Give these Atlantic Coast All Stars credit, they are not backing down.

In heavy rains in. Bordeaux the Americans playing in the World University Rugby Invitational Tournament, the Atlantic Coast team beat Sydney University 15-13 in the opening game for both teams.

Playing 20-minute halves, the teams had to battle heavy rain in what were difficult conditions to get things going. The Australian side wanted to play a fairly wide-open game, and did at times, but the weather didn’t help them.

Sydney Uni. got on board in the opening minutes, punishing a ACAS penalty by taking the lineout and mauling to the tryline. The team of American collegiate players defended, but a quick pick-and-go put Sydney over the line for a 5-0 lead.

Atlantic Coast came back when scrumhalf Matteo Peignon popped a flat and rolling box kick over the defense. Sydney’s deep three could only slide on the ball and slide into touch, giving the ACAS team a lineout five meters out. From there they mauled it, with hooker Joe Hawthorne driving over for the try and a 5-5 deadlock.

A few minutes later Sydney had a fairly innocuous lineout just inside the Atlantic Coast half only for it all to backfire. The ball was not secured at the top of the lineout and squirted to the back where it bounced off the artificial turf and into the hands of Hawthorne, who was waiting in the halfback role. The hooker snagged the ball and burst through an unsuspecting Sydney line, galloping 55 meters to paydirt. Peignon converted nicely and it was 12-5.

Sydney later added a penalty and through the next 20 minutes or so it remained 12-8.

With time winding down Sydney camped out in the Atlantic Coast end and seemed to have a try on a nice weakside scrum move. But it was called back for one player going into touch before the final pass. Eventually they did score, however, breaking down the right sideline and chasing down a grubber. That put the Australians ahead 13-12 with less than two minutes to go.