Match Recap- USD @ ASU
USD traveled far for the league opener of 2020. Game 1 was at Arizona State, and a long bus ride was required to Tempe, Arizona.
This was a daunting task for USD, as the ASU is traditionally one of the best teams in the country. USD traveled with the intention of building upon a strong fall preseason and showing they were more than their underdog’s label.
USD came out of the gate hot, showing that they are capable of playing the high-level rugby needed in the contest. An ASU lineout inside their 22 was contested well by freshman lock Thomas Olson. The ASU transfer from jumper to scrum-half was not clean, and a bouncing ball near the ASU try line was scooped up by USD. Jonny Hale took a short ball off the ruck and crashed over for the opening score. The conversion by Cameron Wilmer put the score at 7-0 USD just minutes into the game.
Following the opening score, ASU exerted some pressure of their own. The next 20 minutes were all ASU in possession, but USD continuously repelled the attack with a well structured defensive line. Eventually, the line broke, and ASU was able to send big runners into gaps and put 19 points on the board before halftime. The Sun Devils would hold a 19-7 lead into halftime, despite some promising line breaks from Darren Seward and Nick Classen.
The second half began with more pressure from ASU, as the Sun Devils executed well in all facets and kept possession for long stretches of the game. USD made them work for every inch, but after 10 minutes the defense would break again, putting ASU 24-7 up. Again ASU ran phases deep into USD territory, but the execution was not clean and a ball was dropped inside the USD 22. Fullback Jordan Sandoval picked the ball up, with the length of the field in front of him. Sandoval embarked on a lung-busting run and outraced everybody for a great long-range try. A scoreline of 24-12 put USD right back in the game with 20 minutes to play. Unfortunately for USD, the opposition remained composed and continued to display the type of offensive firepower expected from a former D1A team. A quick reply from ASU pushed the score to 31-12, with USD again facing an uphill battle to get back into the game. Again, USD showed a knack for taking any opportunity given. On the ensuing kickoff, the ball was not gathered in the air by ASU. Gabe DePaolo was first to the bouncing ball and ran through a covering tackle to once again give USD a fighting chance in the game. The two scores against the run of play but the score at 31-19. This was as close as the Toreros would get, with ASU closing out the game with two more tries. The final score would stand at a convincing 43-19.
It was a tough day for USD, and the first loss of this academic year. The Sun Devils were an impressive side, with a solid mix of accomplished ballplayers and hard running forwards. There were flashes of brilliance from USD, but they did not display the same level of consistency as their opponents. Darren Seward and Mark Boschetti had solid days defensively to keep the Toreros in the game. The standout performance for USD came from freshman lock Thomas Olson. Olson was instrumental in securing USD’s ball from the line out and put a huge amount of pressure on the opposition all day. Olson is USD’s man of the match.
USD will look to bounce back against Asuza Pacific this Saturday. Kickoff will be at 4 PM at Azusa Pacific. This will be another tough test, as they are coming off a 43-5 victory over USC.
Final Score: USD 19- ASU 43
Man of the Match: Thomas Olson
Starting Lineup
Nick Classen
John Giltner
Ty Helfrich
Jonny Hale
Thomas Olson
Cameron Miller
Wyatt Darien
Darren Seward
Brandon Arriage
Cameron Wilmer (C)
Henti Vatienl
Isoa Moimoi
Mark Boschetti
Gabe DePaolo
Jordan Sandoval
Substitutions
16. Michael Ramos (50’ Darien)
17. Ben Keefer (55’ Vatinel)
18. Conor O'Shaughnessy (70’ Arriaga)
Scoring
Tries
Hale, Sandoval, DePaolo
Conversions
Wilmer 2/3