Oregon men’s club rugby got its season off to a rough start Saturday, losing 59-0 to the University of British Columbia.
In both teams’ first match of the league season, UBC dominated the scoreboard, as was expected. Oregon was playing British Columbia’s second side, but still couldn’t keep the match competitive.
“UBC is a very professional team,” Oregon coach Duffin McShane said.
Saturday’s match came down to athleticism, skill and conditioning, and UBC held an advantage in all three categories. The Ducks brought speed and talent but were overmatched. Going into the contest, Oregon knew UBC would be one of the toughest teams it competes against this season.
“This is one of, if not the best team in our league,” rugby team president Brian Maxson said.
The pace of the match in the first half was taken by UBC, who scored 12 quick points in the first 20 minutes. Oregon limited its opponents to 19 points for the remainder of the first half, but struggled to contain UBC’s forwards. Oregon’s defense was thrown off by constant switching amongst UBC’s players.
“Keep them fired up!” McShane yelled from the sideline, trying to keep his players motivated. “Stay hungry!”
Maxson said his team played well for the first 50 minutes of the match, but it seemed as though the players gave up in the second half.
UBC had a try in the first five minutes of the second period, setting the pace for the rest of the match.
“Tackling just wasn’t there,” Maxson said.
This seemed to be the consensus from the players and coach after the match. Maxson said UBC wasn’t physically imposing, and Oregon could have improved tackling by remaining more aggressive.
“We need to work on defense; we missed far too many tackles,” Oregon’s Ollie Pengilly said.
“We started off well with good aggressiveness,” team captain Tom Watson said. “We have the skills and ability. We just need to find the fire in our hearts to put it all together. That’s where we’re lacking.”
Oregon is looking for an attitude adjustment before the next match, and it’s clear the Ducks know they have work left to do.
“We can only go up from here,” Pengilly said.
The team seemed to stay in high spirits after the match.
“Oregon is a young team and has a lot to learn,” McShane said.
The loss to UBC may have helped the young team, allowing the players to discover their strengths and weaknesses.
“Having this game out of the way, we can really take a step back, focus on what we need to do, come back and really work hard,” Maxson said.
Oregon knows that playing a club like UBC is a good starting point. Saturday’s match leaves Oregon with a stepping stone to becoming a better rugby club.
The Ducks will take on Central Washington University this Saturday at Riverfront Field at noon.
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Oregon club rugby looks for silver lining in UBC loss
Daily Emerald
February 15, 2011
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