Wake Loses Heartbreaker to Wolfpack

Johnny McMurray's 21 points were not enough to lead Wake to victory.

North Carolina State scored a 98 meter try on the final play of the game to hand Wake Forest a heartbreaking 43-36 defeat in a thrilling match on Poteat Field.

The Demon Deacons continued their pattern of starting sluggishly, allowing the Wolpack to go up 14-0 in the first half. Wake failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities and a lack of discipline and poor ball handling plauged the young squad throughout the first forty minutes. Wake was also on the wrong end of some lucky bounces, as one of State's tries came when Wake captain Brendan Shea stole a Wolpack lineout, but the ball bounced directly into the State hooker's hands who went in untouched for a try.

After a fiery halftime speech from Shea, the Demon Deacons came out for the second half looking like a completely different team. Freshman center Ryan Tacon scored a try in the first minute of the half and junior wing Brandon Turner followed that up two minutes later with a long-range try of his own. Sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray converted both tries and suddenly the score was knotted at 14. Wake Forest kept its foot on the gas pedal and another converted try from Tacon a few minutes later put Wake in front 21-14. But Tacon tweaked his back on the play and on the ensuing series allowed a State player to break the line and touch down under the posts to tie the game at 21.

Ryan Tacon scored two tries for the second straight game.

The next 25 minutes were a back and forth affair, with Wake Forest's backline making numerous linebreaks and the Wolfpack forwards taking advantage of numerous Wake Forest penalties at the breakdown to quick tap and offload their way down the field. McMurray slotted a penalty goal to put Wake ahead 24-21, then followed that up with a converted try of his own to extend the lead to 31-21. State continued to press, however, and another try from the Wolfpack forwards brought them back with striking distance at 31-28. With ten minutes remaining, McMurray struck again with his second try of the day, but was unable to convert from the sideline and the score stood at 36-28.

Wake Forest was repeatedly penalized for high tackles on the driving Wolfpack forwards.

The last ten minutes of of the match were filled with excitement, as North Carolina State wore down the Demon Deacons with tremendous forward play, while Wake was continually pinged for infringements by the referee. A Wolfpack try with 5 minutes to play brought the score to 36-33 and a penalty goal a moment later tied the score at 36. With time running down, NC State looked to go ahead, but a pass that would have resulted in the winning try was ruled forward by the referee and with no time remaining on the clock, Wake Forest was awarded a scrum at their own 22 meter line. With overtime looming, Wake decided to take the chance of attacking wide. A nifty backline movement put McMurray into space and the sophomore fullback chipped over the State fullback. The ball came to rest two meters from the tryline, with both State players and Wake players in a mad rush to secure possession. The referee called a penalty on Wake, and the Wolfpack immediately quick-tapped and moved downfield. The State winger broker free, but was dragged down from behind about 20 meters out by Turner. The referee called yet another penalty on Wake, and another heads up quick-tap allowed State to go in for game-winning try. The hearbreaking loss sends Wake's record in conference play to 1-4, while NC State improves to 2-3. Wake Forest will travel to Charlottesville, VA this weekend for the final match of the 2011 ACRL season against 4-1 Virginia.

Wake Lineup vs NC State

1. Ty Pierce, So.
2. Jeff Millar, Jr.
3. Nick Conte, Jr. (Bryce Lambert, Fr. @ 65)
4. Christian Jewett, Sr.
5. Ross Hilton, Sr.
6. James Watson, Fr. (Liam McIntyre, Fr. @ 15)
7. Brendan Shea, Jr.
8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.
9. Will Hank, Jr.
10. Rob Kelly, So.
11. Brandon Turner, Jr.
12. Ben Cohen, Jr.
13. Ryan Tacon, Fr. (Steve McMillen, Sr. @ 50)
14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.
15. Johnny McMurray, So.

Tries: Tacon (2), Turner, McMurray (2)
Conversions: McMurray (4)
Penalties: McMurray

Wake Earns First Ever ACRL Victory

Johnny McMurray scored 16 of Wake's points against Georgia Tech

It wasn't pretty, and at times was downright ugly, but Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech yesterday 31-22 for its first win in the inaugural season of the Atlantic Coast Rugby League.

Wake started off the game well and it looked like it would be a blowout. Freshman center Ryan Tacon scored a converted try in the second minute of the game, and senior #8 Hunter Lostan followed up with a try in the corner for a 12-0 lead. But slowly Wake Forest began to lose discipline and abandoned all semblance of structure in their play. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech played a very effective forwards oriented game and bullied in a try to bring the score to 12-5. Sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray struck back with a converted try to extend the lead to 19-5, but Georgia Tech dominated the remainder of the half and powered in two more tries to bring the score to 19-15 at the break.

