In what was suppose to be a friendly match between the Oregon women’s rugby team and Oregon Rugby Sports Union, turned out to be anything but when both teams took the pitch last Saturday morning at Riverfront Field.
With the teams volleying for control throughout the game, it was the Ducks’ defense that was ultimately the deciding factor as they held their opponent at the goal line as time ran out, allowing the Ducks to escape with a 24-19 victory.
Early in the match it was the Ducks who were knocking on the door, trying to solidify an early lead. Following a ruck inside five meters of the try zone, the ball was passed to Molly Kuhn; however, a swarm of ORSU defenders were able to break up the pass, resulting in a turnover.
Oregon continued to control the pace of the game and threatened to notch its first points just a few minutes later.
The Ducks once again had the ball inside five meters, attempting to penetrate an unforgiving ORSU defense. Flanker Nicole Steele received the ball following a pass out of a ruck, and with an opening to her left, she dove into the try zone for the early lead.
“I had forwards in front of me … and there wasn’t anyone to my left,” said Steele, who would find herself in the try zone three times on this day. “I saw the opportunity, got the pass off and just ran it in.”
Late in the first half it appeared momentum had shifted in ORSU’s favor. Following a Ducks penalty, which by rule would prevent Oregon from touching an oncoming ORSU player for 10 meters from the spot of the foul, allowed an ORSU player to break free around midfield with an open field in front of her. Yet the speed of the Ducks prevented the near score.
Two Oregon players tracked down the ORSU player who tried to pass the ball off to a teammate. The pass was broken up, and although ORSU retained possession close to the goal line, the Oregon defense was able to stand firm and keep their opponent out of the try zone.
The Ducks’ explosion continued to be a theme of the match, as a breakaway by Steele close to midfield following an ORSU penalty resulted in her second try of the game.
The match swung back in ORSU’s favor as a pair of unanswered scores tied the game midway through the second half.
However, it was the unpolished play of ORSU that resulted in another penalty and scoring chance for the Ducks. The penalty allowed the ball to be worked to Steele, who slipped past the defenders and in for her third try of the day.
Not to be outdone, ORSU answered back with a try set up by a strong run from their fly-half. With a chance to take a two-point lead, ORSU missed the conversion, keeping the score tied late in the second half.
This match against ORSU was scheduled in an effort to provide added preparation before the Ducks open their season against Oregon State in a couple of weeks. While head coach Greg Farrell admitted that his team must clean up their play and become a more cohesive unit, he was impressed with their determination to win.
“Normally when a team is that close and takes a couple shots at you from five meters, they’re going to get in,” Farrell said. “But we held them up both times. That showed heart. They played the whole 80 minutes that way.”
The Ducks field a team that will be undersized compared to the majority of the opponents they will face this season. They will have to rely on speed to be an integral part of their game plan.
“We’re not the largest team. In fact, this is one of the smallest teams I’ve seen in 11 years,” Farrell said. “We’re going to have to be quick with the ball and very controlled with it at the same time.”
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