forwards then bashed it over to take a 5-3 lead.
Navy’s answer was careful and methodical, not pushing too much, and when a kickable opportunity offered itself Krieger was only too happy to put it over.
Walsh’s restart after that went out on the full and that was a mistake the Cavs could ill afford. From the ensuing scrum Navy marched into Walsh territory and put the Cavaliers under immense pressure. Two mauls made it just down to the tryline, but no further. They had opportunities on the wing and in open play up the middle. Walsh stymied them all—they got a yellow card for their efforts, but they hung on.
Finally, as halftime crept closer, Navy’s Avion Ganse countered on a kick, and a snipe from scrumhalf Michael Strehle brought them down closer. The Navy forwards then went to work and crashed it over. Krieger converted, of course, as that made it 13-5.
Krieger added another penalty, and then Walsh ended the first half with one of their best sequences. They almost got over in the corner but had to settle for a penalty from Rojas to make it 16-8 at the break.
At had been physically demanding stuff with plenty of collisions, a little good-natured ribbing, and many, many close calls.
Walsh began the second half with the same fire they had at the end of the first. Rojas slotted a penalty to inch the Cavs closer at 16-11 and we looked to be in for a battle.
But Navy is notorious for finishing strong, especially as their bench comes on to increase the energy. Krieger slotted a goal to make it 19-11, and midway through the second half the Midshipmen extended their lead.
Quick ball and some hard work from the likes of flanker Tanner Russell and hooker Waylon Davis kept them going and a nifty loop move saw Max Smith dive in at the corner. Kriger hit the difficult conversion and it was now 26-11.
It stayed that way until the final 10 minutes, Walsh got close and kept the tackles coming, but eventually someone was going to find space. That someone was outside center Drew Baublitz. As the final 10 minutes approached, the Midshipmen got a scrum near midfield and ran a planned backline move through Krieger and center Jake Cornelius that sent Baublitz blasting through a hole and in under the posts. Krieger converted to make it 33-11. And as time wound down another good piece of open-field play saw Baublitz hit a gap and go all the way. Kriger slotted the kick to make it 20 points for him and Navy had their win.
Navy DOR Gavin Hickie was, overall, pleased with the performance, saying that they knew this was going to be a difficult game and they needed to be patient and take points when they were on offer.
For Walsh captain Remy Thomson, the issue for their team has been converting pressure into points—that is what contributed to two close losses on the road. This time, however, they needed to get tries early and put pressure not only on the field, but on the scoreboard.
For Navy Russell was very active, and Strehle played very well at scrumhalf in a game where both #9s were exceptional. Navy’s lineout was solid and the second row partnership of Austin Taylor and Ed Soeder just cleared out in rucks and dragged their team forward.
The game included a special recognition of the military, with the Stark County Vet Center in attendance, and Staff Sgt. Rat Wilson (ret.), who served 14 years in the US Army, providing the coin flip. The local fire department came to hoist the Stars & Stripes high on their crane. Hickie praised the gesture and said it was a very nice gesture of respect from Walsh University.
Also in Rugby East, Navy beat Belmont Abbey 67-17 while West Point took care of Penn State 24-7.