The second half started off exactly how the first half had started, with solid phase play from Wake Forest leading to a converted try from Tacon, and the lead was extended to 26-15. The Yellow Jackets continued their effective strategy of attacking with their forwards off the base of rucks, and Wake Forest's porous defense allowed the Tech forwards to gain 10-15 meters at a time. Another Georgia Tech try coming off a stolen scrum brought the score to 26-22. The Demon Deacons struck back with a nice try coming from sophomore flyhalf Rob Kelly sending a perfectly weighted kick into the tryzone where it was touched down by McMurray. With Wake's lead at 31-22, the play from both teams deteriorated and the final 10 minutes were filled with knockons, poor tackling and decision-making, and ugly set pieces. Wake prevented GT from scoring with good defense from wing Brandon Turner and then from wing Wes Bloomer, and when the final whistle blew, Wake had held on for the 31-22 win.

"A win is a win, and we definitely needed a win," said Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane. "But when the guys watch the film, they are going to see that for the most part they played as 15 individuals and not as a team. All credit to Georgia Tech for implementing a game plan that suited their strengths and took advantage of our weaknesses, but the bottom line is that selfishness and lack of discipline from our players allowed this to be a much closer game than it should have been. If we play like this next week against NC State, our winning streak will end at one."

Wake Forest plays NC State next weekend at home. The game will kick off at 1 pm. The Demon Deacons and Wolfpack are both 1-3 and looking to climb up in the ACRL standings. Wake Forest Lineup vs Georgia Tech

1. Ty Pierce, So. (Bryce Lambert, Fr. @ 60)

2. Jeff Millar, Jr.

3. Christian Jewett, Sr.

4. Brendan Shea, Jr.

5. Ross Hilton, Sr.

6. James Watson, Fr.

7. Liam McIntyre, Fr. (Matt McCurdy, Fr. @ 50)

8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

9. Will Hank, Jr.

10. Rob Kelly, So.

11. Brandon Turner, Jr. (Wes Bloomer, So. @ 75)

12. Ben Cohen, Jr. (Steve McMillen, Sr. @ 60)

13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

15. Johnny McMurray, So.

Tries: Tacon (2), Lostan, McMurray (2)

Con: McMurray (3)

Game with Georgia Tech Moved to Furman University

Junior Brandon Turner scored three tries in Wake's last meeting with Georgia Tech in October 2009

Wake Forest's game with Georgia Tech on Saturday has been moved to Furman University in Greenville, SC. The forecast of three days of heavy rains and the already compromised condition of Poteat Field led to the difficult decision to move the game location. "We were really looking forward to playing Georgia Tech on campus and in front of a good home crowd," said senior Christian Jewett. "But Furman has a fantastic rugby facility and it is always great to play there."

Wake Forest will be looking for its first ever ACRL victory and its fourth consecutive win over the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech was the opponent for one of the most memorable games in Wake Forest history, a three overtime sudden death victory for the Demon Deacons in the 2008 South Division 2 Final Four. Kickoff will be at 11am.

Wake Forest Leaves Blacksburg Still Seeking First ACRL Win

Wake Forest lost to Virginia Tech 37-12 in cold and snowy conditions in Blacksburg, VA on Saturday to drop to 0-3 in the ACRL. As has been the case in each of its first 3 league games, Wake gave up a try in the first 5 minutes, as the referee awarded the Hokies a try in the corner despite it appearing that the Tech player did not ground the ball. Moments later a defensive miscommunication in the midfield allowed a break by the Hokie outside center who touched down under the posts and Wake was down 12-0. Virginia Tech used superior size in the forwards to dominate the scrum and control possession and another try and penalty goal by Virginia Tech saw Wake in a 20-0 hole 30 minutes into the game.

The scoreline, however, did not reflect the way Wake was playing, and eventually Wake's backline started clicking and sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray got Wake on the board with a try in the corner. That was quickly followed by another break from Wake's backline, ending with sophomore flyhalf Rob Kelly scoring under the posts. McMurray's conversion brought the score to 20-12 at the half and Wake looked to have some life.

Virginia Tech made some adjustments in the second half and were determined to retain possession and keep the ball away from Wake's backline. The Hokies kept possession in the forwards and dominated territory and possession for much of the second half. Tech muscled in three more tries in the half, and although Wake Forest did make some good breaks, they were always attacking from long-range and were never able to finish anything off.

Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane was disappointed with the result, but said that despite the scoreline, it was the best game that the Demon Deacons had played yet this season. "After Clemson and Maryland we identified some big problems that we needed to address. We worked hard on fixing these and I think we have improved immensely in those areas. The things we need to fix now are the little things-that last pass to put a winger away, the decision to keep ball in hand rather than kick away a good attacking opportunity. The talent and desire are there, and I'm encouraged going into the second half of the ACRL season that we will get a few in the win column."

For the third consecutive game, Wake Forest used a different halfback combination and finally seem to have found the right one, with junior Will Hank at scrumhalf and sophomore Kelly at flyhalf. "Will played the best I've ever seen him play at #9," said Kane. "Some of that can be traced to the forwards working hard to get him cleaner ball at the rucks, but it also comes from him getting more familiar with the position and handling the pressure that comes with it."

