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Zeta16 said:
Just a quick question for you. Do you think the Americans will ever complete well on the international stage? If not why so?

The American Eagles has improved a lot in the last two decades and won a game in the World Cup, but it will be a long time before they can play with Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England or France. I think any of the better provincial sides in the Super 12 competition would probably beat us at this point. But the quality of the USA game is getting better and we may be catching up even quicker than it seems. We were much more competitive in the most recent World Cup.

We have to remember that rugby is to many young New Zealanders or South Africans what football is to Americans. Kids play it from toddler age and they learn lots of ball skills from that early age.

We have difficulty even pulling in fans and the game is largely unknown even if growing in popularity. Witness how small the attendance at Ohio State and we have one of the best college rugby teams, a great tradition.

If rugby gains in popularity, then we have a chance, but right now it just isn't our sport and we don't get enough kids feeding into the game.

Oh, and Mili, if a rugby player hasn't had something broken to the point that he can't walk, then it isn't a major injury. I would be willing to bet that the #8 with the broken jaw will be trying to play next game with some kind of minimal protective gear. I played in my 30s and have never been hit so hard in my life. No pads, no helmets, no quarter given.

This is a real man's game, send no boys, and we have a great team at OSU!
 
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Thanks for the kind words Steve. I think you hit the nail on the head. There just isn't much incentive for young kids to play rugby over football and other sports. The sport in general fights a stigma of being a drinking game and many parents are concerned about injuries, although you are as likely to get hurt playing baseball or basketball as you are rugby. Granted, there are certain social benefits that come with the sport, but OSU, along with most the other teams that compete for the national title take the game very seriously. We train as hard as any other team at the school and these players often make many sacrifices, especially financially, to participate in the sport that other athletes don't have to. Ohio, along with many states out west, is on the cutting edge as far as youth programs go. We are working hard to develop young rugby players that appreciate the athletic nature of the sport. The US is way ahead of the normal curve...if you look at where we were 150 years after the creation of soccer versus where we are 150 years after the creation of rugby, rugby is way ahead. But the truth is that any one of the Super 12 teams (the equivalent of the NFL) could probably easily defeat our national side. We have a long way to go, but rugby players are typically some of the most committed athletes in the world.

Here is how the Sweet 16 is shaping up...we potentially have a tough second game ahead of us. We play St. Mary's at 11:00 AM on Saturday and with a win would play for the pool championship at 1:00 PM on Sunday. The four winners of the pool play will meet on April 29th at Stanford.

Men's DI College Brackets
April 4, 2005 – With the territorial championships concluded throughout the country, following are the matchups for the men's DI national championships.
Note first of all that not every GoffonRugby Top 20 team is represented, as Oklahoma was, as expect, eliminated by Air Force, and Washington lost a tight one to BYU. Sacramento State and Texas A&M were also teams not able to break through their very competitive TU opposition.
Pool A, Berkeley, Calif. April 16-17
Cal (ranked #1 in GoffonRugby Top 20) v. Minnesota
Dartmouth (#20) v. Tennessee (#13)

Pool D, Colorado Springs, Colo. April 16-17
Ohio State (#4) v. St. Mary's (#10)
Navy (#3) v. Air Force (#2)

Pool C, Colorado Springs, Colo. April 15-16
Penn State (#7) v. BYU (#6)
Clemson (#16) v. Army (#8)

Pool B, Santa Barbara, Calif. April 15-16
Utah (#5) v. Purdue (#14)
Wyoming (#12) v. UC Santa Barbara (#17)

 
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Latest Rankings from www.rugbyrugby.com

#1 Cal (16-1)
#2 Air Force (12-1)
#3 Army (12-3)
#4 Penn State (12-2)
#5 Utah (10-2)
#6 Ohio State (7-3)
#7 Navy (10-4)
#8 BYU (9-2)
#9 Tennessee (14-2)
#10 Clemson (11-3)
#11 Wyoming (8-3)
#12 St Mary’s (9-2)
#13 Purdue (13-1)
#14 Oklahoma (16-1)
#15 UC Santa Barbara (7-1-1)
#16 Dartmouth (9-5)
#17 UCLA (6-2)
#18 Texas A&M (7-2-2)
#19 Texas (6-4-1)
#20 Sacramento State (7-3)
 
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wadc45 said: Here is how the Sweet 16 is shaping up...we potentially have a tough second game ahead of us. We play St. Mary's at 11:00 AM on Saturday and with a win would play for the pool championship at 1:00 PM on Sunday. The four winners of the pool play will meet on April 29th at Stanford.

