Navy had decent but maybe not perfect first outing for 2024 but they did come away with a win.
For the Midshipmen you'd expect them to be prepared and fit, and building from a superb fall, but training is just that ... training.
"We had to knock off the dust a little bit," said Head Coach Gavin Hickie. "It has been three months since we played. But at the same time, Mount St. Mary's are a very good side so overall we were pretty happy. It's easy to forget we are still a pretty young side. To see these guys buy in and see we’re only scratching the surface of the potential is pretty exciting."
Navy faces Western Ontario, which will be a physically powerful and experienced side, and a good test. "We are still trying some combinations," added Hickie.
Saint Mary's bounces off their astonishingly close win over Central Washington to play Cal Poly in a clash of the top two teams in the California Conference. Meanwhile, Central Washington plays BYU in an almighty collision in the Evergreen State. This is definitely a game to watch.
We talk a little about Life vs Arkansas State and Lindenwood vs Davenport here>>. Arizona vs UCLA carries a TON of weight on the West Coast and it's also UA Rugby's 55th birthday.
Cal visits Army and it's a tough ask for Army as they haven't played yet so that's going to be tough. It's another road trip for Cal and one in which Head Coach Jack Clark wants to see how the Bears handle crossing the continent.
“It is an important trip for us,” said Clark. “We need to prove that we can be the best versions of ourselves in a contest against a postseason-caliber team. They are a really good team, powerful, and adding in travel and field conditions, we are anticipating a challenging encounter.”
D1AA
In D1AA Florida vs Florida State is a massive game in the Sunshine State while it's for all the marbles kitty-corner from there with Western Washington and Boise State deciding who is tops in the NCRC.