Wake Forest finds itself 0-3 in the ACRL and out of playoff competition. The ACRL schedule certainly did not do the Demon Deacons any favors, as they opened with three teams ranked in the RugbyMag top 25. Next weekend Wake Forest will play at home against Georgia Tech with readjusted goals for the remainder of the season. Team captain Ross Hilton commented, "We want to finish the season at .500 and prepare the team for the future in the process. We had 9 freshmen and 3 sophomores play in the varsity game yesterday. Our job as seniors now is to make sure we help these young players improve as much as possible over the next three weeks."

Wake Forest Varsity vs Virginia Tech

1. Ty Pierce, So. (Bryce Lambert, Fr. @ 55)
2. Jeff Millar, Jr.
3. Nick Conte, Jr.
4. Christian Jewett, Sr.
5. Brendan Shea, Jr. (Paul Shumaker, Fr. @ 73)
6. James Watson, Fr.
7. Ross Hilton, Sr. (Liam McIntyre, Fr. @ 50, Matt McCurdy, Fr. @ 65)
8. Hunter Lostan, Sr. (Matt Gray, Fr. @ 65)
9. Will Hank, Jr.
10. Rob Kelly, So.
11. Brandon Turner, Jr.
12. Ben Cohen, Jr.
13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.
14. Drew Chadwick, Sr. (Franco Cima, Fr. @ 70)
15. Johnny McMurray, So. (Sean Barrett, Fr. @ 75)

Tries: McMurray, Kelly
Con: McMurray

The Junior Varsity game saw Wake Forest beat handily by a solid Virginia Tech JV side. Some of the few highlights for the Demon Deacons were the play of sophomore center Wes Bloomer, who made multiple linebreaks and scored a try in only his second ever rugby game, and the play of freshman lock Robert Elmore, who fought through bruised ribs to play a solid defensive game and was a force in the lineout. Freshman hooker Bryce Lambert also played well in the set pieces and in loose play.

Terrapins Defeat Wake 33-10, Deacons drop to 0-2 in ACRL

Despite playing with a man advantage for 30 minutes courtesy of three Maryland yellow cards, Wake Forest was unable to find an offensive rythym for the second weekend in a row and lost 33-10 to a skilled Terrapin side.

Wake found temselves on the defensive for most of the first 20 minutes, as Maryland played inside Wake's 22 and kept repeatedly threatening the Wake Forest line with nifty backline plays orchestrated by their talented flyhalf. Eventually Wake's defense broke and Maryland went in for a score in the corner to take a 5-0 lead. A few moments later, playing with advantage on a Wake penalty, Maryland went in under the posts to stretch the lead to 12-0. To score stayed that way as Wake began to play some better rugby, but another linebreak by the Maryland centers stretched the lead to 19-0. Wake Forest had the lion's share of possession and momentum in the last 10 minutes of the half, and finally got on the board through a Johnny McMurray penalty goal after a Terrapin was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements. The half ended 19-3 with Wake showing signs of life and looking to take advantage of a strong tailwind in the second half.

The second forty began with Maryland's restart not going ten meters, but from the ensuing center scrum the Terrapins stole the put-in and strung together a few quick phases and were in under the posts to kill any momentum Wake had and go up 26-10. Wake managed to play some decent rugby for the remainer of the match, and freshman wing Franco Cima scored a well-earned try to bring Wake to within 26-10. But penalties, turnovers, and general lack of structure prevented the Demon Deacons from ever really threatening to get back in the game. Maryland's outside center went in under the posts near full time, and the final was 33-10 to Maryland. The Terrapins now move to 1-1 in conference play, while Wake falls to 0-2.

Wake will next be off for the next two weekends, before facing a formidable Virginia Tech team in Blacksburg on March 26. The game is a must win for Wake if they are to have any shot at playing for the ACRL Championship.

Wake Forest Varsity vs Maryland

1. Ty Pierce, So.

2. Jeff Millar, Jr. (Chris Ryan, Jr. @ 40)

3. Nick Conte, Jr.

4. Christian Jewett, Sr.

5. Brendan Shea, Jr.

6. Matt McCurdy, Fr.

7. Ross Hilton, Sr.

8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

9. Will Hank, Jr.

10. Ben Cohen, Jr. (Rob Kelley, So. @ 62)

11. Liam McIntyre, Fr. (Franco Cima, Fr. @ 40)

12. James Watson, Fr.

13. Steve McMillen, Sr. (Drew Mehrmann, So. @ 65)

14. Sean Barrett, Fr.

15. Johnny McMurray, So.

Tries: Cima

Con: McMurray

Pen: McMurray

Feature on Wake Rugby on Wake Website

http://news.wfu.edu/2011/03/03/men%E2%80%99s-rugby-scores-big/