You guys can do this. You can go final four. You can do it, Buckeyes!
 
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Pool D Preview:


vs.

#4 Ohio State vs. #10 St. Mary's
Colorado Springs 11:00 AM 4/16/05
Live Game Updates

vs.

#2 Air Force Academy vs. #6 US Naval Academy
Colorado Springs 1:00 PM 4/16/05
Live Game Updates

Championship Game
Colorado Springs 1:00 PM 4/17/05
Live Game Updates


Snow Melting in Colorado Springs
By Alex Goff

April 13, 2005 – The good news is that the snow is melting in Colorado Springs and travel delays getting in to the Denver airport are expected to be pretty much back to normal.
Now we wonder who will be leaving happy instead of arriving grumpy. And in Colorado Springs we will see the two most compelling groups of the men's DI college playoffs.
In Pool D, Ohio State faces St. Mary's in an intriguing clash of styles, while Air Force faces Navy.

Air Force has been dominant since their September loss to Oklahoma, and bring with them that whole altitude thing. Navy, despite some excellent results of late, struggled with Penn State and, while physical, are vulnerable.
"We’re feeling pretty good going into this," said Air Force coach Dan Marine. "We’ve been consistently improving throughout the spring and feel like we're starting to put things together. The guys are starting to understand what their potential is."
Air Force is enormously athletic. They have added a couple of players from the football team, and are fit and healthy. They follow a relatively simple game plan that relies on the players' physical and mental abilities.
"They are bright and athletic, and have good fitness and speed, so we play to our strengths," Marine said.
The opener against Navy, however, promises to be a huge physical contest. Air Force looks to come out of that one the victors, but at what cost?
The other game is a study in contrasts. Front-rowers Kevin Peterson and Conor Malloy lead a tough, hard-hitting Ohio State pack that is well coached and dedicated. St. Mary's is also well-coached, and relies on some speedy back work and a youthful exuberance. St. Mary's has had an excellent season so far, and next year should be even better. This year, though, they look to falter against Ohio State.
That sets up a massive clash between OSU and USAFA on Sunday. Air Force is exceptionally deep and is loaded with speed. They are favored to make the semis.
In Pool C, Penn State faces BYU, while Clemson takes on Army. Clemson has some strong players and some good athletes, but Army's physicality and power will see them through. And what of BYU and Penn State? BYU won their pool in the Pacific Coast but were pushed very hard.
"It's fair to say University of Washington is a sweet 16 caliber team," said BYU head coach Jared Aikenhead of the team BYU just barely beat to make it through. "I think it's a shame they're not here."
However, enough of that. BYU knows they dodged a bullet and need to improve to move on.
"We’re a fairly delicate team mentally, and I think we do better rebounding from tough games like this," said Aikenhead. "We hope to have a couple of our starters back and they will make this a different-looking squad. Maybe we'll catch some people off guard. We haven't played very well in a few of our recent games, and we know we need to do better."
Penn State, having beaten Navy to win the Mid-Atlantic, is on a roll and their forwards have shown they could be a problem for BYU. We think this is a close one, but we'll go with Penn State in the first round, and Army to win both Saturday and Sunday.
...well coached is right!​
 
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Buckeyes win 21-10, advance to Elite 8

http://www.airforcerugby.com/mobilescore/Match?id=6453

The Buckeyes won a very tough and physical game to advance to the Elite 8.

Buckeyes vs. Gaels

Visiting Team Ohio State University 21

Home Team St. Mary's College 10

Stage Final
Game Time Sat, 16 Apr 2005, 11:00 AM
Event 2005 Men's Collegiate Div. I National Championships
Name Pool D - Round of 16
Venue Colorado Springs
Sport Rugby


Match Notes
Team Score Stage Message

0 - 0 1st Half It's been back and forth early with both side having opportunities, but with no luck

Ohio State Try + Conv. 7 - 0 1st Half #9 Scrumhalf Albright loose play try

7 - 0 1st Half St. Mary's has had the Buckeye's pinned, but just can't get in it across.

