This weekend in collegiate rugby saw four games in California, with most seeing pretty clear winners.
American River College won fairly comfortably over UC Santa Cruz 55-17. ARC was enormously physical and whenever their speedy runners were able to get the ball close to the line, their power men took it over the line.
The Beavers led 40-0 at halftime and were in control then. The Banana Slugs found some scoring chances in the second period, and, in fact, outscored ARC in the second half.
However, this was a rather comprehensive showing by ARC as they were pretty clinical close-in.
Cal hammered Cal Poly 101-0 in Berkeley. Cal Poly had their moments and their scoring chances, but they were not precise when they needed to be. Cal, for their part, were very good in their ball movement, passing the ball swiftly and smoothly to the outside, and then, as often as not, zipping it back inside.
Cal’s opening try came when captain and flyhalf Rand Santos charged down a too-low clearance kick, and regathered to score under the posts. Cal Poly had a chance to maybe respond but a not-straight call on an attacking lineout killed that. Instead Cal worked off the lineout, and a massive charge by lock Brice Muller.
That smooth passing set up and inside pass to center Max Threlkeld and, with Filip Edstrom’s conversion, it was 14-0.
Constant pressure led to Edstrom and Threlkeld working together once more, this time to set up scrumhalf Solomon Williams.
It continued in that vein throughout the afternoon.
Calling Cal clinical might be a bit much this early in the season, but against a Cal Poly team that can play some very good rugby, yes, they looked clinical.
