Aggressive Start First Kentucky to Win in NCR D1AA Final
Aggressive Start First Kentucky to Win in NCR D1AA Final
Kentucky secured the 2023 NCR D1AA title with an impressive showing Saturday in Houston, defeating Louisville 43-26.
Kentucky was in command into the final 20 minutes before a stirring Louisville comeback caused some frazzled nerves, but in the end playing fast, controlling the field position, and being tenacious on defense put the Wildcats in position to lift the trophy.
Kentucky took the ball on the kickoff and ran it through the hands smoothly, testing the Louisville edge even from within the UK 22. The plan, said Head Coach Sam Enari, was to read the deep three—both wings and the fullback back to watch the kick? Run with it. The wings are up? Use the boot. Combine that with some really excellent work in the rucks to maintain continuity, and you have a case of Louisville playing constant defense
With some strong running lines from prop Jared Monier and Will Meckauskas and a very nice break from fullback John Hall, Kentucky worked their way into scoring position, but a knock-on finally ended that. Except Kentucky’s pack stole the put-in and immediately threatened the line, with flanker Gage Curry picking up and diving over. Down 7-0 and hardly having touched the ball, Louisville looked to spin the ball only to see Kentucky wing Joe Keough intercept the pass and race 80 meters untouched to make it 12-0.
That play perhaps got into Louisville’s minds a little as they were a bit more cautious after that.
The Cardinals did well to run through phases and test the UK defense, but the Wildcats were patient and absorbed the pressure. For Louisville, little handling errors, turnovers, and penalties started to hurt them.
Flyhalf Jack Phillips unleashed his prodigious kicking boot, which punished those penalties with meters. After one such massive kick Kentucky ran a maul into the Louisville 22, Curry popped off the back, and after a really strong carry from prop Tyler Walenga, Mechauskas picked up and went over. Phillips converted for a commanding 19-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Kentucky rounded out the half with another long kick from Phillips and then just camping out in the Louisville 22. Finally Monier scored from short range and Phillips added the extras for a 26-0 halftime lead.
The hole got deeper for Louisville early in the second half. A kick counter started by wing Matt Verdes, carried on brilliantly by center Luke Keough, was seemingly finished by Parker Kabel. But Kabel lost the ball forward as he tried to score the try. The reason? He was tackled over the shoulders—high tackle, penalty try, and a yellow card for lock Matt Kramer.
That made it 33-0, and soon thereafter Louisville had another yellow card. Phillips popped a kick into in-goal that eluded two Louisville players trying to touch down the bouncing ball and it was the UK flyhalf who instead got his hand on it. Phillips converted (his fifth out of six) and it was 40-0 for Kentucky.
From then on it was a case, frankly, of Kentucky holding on. Louisville re-dedicated themselves to playing more accurate rugby and their strongest players took a big step up. Center Brennan Mortonstrauss cut through and offloaded to flyhalf Aaron Stevenson for a try. Kentucky got a yellow card as Louisville returned to full strength and that showed the impatience of the UK players—who didn’t need to be impatience. Scrumhalf Cameron Donlon zipped in for a try and now it was 40-14. Phillips answered with a long-range penalty, but Louisville kept coming.
Carson Green was almost over on a quick-tap but he was held up. The Cardinals still had a shot, though, and finally hooker Angelo Eklo burst over. Stevenson and Mortonstrauss continued to test defenses and urge their teammates on. They were able to set up fullback Ryan Cammarata for another. 43-26, but there was no time for another and Kentucky were champions.
For the Wildcats, the back row of Curry, Everett Marret, and the ever-present openside Holden Hahn was the heart and soul of what they did. They worked hard at a lot of unglamorous stuff and that made the Kentucky engine go. The outside backs were impressive, but overall it was a strong team approach, and a blistering opening 20 minutes that saw them through, capping off an excellent fall of 2023.
For Louisville, it was close but no cigar for a second year in a row. Perhaps they can take solace in the fact that Kentucky is just really, really good, and perhaps they can take solace in the fact that facing an impossible deficit, the Cardinals kept playing, kept battling, and kept scoring, anyway.
