FALL BREAK BRAWL LEAVES DEACONS AT 0-4

On Oct. 11, Wake Forest Rugby kicked off the Fall Break weekend by making the trek to Blacksburg, VA to take on Virginia Tech in a make-up of their Sep. 20 rainout; despite the improved playing conditions, the Demon Deacons still endured an unforgiving 80 minutes.

Straight away, Virginia Tech capitalized on a mishandled opening kickoff to score their first try only minutes into the match, but the Deacons quickly followed suit by making the most of a Hokie handling error and marching deep into Virginia Tech’s territory, where poor defensive decision-making set senior Johnny McMurray up with a penalty kick that gave Wake Forest their first points.

Wake Forest’s momentum was short-lived, as the Hokies’ sharp footwork and passing skills resulted in 4 unanswered tries across the next 15 minutes.

By slowing down play for a few phases, Wake Forest found the composure they needed to apply some pressure with their kicking game and inch their way to within 5 meters of the try line, where a defensive penalty gave freshman Austin Cunningham the opportunity to quick tap and force his way through to score his first collegiate try.

Unfortunately, Wake Forest’s slow support at the breakdowns allowed Virginia Tech to take possession and score 3 more tries before heading into the half leading 48-8.

Virginia Tech continued to dominate possession and rack up points throughout the second half, though the Deacons picked up the speed of the game during the final 20 minutes, which featured line breaks from McMurray, Cunningham and Johnny Passarelli.

With 12 minutes left in the match, McMurray kicked a penalty to touch that set Wake Forest up with a line out just 5 meters from try line. From the throw, the Deacon pack set up a maul that drew in enough defenders for senior scrumhalf Jack Zimmerman to peel off the back, fend off a few would-be tacklers and touch down for Wake Forest’s second try of the match, which McMurray also converted.

Virginia Tech still had the last word, scoring one more try before the final whistle concluded the 84-15 Hokie win.

Next up, Wake Forest will shift their attention towards preparing for their homecoming match against Maryland, which kicks off at 2pm on Oct 19. The Demon Deacons are looking forward to having stronger sideline support than usual, as the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation’s alumni team will be playing a 12:00pm curtain-raiser that is sure to draw a crowd.