Saint Ignatius College Riverview, one of the top rugby schools in Sydney, made their final stop of a ten-day tour in Sacramento to take on Jesuit High School.

Coming off big wins over top single schools on the East Coast the boys from Riverview were able to spend a couple of days with the host families from Jesuit before facing off in a much anticipated match on the Jesuit campus.  It was the first time the Australians would be able to play on a grass field and they were ready to run.

The first two minutes was all Jesuit with hard running and fluid ball movement from center George Niethammer putting the Australians under pressure, but one little mistake gave the ball back and the Marauders were on the defensive.  Led by Captain fly half Macintyre “Mac” Bird, who pulled the strings on the attack, Riverview was able to slice though and take an early 5-0 lead.  Five minutes later, Jesuit was able to turn ball over, but a charged down box kick produced another Riverview try that Bird converted from the corner.  The next 15 minutes saw Jesuit with a bulk of the possession, but a massive defensive shift from Riverview, playing a man down, kept Jesuit out.  Riverview was able to score right on the final play of the half to take a 19-0 lead.

The second half was a defensive battle with neither team taking a step backwards.  Jesuit had Prop Joe Marchant leading the charge, usually carrying two Australians across the gainline.  Riverview gave a master class on backrow play with Charlie “Chucka” Rorke in charge and the smaller backrow of Jesuit led by Captain Garrett Kay trying to match them tackle for tackle.  Junior Flanker Max Sackett would not be denied for Jesuit and stormed across the line five minutes into the half.  Scrumhalf Carlos Ramirez kicked the conversion to cut into the lead - 19-7.  The Australians were able to use some slick handling to score on the 50-minute mark to get some more breathing room - 24-7.

The final 20 minutes was all defense with both teams going close, but neither able to cross the line. 

Final Score Riverview 24 – Jesuit 7

Jesuit prop Joe Marchant was named Man of the Match by the Riverview team.

“This is what rugby is all about - hosting a great team from Australia, running rugby with two teams ready to attack from every opportunity and some tough defense across the board,” said Jesuit Head Coach John Shorey. “These are the type of games we need every week. The Jesuit players thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and were competitive in most areas, but a couple of small mistakes made the difference.  We look forward to taking these lessons on to playoffs and nationals.”

St. Ignatius Riverview USA Tour Results:

Riverview College 1st XV 47-5 over Xavier HS

Riverview College 1st XV 52-15 over Gonzaga High School 

Riverview College 1st XV 24-7 over Jesuit High School