Utah State rugby team showes no mercy
The Utah State rugby team showed no mercy in their season opener against Weber State, as the Aggies defeated the Wildcats, 20-7, at the HPER field Saturday afternoon.
This, members of the team said, is something to be consistently expected of them.
The win sets the tone for the Aggies’ ’07 campaign and gives both opponents and critics of the team something to think about. After losing more than half their starting lineup from last year’s squad, many had given the Aggies a pre-emptive write-off.
“We picked up some real good recruits this year, kids that had previous experience,” Head Coach Jeff Bruce said. “The attitude of the team has changed for the better.”
Felipe Fiefia, a rookie to the team, is one such recruit. Fiefia led the team on offense, piloting the two biggest offensive plays of the day, one of which led to a tri (the rugby equivalent of a touchdown).
After trailing 3-7 early in the game and leading only 8-7 at halftime, the Aggies found themselves in a gridlock with their in-state rival. Both defenses looked sharp in what turned out to be an intense and physical contest.
But the game was far from over. With what seemed to be a renewed and almost bloodthirsty zeal, the Aggies came out swinging and shut out the Wildcats 12-0 in the second half.
“Weber was strong. That’s the best I’ve ever seen them play,” said Dan Walker, a three-year veteran of the team and this year’s captain. “We just had good support today and executed well.”
Although Walker and the rest of the team are optimistic about this year’s apparent promise, they’re taking it one game at a time and are making it a point not to look past their next opponent, the University of Utah. The Utes are a team that is no stranger to national acclaim and finished last season among the top five.