Rugby Update

This past Wednesday the JV and Varsity Rugby Teams defeated their counterparts from The Regis School at Western Academy. 

After losing to Regis 35-25 earlier this season, the JV squad vowed not to let that happen again. Sam Clements got the ball before the first minute elapsed and scored the first touchdown, which is also known as a try, and is worth 5 points. The 2-point conversion kick afterwards (much like the kick after an American football touchdown) was missed. 

About a minute after Clements’s try, Nicholas Worley ran for a try bringing the score to 10-0 in favor of the good guys. Apparently believing he was in competition with Clements, Worley ran in the next try and conversion bringing the score to 17-0 by the end of the first 10-minute quarter. 

At the start of the 2nd quarter the JV backline passed the ball out well and progressed down the field but was held up by the opposition before losing the ball. The whole Green Jay defense stopped the Regis Knights time and time again where by the end of the 2nd quarter no one scored. 

At the start of the 3rd quarter JP Webber entered the game as fly-half (somewhat like a football running back), got the ball from scrum-half (kind of like a quarterback), Alessandro Directo, and ran it straight through the Knights’ defensive line to score the next Green Jay try. The conversion was missed bringing the score at the top of the 3rd quarter to 22-0. A few minutes after Webber’s try, he and Directo’s classmate, Cadel Malanga, asked for a pass from Webber. Malanga ran completely around the Regis defense to score the next Western try. Then Malanga converted his own try with a drop-kick bringing the score to 28-0 in favor of the good guys. 

The 4th quarter began with fly-half Berhane Linbeck getting the ball from scrum-half Xavier Klatt. Making a few fake laterals down the back line, Linbeck broke through the Regis defense for the next Green Jay try. The conversion was missed bringing the score to 33-0. The final Green Jay score was made by Sam Clements whose unconverted try brought the score to 38-0. 

Apparently feeling comfortable with a fine lead the good guy’s defense accidently slacked off a little allowing Regis to score an unconverted try. The final score was WA 38, Regis 5. This was quite an improvement from the 35-25 loss to Regis a few weeks before. 

Immediately after the JV match, the Varsity team took the field to play Regis. Feeling rather confident after beating Regis 45-10 a few weeks earlier, the good guys held an over-assured posture while the Regis team looked poised for victory to avenge their previous loss. 

Regis started off strong and scored first around a sleeping Green Jay winger. However, the Knights’ conversion attempt was no good. The Green Jays stood shocked when the Regis team took the lead 0-5. No team has scored first against the Varsity all year. This obviously revealed a real truth—this was going to be a battle unlike any game before. 

The Green Jays regained their composure and decided to play crash-ball rugby by having one player get the ball and crash-running forward instead of passing the ball out. The Regis line only allowed a few yards per Green Jay multiple plunge until Jackson Litts bulldozed through the Regis defense to score the first try for the good guys. Joe Bush then kicked the conversion bringing the score to 7-5 in favor of the Green Jays. 

Regis, however, came right back and scored again with a conversion to bring the score 7-12 in their favor. 

The good guys returned to the crash and plunge offense, which resembled a lot of full back runs into the opposition’s American football defensive lines. This went on for a few minutes until Jackson Litts again ran over the remaining Regis defenders to score his second try. This time Pablo Granados kicked the conversion, which brought the score to 14-12 in favor of the home team. 

In the 2nd quarter center Willie Brown received a pass from fly-half Nicholas Favoriti who received a pass from scrum-half Andy Caranti and ran the ball around and back and around and through the Regis line to score the next good guy try. Granados, unfortunately, missed the conversion. Regardless, the Green Jay lead went up to 19-12. 

Not to be outdone the Knights fought back and took advantage of the Green Jay tiring defense to score an uncoverted try bringing the score to 19-17. 

Pablo Granados, though, got a hold of the ball from the Knights and ran it in for the next Green Jay unconverted touchdown bringing the score to 24-17. Regaining a bit of comfort, the good guys returned to the spirit of rest and relaxation. However, the first half had not ended and the Regis Knights were not done battling. The Knights fought hard and scored one unconverted try, then another bringing the half-time score to 24-27 in favor of them. 

At the start of the 3rd quarter, JJ Furnace, playing fly-half, took the ball on the right-side of the field from scrum-half Andy Caranti and ran to the left crossing in front of a barrage of rushing Regis defenders. First, Furnace ran past one defender, then a second, then a third. Furnace ran further. Every player, coach and Green Jay fan thought Furnace would surely be tackled, but he said, “No! I will run like never before!” Meters later he back-handed the last defender near the touch line (out of bounds) and ran under the goal post to score a try bringing the score to 29-27. Having good placement for what came next, Joe Bush kicked the 2-point conversion bringing the score to 31-27.

The 3rd quarter ended and the 4th quarter began. The Green Jays vowed to go full-force for the next ten minutes in order to secure a win. Right from the kick off to the Green Jays Center Haden Gabel received the ball and ran it right around the Knights’ defense to score an immediate try. Francisco Linbeck converted this try bringing the score to 38-27. 

Not to be outdone by the backs, Willie Brown ran in and around and through and behind and back through the Knight’s defensive line all while holding the ball out wide like a loaf of bread to score the next Green Jay try. This try was converted by Linbeck, which brought the score to 45-27. 

Now playing with the heart and mind of a wise raven, the Green Jays received the kick (unlike American football in rugby football it is make-it, take-it). The ball was passed between Ballew, Furnace, Heard, Ritchey and Gutierrez before it was passed to Gabel who ran the ball into the goal for the last try, which was converted by Pablo Granados bringing the score to 52-27. No more points were scored in the remaining time. The Varsity good guys got a scare but realized they had to fight hard to regain the lead. 

Both games were a bit messy, but the JV and the Varsity squads who were fed Western Academy during the day, won by hard play, determination and true Western grit. 

Next Thursday, the Varsity plays the British School at home starting at 4:30pm. This will be an interesting rematch as the Green Jays barely beat the British School 45-40. A JV match may take place, but that has not yet been finalized. Come out and support the Green Jays!