Wake Rugby Showcases Sevens Skills at UNC 7s

Ty Pierce, 7s Specialist

Wake Forest entered three sides in the annual Friday Night UNC 7s tournament, a fun event that kicks off UNC Rugby's annual spring alumni weekend.

The night started with Wake Forest's upperclassman side losing a close match to Duke, 19-15. Both teams scored three tries, but Christian Jewett's inability to even come close to converting either of his two tries proved to be the difference in the match.

Next up was Wake Forest's all-front row side. Averaging 250 pounds per player, the side started out with a game plan to play tight, possession rugby and aiming to send the sport of Rugby Sevens back to the caveman era. However, a strange thing happened and the front row side abandoned the game plan and instead played a wide open, free-flowing, expansive rugby game (albeit in slow motion). Trailing 5-0 to the UNC Alumni side near the end of the first half, freshman prop Ty Pierce excited the crowd when he took the ball near his own goal line and raced 95 meters for a try, shedding numerous would-be tacklers along the way. Adding to the incredibleness of the score was the fact that Pierce calmly converted the try after touching down between the post. Said Pierce of his spectacular run, "It may have looked like the guys trying to tackle me were weak, but really I just owned them in the face."

After UNC Alumni scored to start the second half and go up 12-7, senior prop Ken Forte ripped the ball from a UNC ball-carrier near midfield, and spun off the maul with the ball hidden behind his back. As the other 13 players on the field continued to contest a ball-less maul, Forte ran undetected to the tryzone and touched down to tie the score. Forte would be the hero again moments later when he took a sweet off-load from prop Delicious Henry and scored the game winning try for the front row side.

Next up for Wake was an underclassman side against another UNC side. While the underclassman showed some spurts of good play, lack of Rugby Sevens acumen and missed tackles lead to a loss. The highlight of the game for Wake was an impressive Ty Pierce-like try scoring run for sophomore Tyler Vanston who used a devastating half-forearm fend-off to beat a number of tacklers. Asked about his spectacular play after the match, Vanston was too busy texting on his cell phone to comment.

The Wake upperclassman side then got a chance to redeem itself against the UNC Alumni team. With the UNC Alumni looking to rebound from its defeat to the Wake front row side, it was sure to be a great game. Except that it wasn't. The Alumni had no match for the shiftiness of Gumbi-like flyhalf Brendan Shea and the power of prop Hunter Lostan who showed incredible heart in playing in spite of the numerous serious leg injuries that had kept him out of practice for the past 3 weeks. Both players touched down multiple tries and sent the Wake uperclassmen into the Bowl Final.

The Wake underclassman side continued to struggle next against Duke. The side's performance was much-improved from its first game, but missed tackles continued to haunt the team as Duke seemingly turned every Wake mistake into a try.

Ken Forte, Try Machine

Wake's front row team then took the field for the Cup semi-finals against UNC-Pembroke. Once again deviating from the game plan right from the opening kickoff, the front row side played some good rugby with prop Ken Forte again doing most of the damage offensively. Defensively props Nick Conte and Blind Havins set the tone, while hookers Justen Robinett and Jeff Millar directed the team from the scrumhalf and flyhalf positions. Down 12-10 in the waning moments of the match, the front rows made a desparate push for the try that would send them into the Cup finals. Impact sub Matt Tucker made a long run and was brought down just short of the goalline. In the ensuing ruck a knockon was called on Wake, ending the game and dashing the front rows' hopes of a championship.

In the Bowl final, the Wake uperclassman took on a Duke side lead by former US Eagles 7s player James Gillenwater and a number of South American imports. Unphased by the Blue Devil's international presence, Wake dominated the game from start to finish. Shea once again scored multiple tries, confirming that he is actually almost as good as he thinks he is. Christian Jewett, Mike Duffy, and David Sage also scored tries to lead the rout, while Perry Salvagne played spectacular defense from the sweeper position. Trent Justice was also on the field.

Trent Justice. Was there.

The night ended for Wake with the front row side taking on a UNC side in the plate final. The team's magical cinderella run came to an end with a 19-5 defeat. Wake's lone try was scored by Delicious Henry on a powerful run down the sideline that included a stiff-arm that sent a UNC defender airborne and delighted the crowd.

Once again, the UNC 7s proved to be a fun event and Wake Forest thanks the Tar Heels for their hospitality.

The Wake Forest men's rugby 2009-2010 season will conclude on April 22 with its annual year-end awards banquet. The banquet will be held this year at Deacon Tower and will be highlighted by the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation awarding its first scholarship.