For a final test for the fall, Arkansas State’s 45-7 victory has to be considered an A, as the Red Wolves defeated longtime rival Davenport. 

ASU has been working in a group of new players, but also a new coach in the shape of former ASU All American Shaun Potgieter. 

“I am growing into the job,” Potgieter told Goff Rugby Report. “And the guys are learning every day.”

Davenport weathered a minute or so of early pressure and then put the Red Wolves under pressure for a good 20 minutes. The Panthers got right to the ASU line, but couldn’t get over.

“We didn’t start off the way I would have liked,” said Potgieter. “We were on the back foot for a long time. What I did like was our defense in the first 20 minutes. We didn’t let them across the line. It took about 25 minutes for us to get into our structure. Then we started flowing.

Dylan Boast scored after some very simple hands out through the backline in a movement that started with a break from inside the ASU half and feature some aggressive support running. Then a brutally effective maul took Tabo Maree over from 18 meters out. And then it was again smart ball movement to put wing Nick Abreus in for a 17-0 halftime lead.

Blace Walser, Ryan Knuppel, Abreus, and Dylan Carrion capped off the ASU scoring.

“When I started coaching here we had the skills and the physicality and the aggression and the heart,” said Potgeiter. “But what I wanted to see was improvement every day and the guys learning every day. I wanted to see the guys playing in the system and within the game plan. At first it was difficult for the guys to use a framework to play off. They would get the ball and just see what they could do with it. What I wanted was for them to use the framework of the game plan to give them an idea of how they needed to play.”

The players were getting into bad habits early, said Potgieter, but they are breaking out of those now.

Arkansas State has solid veteran leadership - Kudakwashe Makuvire at pro, Zinzan Elan-Puttick at flyhalf, and Carrion at scrumhalf - but they also have some up-and-coming talent such as Kirk Pretorius at No. 8 and double try-scorer Abreus.

“We don’t have too many young players - just the right amount,” said Potgieter. “The guys playing varsity are stepping up to the plate and figuring out where they are in the team. Some are playing like they’ve been there the whole time.”

This is an important rebuilding year for Arkansas State. A new coach, new players … like many varsity and almost-varsity programs, the rise to prominence on campus has only happened in the last few years. Some are seeing their first large-scale graduations, either now or in the last year or so. Some are dealing with their first coaching changes. 

It’s a difficult time, and for Arkansas State, this was an important fall, and an important game. Beating a team of the quality of Davenport was an impressive result, and earns high marks.