Wake Forest escaped Raleigh with a 14-12 victory over NC state on Saturday, in the process solidifying a spot in the USA Rugby South D2 quarterfinals.
The match started with Wake in full control. Flyhalf Tyler Eure slotted an early penalty and drop goal to push Wake to a 6-0 lead, and wing David Hobson followed with a try in the corner to push the Demon Deacon's advantage to 11-0 with 20 minutes gone. But NC State battled back, and began dictating the style of play, utilizing a very basic, but very effective, strategy of forward crashes and mauls. A converted Wolfpack try towards the end of the half left the score 11-7 at the break.
NC State's forwards continued to dominate possession and territory in the second stanza, but Wake's defense held firm. Wake managed very few offensive attacks, and those that they did execute went unfinished. One backline movement that had winger Hobson away for his second try was called back for a questionable forward pass, and a second linebreak by Hobson was stymied when the NC State winger put in a clothesline tackle that warranted at the very least a yellow card and instead inexplicably went unpenalized. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack continued to keep the ball in close and grind their way down the field, eventually resulting in a try with 15 minutes remaining in the match. The conversion missed badly and the score stood 12-11 in favor of NC State. With their postseason life hanging in the balance, Wake increased its pressure, but time and again saw its attacks go lacking due to penalties or handling errors. Finally, with 5 minutes on the clock, the referee awarded a penalty to Wake 45 meters out and between the posts. Flyhalf Eure, who last week had a substandard kicking day going 1 for 5, stepped up and calmly drilled the kick, giving Wake the 14-12 lead. The Wolfpack roared back, however, and had multiple opportunities in the final 5 minutes to retake the lead. The Wake defense hung on however with some season-saving tackles by Freshman Matt Storck and Sophomore Christian Jewett. The final whistle blew as Eure booted the ball into the NC State crowd and the Wake players celebrated, knowing they had narrowly escaped with the win.
The victory gives Wake Forest a berth in the USA Rugby South Division II quarterfinals, an impressive accomplishment for a team who last year only made the Division III playoffs because the Elon University rugby team decided to go on spring break rather than go to the playoffs. Wake will likely travel to Murfreesburo, TN to face Middle Tennessee State University on March 22. In the meantime, next week Wake hosts its first annual High School Rugby showcase, featuring high school teams from Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina. As part of this showcase, Wake will be taking on the Richmond Spiders in a non-league match.
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