The Oregon men’s rugby team had lost its first two matches of they year by a combined score of 123-0.
But the Ducks’ 22-17 come-from-behind overtime thriller against the Michigan Wolverines Saturday could spark the emergence of an up-and-coming team.
With less than a minute left in the game, the Ducks had the ball near the Michigan try line as they relentlessly tried to penetrate an unforgiving line of Wolverine defenders. However, it was Oregon’s Dave Charlton who muscled his way through the defense for the try. Following Nate Delisle’s first conversion of the game, the score was tied at 17 heading into overtime.
Both teams volleyed for field position during the early minutes of overtime. A turnover by the Wolverines inside Oregon territory gave the Ducks the ball and a chance to complete the comeback.
Oregon worked the ball toward the sideline, trying to find a seam to gain a large chunk of ground. Oregon winger Spencer Arns was able to do more than that as he received a pitch and took the ball half the length of the field for the winning score.
The emotions on the Ducks’ sideline after the game were a mix between jubilation and relief. A pair of early-season blowout losses left the team battered mentally. But the Ducks feel they can carry this momentum into their next game and through the rest of the season.
“I just think this game means a lot to our team because we had some tough struggles the first two games, and it’s a good confidence-builder,” Arns said. “We needed this game … because without a win here our morale would be down. But I feel that this can pick us up and inflate us a little bit so we can carry it on to the next couple of weeks.”
The game was a scrimmage for both teams with the result not counting for the Ducks’ overall league record. It was an opportunity for Oregon to play many of its second-string players and young talent, which coaches believe will be integral parts of the rebuilding process.
A few starters took the field for the first time in the final half of play with the Ducks trailing 17-5.
Within minutes of the start of the half, Oregon had, by far, its best offensive possession of the year.
Starting deep in its own territory, Oregon expertly maneuvered the ball up field until a breakaway at midfield by fly-half Ollie Pengilly resulted in a try to pull the Ducks within seven.
“I hadn’t been playing for 60 minutes, so I was fresh,” Pengilly said. “When you come into a game it’s different than starting because you have a different view on the field. So you react to what you’ve seen … and you play as you see.”
Ball control, physicality and tackling have all been a glaring weakness during the Ducks’ pair of losses, and that was emphasized during practice leading up to their game.
Oregon showed improvement in each of those areas, and it was that improvement that resulted in the first points and win of the year.
“We really worked on controlling (rucks and breakdowns) and maintaining ball possession, which we were able to do,” head coach Brendan Hobbs said. “That gives us a lot more opportunities the whole game to produce.”
Winning was important, but the manner in which they won proved that within the Ducks is a battle-tested mentality.
Resiliency had been a struggle for a team that found itself trailing early in its first two defeats. And once again, it seemed that the Ducks would be unable to rebound from an early Michigan score. The Wolverines scored within minutes of their first try to give them a 10-0 lead.
The difference in this game was that Oregon was able to answer back. The Ducks’ first try of the year, scored by Delisle, brought Oregon to within five.
“In the past, guys have just quit, but they played the whole game,” Hobbs said. “They were aggressive. They worked as a team. There was really good cohesion amongst the players. It was probably the best game we played this term, without a doubt.”
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