Harsh Lessons for Utes in Moraga
Harsh Lessons for Utes in Moraga
Utah chased after St. Mary's all day. Michael Geib photo.
It was a long bus ride back to Salt Lake City for the University of Utah players after their 1st team was thumped by St. Mary's 81-15, and their 2nds were beaten well, too.
It wasn't a surprise - St. Mary's had played several strong men's club teams and Utah had played no one before Saturday's clash - but that didn't make it any easier.
Team director Mark Drown said the lessons were useful.
"St. Mary's executes their attacking pattern very well, with minimal errors and they have no weak areas," said Drown. "They capitalized at the breakdown both offensively and defensively, forcing multiple turnovers. I think we had 14 at a minimum between knock-ons, stripping the ball, and the breakdown."
So it was down to the most basic of basics - taking care of the ball. Setting the ball in the ruck, having a good body position, and, said Drown "a sense of urgency at all times" were all needed.
"Our tackling was very poor and we again need to go back to basic principles," he added.
Drown praised St. Mary's as a team and also the stadium that hosted the game, with a "top-flight grass pitch" and he added the Gaels were gracious hosts. All of that was nice, but the rugby wasn't easy.
"We were pleased with our lineouts," said Drown. "We were able to see players in differnet positions and relied upon some younger players to cover for senior players sitting out. Our defensive shape was exposed many times especially when St. Mary's took the ball off us while we were in our our offensive pattern, they swung it wide before we could get up into a defensive shape and their centers are just very dynamic and difficult to contain under those conditions. It was great to play a program firing on all cylinders and it was very apparant how well they know each other and their system. We will see them again later in the season and that will be a great bench mark on how well we addressed or shortcomings."
