Gonzaga Defeats Tenacious Vienna
Gonzaga Defeats Tenacious Vienna
Gonzaga defeated Vienna 31-7 Thursday night in a non-conference game between the defending single-school national champion and the HS National Championship Tier 2 winner.
It was a game where Gonzaga did not start all of the players who start on a regular basis, but they did start some of them, and put in a very strong XV against a Vienna team that had much to prove.
Vienna started the game trying to test Gonzaga wide and both teams wanted to launch quickly on defense to take away opportunities. Early on Gonzaga got a penalty, took the lineout, and calmly and powerfully mauled it over.
Moving the ball well Gonzaga had the Vienna defense scrambling a bit, but more to the point, when Vienna came up quickly, Gonzaga’s backs, especially Will Dombo and Will Keeler in the midfield, responded well and exploited any gaps that rush defense left open.
A big break from Keeler got Gonzaga into the Vienna 22 and eventually another penalty led to another lineout and another maul, which led to another try: 14-0 Gonzaga.
Another penalty and maul set up the third try of the half and Gonzaga led 21-0 at the break.
In the second half Vienna had battened down the defensive hatches and it took a bit of skill (and luck) for Gonzaga to get into scoring position. This time Will Breslin, normally a center and making his first start at flyhalf, launched a kick down the tramlines that bounced, rolled, and veered to go into touch just before the tryline. The kick must have covered 75 meters and was a 50-22, thus presenting Gonzaga with an attacking lineout five meters from the Vienna line.
While Vienna actually fracture the Gonzaga maul nicely this time, Gonzaga kept the ball and bashed it over for their fourth try.
Later, with a Vienna player in the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, Gonzaga mauled it over for their fifth and a 31-0 lead.
As time wound down, Vienna worked into the Gonzaga 22 and were able to score in the corner and convert to finish it up 31-7.
“The way we do this is that we list our roster for a game like this and some regular starters don’t dress for the game,” said Gonzaga Head Coach Peter Baggetta. “So, yes, you’re the guy and that guy who usually starts is not coming to rescue you. It’s exciting for our players and they responded. But we knew this was going to be a physical game and all credit to [Vienna Head Coach] Kendall [Erickson], he gets his team to play hard all the time. There’s a reason they won Tier 2. They tested us and they deserved their try. They didn’t fold.”
Several players who got some important Gonzaga minutes showed well. Breslin, in his first start as a flyhalf, handled the position very well. Keeler combined nicely with Dombo and wings James White and Aiden Flippen played solid defense. Flippen comes from parents who met as rugby players at East Carolina, but as a senior he has just begun to embrace the game.
Flanker Owen Kent had some key turnovers in the second half; prop Pepe Boglione made an impact; lock Nick Marisa had a big night. Axel Ries, the third Ries to play scrumhalf at Gonzaga, has been pulled up to the varsity squad early due to injury, and he impressed.
Vienna did hang in there. They didn’t have a ton of good attacking chances, but they tried to take them when they had them. They didn’t shy away from tackling and even when it became clear they would have to tackle a lot, they embraced it.
Captain Luke Jarvis was massive in his running and he caused Gonzaga problems. Flyhalf Ryan Vagoun managed the game well, especially when it was his kicking game that helped keep Gonzaga’s score relatively low. Prop Matheo Rojas logged a huge number of tackles and showed he can handle the hard-charging Gonzaga players.
Vienna did carry some injuries (one two minutes in meant a player brand new to the game was drafted in and he, Brady Calderwood, made some key tackles on the wing. Another first year player Tanner Hall tackled all day and night.
“We have a ton of things to improve given the lack of experience of several players and general mistakes, but I was very proud of our effort,” said Vienna Coach Erickson.
