The UCF Men’s Rugby team routed the USF Bulls, 66-5, in front of a healthy sized fan turnout in the Spring Semesters home opener.
The game started with a kick to the Bulls. With a quick advance and a well-placed kick, the Knights got the ball back and set a brutal tempo for the game that the Bulls could not match.
In Rugby, the resulting possession of the ball after a kickoff is nowhere near as guaranteed to a team as in football, where the kickoff is more or less a formality to trade possession.
A well placed kick in rugby will be within 30 yards of the kicking team and provide enough hang time for that team’s players to get under the ball and make a bid for it. Successfully hawking a kickoff can provide enormous momentum, like a fumble recovery on a punt in football, and places the team deep in the opponents territory.
The Knights were first to score with a penalty kick, worth 3 points, by Max Roehm. After making the kick, the Knights received the ball and used hard drives from the backs and forwards to control the ball for most of the first half, leaving the Bulls to play catch-up.
While the match up was more of the Knights putting on a clinic instead of a competition, the Bulls did manage to sneak a few points onto the scoreboard. The Bulls advanced down the field and a well placed penalty kick put them within 5 yards of the tryzone. A strong run from their forwards gave them the score, 5 lonely points that would not see any more company for the rest of the day. The Knights responded immediately with a swift try that showed the Knights had no intention of letting up. The half ended with the Knights up 35-5, and UCF had plenty left in the tank.
The second half began with the Knights receiving the ball and continuing to outperform the competition.
Andy Goins, fullback for UCF, rushed for over 150 yards and two tries. Man of the Match, Sean Nicholl, scored once and punished USF every time he had the ball, bulldozing defenders like bowling pins.
After a strong second half from UCF and no further scores from USF, the Bulls were handed a demoralizing defeat. And while the Knights could have chased the Bulls back to Tampa with their tails between their legs, rugby is gentleman’s game…
As is tradition for the home team to be a gracious host, the Knights invited the Bulls out for some camaraderie at the Knights Library to polish off a Saturday well spent.
This Saturday at 1:30, February 9, the Knights hosts the best rugby game to come to Orlando in years. The Seminoles are a disciplined team that will key on any weaknesses that UCF presents. This game will decide conference play for the season. Last year, these two teams played in Mobile, AL and the ‘Noles were victorious. Join us Saturday and see if the Knights take the next step to a Conference Championship
