In one of the most exciting and competitive DII semifinals you’d ever want to see, Memphis defeated Northern Iowa 43-39 to advance to NCR’s DII national final.
The lead changed eight times in this game, which featured some thrilling attacking rugby and, despite the final score, some tough defense as well.
Memphis signaled their intent to go wide with and scored early doing it. A darting run from wing Christian Flynn, and, after the forwards backed up the attack, scrumhalf Caleb Schmidt sniped over.
Northern Iowa looked a little shocked but they dealt with it well. Nick Marker raced in on a strong run, and then a break from flanker Ben Hoeger set up another chance for Marker and he scored again.
UNI made it 19-0 after a longer period attacking the Memphis line when a penalty saw Jentry Staack tap quickly and score. It was a bittersweet moment, however. Marker fell injured with a hip injury that required some significant attention. It was a nasty injury and while the UNI players lauded their teammate as he was stretchered off, it was clear they were under some trouble. While UNI is a very good team overall, Marker is their leading try-scorer, and his absence would mean the loss of an expert finisher.
Memphis responded after play resumed. The forwards went to work and No. 8 Harry Hagan, followed by lock Alejnadro Nova, picked up from close-in and scored. Conor Dempsey slotted the conversions and Memphis led 21-19. The Tigers kept it up, working the ball sideline to sideline before Schmidt scored in the corner to make it 26-19. As the ferocious first half cam to an end, Northern Iowa retained the restart, ran a long and well-operated series of phases, paced by tighthead Tyler Kelderman running hard, before scrumhalf David Randall sold an outrageous dummy and was over. The #9 converted and it was 26-26. Memphis got a penalty right off the restart, but Dempsey’s effort drifted wide and it remained tied at halftime.
Staack sliced through early in the second half to put UNI ahead, but a penalty against the Panthers as they tried to run out of their half led to Sehrab Bagha unleashing an impressive stiff-arm on two tacklers before scoring. Dempsey converted and it was now 33-31 Memphis.
Not for long. Off the restart a Memphis player played a knock-on from an offside position. Randall put a penalty over and it was 34-33.
There followed a key passage of play. A smart kick into the Memphis 22 resulted in a UNI lineout and the Panther forwards worked closer and closer toward the Memphis line. They were right there, exhorted as they were by their coaches to be patient. They were, but the ball was lost forward just before the tryline anyway.
