Despite it being Spring Break, the Charlotte Tigers had some important games to play over the weekend, taking on two ranked opponents, including one that was a key one for getting into the Boys HS Rugby National Championships.
On Saturday, the Tigers were on the road at the Clayton Copperheads. This was a close game throughout the first half, with the teams trading tries. Clayton leveraged their speed and converted both of their tries to lead 14-12.
The second half started to go the Tigers' way. Their power at the breakdown and scrumhalf Alan Gray's ability to move the ball quickly tested Clayton. The result was six tries in the second half for the Tigers and a 46-19 victory. Wing Zach Cullen scored four tries on the day, while Jack Williams, captain Jameson Beatty, Joe Martin, and John Teli all touched down once. Flyhalf Vincent Keller added three conversions.
04.08.2024HS Boys
That was just the first act of the weekend's performance. On Sunday the Tigers faced rivals Raleigh Redhawks. This game was an agreed-upon play-in for HS Nationals. The winner would gain an invitation to the tournament. Teams that lose play-ins aren't necessarily out of a chance at Nationals, but the play-in game still means a lot.
Once again this was close early. The Tigers got tries from Williams and Beatty but the Redhawks saw captain and flanker Chris Newcomb, along with center Justin Albouy, race over to take a 14-12 lead.
After the second Redhawks try, Raleigh knocked on the restart and Tigers hooker Griffin Fickling was in for a try. Moments later fullback Brody Evans chased down a Keller chip kick and was in.
With locks Xavier Flowe and Braedon Butte playing stifling defense, and sucking in defenders on big carries, the Tigers started to find more scoring chances. Cullen added two more tries, one off another Keller chip kick, and Keller added four conversiond and a penalty to finished the game 41-14. This result puts the Tigers into the BHSNC club bracket—where they will be seeded is another question.