St. Mary's Try 7 - 5 1st Half #11 Wing John Porter scores on a miss pass from 60 meters out. Great wheels.

7 - 5 1st Half St. Mary's #5 Mickiewitz sent to the sin bin on a questionable call, but the Gael pack steps up and holds the Buckeye's from scoring.

7 - 5 Halftime The Gael pack showed they've got stones as they hold a very physical Buckeye squad from scoring while being shorthanded. The final 10 minutes of the half were played down on the Gael try-line.

7 - 5 2nd Half St Mary's comes out firing, pinning OSU deep, but once again cannot get it across.

Ohio State Try + Conv. 14 - 5 2nd Half #10 Flyhalf Kambarami scores off ruck and a punishing run set up by superior loose play by the OSU forwards.

St. Mary's Try 14 - 10 2nd Half #8 8-man Josh Merliner takes it weak-side and breaks 3 tackles enroute to the corner.

14 - 10 2nd Half The Buckeye pack responds by bringing the ball down to the Gael try line, but a knock on stalls the assault. #10 Kambarami has been in the sin bin for dangerous play, but should be returning from the sin bu soon to get the Buckeyes back to full stength.

14 - 10 2nd Half The Buckeyes, once again, take it down to the Gael try line, but come up short. #10 Kambarami is back on the field to being the Buckeyes to full stength with 11 minutes to play.

14 - 10 2nd Half The Gaels come roaring back on some great backline passing, but knock on stops them at the Buckeye 5 meter line.

Ohio State Try + Conv. 21 - 10 2nd Half #3 Tight Head Prop Malloy (Capt) takes control with a bruising run off a ruck.

21 - 10 Final WHAT A GAME!!! Both teams pounded each other all day long, but OSU was more efficient in the loose. Tight Head Prop Conner Malloy came up with the clutch play when the Buckeyes needed it to secure the win against a very aggressive Gael squad.
 
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Buckeyes down at the half 10-8, rally back but lose 21-16

A win puts the #4 Buckeyes into the Final Four.

The Buckeyes seemed to be knocked off balance by the #7 US Naval Academy team early in this contest. Navy knocked off #2 Air Force, the home team, yesterday.

As the half progressed Ohio State settled down and they had the momentum, but not the lead, as the half ended. Real blood and guts stuff.

Match Notes
Team Score Stage Message

0 - 0 1st Half The Pool C Championship is underway

Navy Try + Conv. 0 - 7 1st Half #13 Inside Center Nick Ralston scores on a dummy pass

0 - 7 1st Half Navy is pounding Ohio State, but just can't knock it across. The Buckeyes are stepping up and smacking the Middies when they need to to keep them from scoring.

Ohio State Try 5 - 7 1st Half #13 Outside Center Moller scores off ruck set up by a brusing run by #8 Legros.

Ohio State Pen. Kick 8 - 7 1st Half #14 Wing Kender converts the kick to take the lead.

Navy Pen. Kick 8 - 10 1st Half #15 Fullback Ben Pittard's clutch kick on the angle from 35 meters gives Navy the lead

8 - 10 Halftime This match is hard-hitting and razor close. Navy had the edge early, but the Buckeyes made some clutch plays to grab the momentum.

Bucks took the lead twice in the second half but failed to score twice when right on the try line. Bad luck! Hats off to the midshipmen for a tough defensive stand. They sound like they may give #1 California all they could ask for.

Congratulations to a tough group of Buckeyes who put their hearts and souls into this season and came out of the Midwestern region ranked #1. No doubt they will end the season with a top 5 or 6 ranking and we'll hear more form wad45 and rugbybuck.

Match Notes
Team Score Stage Message

0 - 0 1st Half The Pool C Championship is underway

Navy Try + Conv. 0 - 7 1st Half #13 Inside Center Nick Ralston scores on a dummy pass

0 - 7 1st Half Navy is pounding Ohio State, but just can't knock it across. The Buckeyes are stepping up and smacking the Middies when they need to to keep them from scoring.

