By Ericka Simpson
Staff Writer
The Bryan College Rugby Club pummeled the North Georgia College and State University (Dahlonega, Ga.) Rugby Club 31-7 on its own field Jan. 23. It was Bryan’s first win of the spring Matrix Tournament, which is played in the spring among surrounding schools with rugby clubs.
Up 17-7 at halftime, the Lions completely shut out the Saints in the second half. The club was confident going into the match, according to sophomore hooker Stephen Bryan, because they’d been training for the match since the fall.
“We knew we could beat them because we tied them last spring,” Bryan said.
Going into the match, the club strategized to play “the hammer” (or “slow ball”), which focuses on running the ball less but having good ball control and strong rucks. Bryan said this strategy worked well for them in the fall so they continued to use it.
Senior fly-half Phillip Kohler said the club knew from the beginning of the match that they could win.
“We dominated from the start, and they did not play good rugby,” Kohler said.
The match was filled with infractions and fouls, according to Kohler
Sophomore scrum-half Clayton Schmidt said the club took control of the match, scoring two trys early on (a try is worth 5 points).
“It all comes down to how you respond to the kick-off,” Schmidt said.
With confidence gained from its first win, the Lions were excited to face the Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville) Golden Eagles at Delaware Fields in Dayton on Jan. 30.
Unfortunately, at 1 p.m. on Jan. 30., the fields were covered in snow, and some of the rugby club members were borrowing trays from the cafeteria and sliding down the hills by the baseball field.
The inclement weather blew in on Jan. 29, covering Bryan Hill with snow and freezing rain and forcing Schmidt to cancel the rugby match.
Schmidt expressed disappointment at having to cancel the match because he was excited to play the Golden Eagles, but commented he does like the fact that the club will have more practice time before the match.
“They are even-matched with us and have good character,” Schmidt said.
“I really wanted to play, especially in the snow,” Bryan said with a smile.
The match will be rescheduled for either Mar. 3 or 4.