The early-season meeting of the two defending NIT champions lived up to expectations as 2014 single-school champs Gonzaga edged 2014 multi-school club champs Royal Irish 27-25 on the final play of the game.

Gonzaga wing Reggie Corbin, who will be playing football for the University of Illinois next year, scored three tries on the day, including the game-winner. Scrumhalf Dan Callahan slotted the conversion to win the game.

It was a hugely physical encounter with Gonzaga’s massive front row, led by Dante Lopresti, battling a smaller but industrious Royal Irish team. The Royal Irish, playing their first game of the season, drew first blood with a penalty, but then Gonzaga reeled off three straight tries, one with a well-executed lineout and maul, and two with good interplay setting up Corbin. That put the DC-area team up 17-3.

“I don’t want to lean on the fact that it was our first game, but it was our first game,” said Royal Irish Coach Scott Peterson. “And in the first ten to 15 minutes we were in trouble. They got going and were playing well, and I think at 17-3 I knew we wouldn’t quit, but I also though we could call it a day on our chances to win.”

But the Royal Irish replied, turning the ball over with a thundering tackle on the restart, and using that possession to score, and then scoring late in the first half to make it 17-13 at the break.

The Irish, with flanker Noah Schroeder having a huge game, kept up the momentum and scored twice more to lead 25-17.

“From midway through the first half to about five minutes left I felt we were in charge of the game,” said Peterson. “We had the ball on the front foot in their territory. But we also knew they had their wing who was extremely tough to bring down.”

“We felt we game up two soft tries in the first half,” added Gonzaga Coach Peter Baggetta. “In the second half they played really well and ran really hard. We have good athletes but not a lot of rugby experience, but I was really pleased with how we persevered.”

Gonzaga marched down into the Royal Irish 22 and got a penalty that Callahan slotted easily to make it 25-20. Then it was a long battle with no time led tot see who would end up with the ball. The Royal Irish did get it, but instead of kicking it into touch to end the game, threw the ball over the sideline - that’s a penalty.

It’s a mistake you often see from high school players not always familiar with all of the laws.

“The only reason our guys knew about it was because we got penalized last year at nationals for it,” said Baggetta. “So when it happened all the returning guys pointed it out.”

Gonzaga kept the ball, and eventually sent Corbin over.

“I knew it wasn’t going to take much for them to come back,” said Peterson. “This was a great game. It’s a different level. I would say, though, that this was as tough a loss as I’ve ever had.”

“We need more games like this in high school rugby,” added Baggetta. “Royal Irish are the best high school team’s we’ve played that I can remember. We got a lot of lessons out of this game.”