News Detail

West Point on to Semi Final

26 Apr 2010

by: CDT K. Palmer

West Point Rugby traveled to Atlanta, GA , for the Rounds of 16 and 8 in USA Rugby’s Collegiate National Championships. Their first stop on the drive to the national championship would be taking on the University of Tennessee on Saturday 17 April 2010.

The first score of the match was 5 minutes into the game, a try by fullback Will Holder (’13) who finished a line break from flyhalf Dave Geib (’11) which had started about 50 meters out. Tennessee retaliated quickly scoring a penalty kick putting the score at 5-3. West Point controlled the pace of the game utilizing their forwards for a tight game, forcing the anxious Volunteers to commit penalties. After a penalty on the 5 meter, flanker Bobby O’Neill (’10) took the quick tap and dove in for the try. Dom Latino (’10) converted the kick and the Knights were ahead 12-3. West Point kept the pace of the game quick and the pressure on.  After hooker Cole Morrison (’10) intercepted a Tennessee pass and carried it 30 meters down the field, the forwards quickly secured the ball which allowed the ball to get out wide. The disfigured defense could not stop the running of lock/flanker Kevin Kerr (’10) and center Gibson Sale (’10) who ran a switch line off Kerr and broke through the line for the try. West Point were able to close out the first half with all the momentum. After another quick tap from O’Neill on the 5 meter, the forwards kept the ball tight to the breakdown and after a few phases, Morrison was able to break through the line and score the try. The first half closed out with West Point 22, Tennessee 3.

The Knight’s Fifteen were able to carry this momentum from the first half into the second, scoring only six minutes in. Gaining a penalty advantage inside the 22m, flyhalf Dave Geib (’11) decided to take the drop goal opportunity and was able to convert putting West Point up 25-3. The match took a turn shortly after when the Volunteers broke the defensive line of the Knights and worked the ball through numerous hands for the try from 40 meters out.  This score seemed to really challenge the momentum of the match. Both teams seemed to balance out and both defenses held strong, but conditioning would soon come into play. The Knights were able to exploit some weaker spots in the Tennessee defense when they moved the ball to wing Ben Leatigaga (’11) who carried the ball around the corner from the 40m and out ran the Tennessee defenses. He would also score the next try of the match from almost 60 meters out when he scooped up a loose ball and carried it down the line, again for the try. The game was concluded with a try from Latino who scored on a good line through a gap in the defense on a ball from Mike Sheehan (’10). West Point closed out the game with a solid 46-10 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers.

The next match for West Point was against the Utes of Utah. This game started off as a very physical game right from the kickoff, both teams fighting for a spot in the Final Four. The Knights had the first chance to score with a penalty kick from about 30 meters out, but was wide and shortly after, Utah worked the ball down within the Army 22m. Following a series of phases, West Point received a penalty and Utah took the scrum from the 5m. The Utes were able to get the wheel they wanted and scored the first try of the match to put the Knights down 0-7. The interphase play on both sides had its ups and downs and the kicking game proved to be useful for both sides as they countered in order to put the back three under pressure to try to force errors. Also, finding touch for both teams on penalties did not happen, keeping the pace of the game fairly high. West Point was the next to score when they worked the ball within the Utah 40m. Geib took a gap through the line and worked into space and as he attracted the defender on the wing, he moved the ball to Sale who carried it the rest of the 22m for the try. The half ended with the score tied at 7-7.

The second half proved a bit more fluid and eventful. Utah put another score up first with a try fifteen minutes into the half after a kick to the wing who recovered it and ran in for the try. Following the kick off, West Point was able to move the ball within the Utah 22m. After a line break deep into the defenses by lock Miles Rowan (’10), the Knights were able to utilize their forwards and after a few phases of pick and jam work, Morrison was able to fight his way in for the try tying it at 12-12. Penalties were prominent on both sides of the ball and with the kicks not finding touch, the Utes resorted to the quick tap. From a penalty, Utah took the quick tap and after a few phases in the 22m was able to work through the defense and score on the wing, putting West Point down again, 12-19. After a missed penalty kick, Utah sent the 22m drop to the Knights.  West Point worked the ball within the 40 meter and received a penalty, giving them possession and a man advantage with a yellow card against the Utes. West Point took the scrum and moved the ball to Geib who weaved through the Utah defenses and scored on the first phase. The match was again tied, 19-19. With only ten minutes left, it seemed as though West Point would take it when Morrison scored again, this time on a nice pull pass from 8-man Peter Belden(’11) in the corner after a nice line break by Leatigaga. The Utes countered quickly though with a score in the last few minutes of the match. A fortunate miss by Utah’s kicker on the conversion prevented the Utes from taking the lead and by the end of regulation play, the score remained tied at 24-24.

The first half of overtime, only 10 minutes, produced no score but ended with several minutes of hard-nosed defense by West Point with their heels in their own goal. The second half was coming to a close with only 5 minutes left when out of a scrum just inside the 22m, West Point took the ball to within the 5m. On second phase, scrumhalf Alex Farinelli (’10) moved the ball to fullback reserve Kyle Palmer (’12) who pulled the ball to Morrison who put it in the hands of Leatigaga for the try. Palmer was able to complete the conversion putting the game at 31-24. The Knights defense held strong and was able to contain Utah for the last few minutes of the match. The final being 31-24 in favor of West Point at the end of overtime.

West Point’s next match will be against BYU in the Round of Four. The Match is at 3pm on Friday 30 April and will be played at Stanford’s Steuber Rugby Stadium in Palo Alto, CA.