Ohio State Try 5 - 7 1st Half #13 Outside Center Moller scores off ruck set up by a brusing run by #8 Legros.

Ohio State Pen. Kick 8 - 7 1st Half #14 Wing Kender converts the kick to take the lead.

Navy Pen. Kick 8 - 10 1st Half #15 Fullback Ben Pittard's clutch kick on the angle from 35 meters gives Navy the lead

8 - 10 Halftime This match is hard-hitting and razor close. Navy had the edge early, but the Buckeyes made some clutch plays to grab the momentum.

8 - 10 2nd Half Ohio St is controlling the ball early in the 2nd half.

Ohio State Pen. Kick 11 - 10 2nd Half #14 Wing Kender gives OSU the edge with 30 minutes to play.

Navy Pen. Kick 11 - 13 2nd Half #15 Fullback Ben Pittard gives Navy the lead as the Navy pack has picked up the pace in the loose.

Ohio State Try 16 - 13 2nd Half #12 Inside Center Nightengale scores off ruck set up by a beautiful run up the guy by #9 Albeight

Navy Try 16 - 18 2nd Half #14 Wing Eric McElvenny comes right back with an incredible run and dish to #15 Ben Pittard who scores an an equally impressive 30 meter run for the try.

16 - 18 2nd Half 11 minutes to play

16 - 18 2nd Half 7 minutes to go an OSU has an offensive scrum at mid-field

16 - 18 2nd Half 4:30 to go

16 - 18 2nd Half Navy steals a scrum from the Buckeyes on the OSU 40 meter line. 2 minutes to go.

16 - 18 2nd Half Time has expired, but there is injury time. An OSU penalty gives Navy a chance to extend its lead.

Navy Pen. Kick 16 - 21 2nd Half #15 Fullback Ben Pittard

16 - 21 Final An incredibly close game from start to finish. Navy controlled the ball when they needed to and OSU couldn't convert a couple of huge opportunities on the Navy try-line. Navy is heading to Stanford to take on Cal. If they play with the passion they displayed in the Air Force upset, Cal had better come heavy.
 
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Well, I am finally back from Colorado. It was a great experience, despite the outcome. We did not play well at all against St. Mary's but came out with a win. We spent most of Saturday night watching film of our game and film of Navy/Air Force and put together a fantastic plan to counter Navy. Unfortunately, the A-panel ref we were supposed to have was not available and we were stuck with the same moron from Saturday's game. He was a RPG (random pentaly generator). Suffice to say he will never work another college championship again. No quick taps, no short-arm calls on our lineouts, and multiple mulligans for Navy. Plus 5 yellows in two game. Unbelievable! He screwed Navy as well, but Navy's coach was almost apologetic after the game. Anyways, when we scored to go up 16-13, I thought we had them right where we wanted them. We had the wind and the momentum. But an errant kick off of our kick receiving set piece put the ball in the open field to the Navy wing who found their All-American fullback who proceeded to dice our defense and score the go ahead try. A penalty kick with no time remaining left us with a 21-16 defeat and a sour taste. Luckily, besides our captain prop and All-American hooker, we bring just about everyone back. This team will definitely be ready to take the next step, and it all starts with our first practice this week on Wednesday. It is the beginning of a new season for the OSURFC.

Cheers,

wadc45
 
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Well played, Bucks. Congratulations on the season. I've got to remember to order a tOSU rugby ball for my new office. Other than pictures of my kids, that (Buckeyes and rugby) pretty much covers it, no further decoration needed.
 
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Thanks Rugby...it is definitely hard to take at this point...to be so close and not be able to get the job done. The team played probably as well as they could have on Sunday. 8-man Jake LeGros punished people all weekend. The back three, Andrew Kender, Doug Olson, and Dane Robinson, played their best game as a unit to date. Inside center Phil Nightengale was our man of the match on on Sunday. Look for the Buckeyes to put somewhere betweem 10-15 guys on the Midwest select squad.

This weekend is the Ohio Rugby Classic. Normally we throw out our B/C side against the competition. This year, several A side guys have asked to play. I feel sorry for their opponents.
 
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