San Diego State’s Club Rugby Team narrowly lost 26-25 versus Santa Clara University on Saturday, March 5, in their season home opener.
The Aztecs also suffered a narrow defeat the weekend prior versus CSU Long Beach.
Despite the losses, Aztec head coach Jason Merrill was just happy to be playing at SDSU once again.
“It was brutal dealing with COVID-19 protocols,” Merrill said. “It really hurt our numbers and our camaraderie because it wasn’t just difficult to play rugby but it was difficult to do stuff together. There were a lot of different rules that we had to jump over but now that we’re through it, it’s beautiful. It feels so good to be able to play again, to be around this energy again, and have this family feel. It’s something that everyone’s been missing for SDSU rugby for a couple of years.”
Saturday’s rainy and windy weather weren’t ideal conditions for a rugby match. It was a cold day in San Diego and, as the match began, wind speeds picked up to 20 mph — the highest they would be all day.
“Wind played a massive factor,” Merrill said. “I think it played a real big factor in our conversion attempts because we actually outscored Santa Clara five tries to four, but what really hurt us is that we didn’t convert any of them. That’s leaving 10 points on the board and they converted three, that was the difference in the game.”
The Aztecs opened the scoring in about five minutes with a penalty try. Unfortunately, the conversion kick was wide right, meaning the Aztecs would go up 5-0 rather than 7-0.
About 15 minutes later, senior 8-man Joey Litsey picked the ball up from the back of the scrum and broke away for a 40-yard run before getting tackled. A couple more attacking passages of play and the Aztecs found themselves a foot away from the try line. Senior scrumhalf Elliot Kay then dove in from a couple of yards out to give the Aztecs their second try of the day. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on the Aztecs’ side, blowing the conversion kick wide right.
At the 26 minute mark, the Aztecs won a scrum after the sir — the head referee — called a penalty against the Broncos for a not-straight throw-in. Off the penalty, the Aztecs tried to pass the ball across their backs, but on the third pass, the ball was picked off by the Broncos 11 and taken about 20 yards for a try. After the first successful conversion of the match, The Broncos had cut the lead to 10-7.
With a minute left in the half, the Broncos were relentlessly driving in search of the try that would give them the lead. After it looked like the Aztecs had won the ball back, the Broncos regained possession and played the ball out to their number 14 who dummied a pass and broke his way through the Aztec defense for a try. The conversion was made and the Broncos went up 14-10 at halftime.
The Aztecs opened the second half with constant attacking pressure.
After almost five minutes in the Broncos’ 22, The Aztecs moved the ball all the way out to the left-wing where freshman winger Alexander Christensen cut inside, broke three tackles, and then dove over the try line for the Aztecs’ third of the day. Again, the Aztecs missed their conversion.
Around the 60 minute mark, the Aztecs found themselves pushing at the Bulldogs’ try line once again. A couple of close pushes and finally senior right prop Cedric Ndondo-Lay pushed the ball over the try line from a close distance. For the conversion, the Aztecs switched their kicker for the third time in the game but the result was no different.
Less than three minutes later, the Aztecs were on the attack once more.
Senior hooker and club president Andrew Mosqueda broke through the Bulldogs’ defense, breaking tackles and leaving bodies on the floor on a near 50-yard run that was stopped just before the try line by the Bulldogs’ fullback.
“Mosa got that ball and he’s a hard runner so they were prepared for him to take it but he dished it to me and I was able to shed a few guys,” Mosqueda said. “We had talked about when to keep the flow going and when to take it and let the team play it out but I knew I had a good run. I got hit a couple of times, I felt my calves giving out, but that 15 caught up to me and laid a good hit..”
A couple more strong pushes and freshman left prop Kellen Murphy had placed the ball down for a try giving the Aztecs a 24-14 lead, but the conversion was missed. It would be the Aztecs’ fifth try of the game yet they were still yet to make a conversion — missing out on 10 potential points that would prove costly once the match was over.
The Bulldogs did well to stay in the game though. Scoring the third try in 10 minutes, after a scrum in the Aztecs’ 22 ended up in a nice passage of passing leading up to a try. The score was now 21-25 with the Aztecs holding onto a fragile lead.
In the last couple minutes of the game, the Bulldogs were rewarded for their efforts to come back. A massive run by their left lock brought them into the Aztecs’ 22. The Bulldogs’ right prop then picked the ball up from the back of the ruck and charged his way in for a try. The conversion was missed but it wouldn’t matter as there wouldn’t be enough time left for the Aztecs to attack.
It was an intense hard-fought game where either side could have come away with a win depending on the day, but unfortunately, today didn’t belong to the Aztecs.
Despite the loss, SDSU’s B-Side went out on the field after and put in a dominant 38-7 performance over Santa Clara’s B-side.
“If you don’t play you’re not going to be able to properly learn this game and it’s so wonderful to be around it and see it,” Merrill said. So many guys that played on the B-side today are brand new to the sport. It’s from a safety standpoint the speed of the game at the A-side is so much faster, trying to make sure that these guys develop and play the game and have fun doing it. It’s important that we can build a proper program at SDSU and a proper foundation because those are the guys of the future.”
The Aztecs will next play on Saturday, Mar. 12, at the ENS field at SDSU versus an opponent who is to be determined.
