There was something about the UC Davis men's team that seemed unstoppable.

The Aggies' second straight national DII championship wasn't inevitable, by any stretch, but their journey to it had some inexorable rhythm to it. There were no major hiccups, no really close games, no times when you wondered if they were losing it.

Even when things finally got tough, like against Arkansas, they handled it. And when they got really tough, against a Notre Dame College team that one day will certainly lift a major trophy, they didn't fold, they didn't whither, they didn't turn on each other.

The big worry about Davis was that they would use the kicking game, and be burned by it as NDC's slippery backs would return those kicks with interest. That happened, but Davis chased well enough and made their tackles - that's one reason they won - and the rain made the grass and the ball a little slippery. While that may not have played into Davis hands, it certainly didn't help the Falcons.

And in the end it seemed very fitting that Davis would win the game in part on a kick ahead into in-goal and a chase, sliding on that wet grass. For hooker Colten Collings, it was about playing tough, playing with heart, and playing smart.

"I would have to say that the game definitely came down to positional play," said Collings. "Coming in we wanted to try and kick for position and play the game in their half; put pressure on their back three and try to play front foot ball. In the first half we had a hard time doing that and it showed on the scoreboard, but in the second half I feel like we were more successful. Our backs did a great job of putting the ball into space, and then the whole team did a good job of coming up together and making their tackles. The were a very physical team with more speed and athleticism than us overall. I think that our perseverance and fitness played a major role in our team pulling the game out late."

UC Davis in stripes. NDC in solid blue with white accents. Austin Brewin photos.

And they finished strong. It didn't hurt to have a vocal crowd behind them, but the Aggies also won because they were strong late.

"We have always tried to be the fittest team on the pitch in every game we play, and I think that showed in this game," said Collings. "We have so much respect goes to Notre Dame. They gave us hands down the best game of the season and really tested us, especially defensively. The had some very big and strong runners, but our guys stepped up and made the tackles when it counted."

The DIAA Championship has started to define itself of late. It is basically the championship for big schools with rugby club programs, and some smaller varsity programs. Winning the DIAA makes UC Davis the best men's college rugby club in the country. And they've won it two years in a row. How did they do it? The way we want rugby clubs to be - they did it together; they did it by doing the basics right; they used the skills and the athletes they had available to them; and they didn't, ever, turn on each other or give up.

UC Davis in stripes. NDC in solid blue with white accents. Austin Brewin photos.