Well, Cal Day was kept under gorgeous weather - some high clouds early, but sunny, warm and only a trace of a breeze. The Bears TOTALLY dominated the Aggies, and it looked like we were playing very few of our normal starters. We were faster and stronger, and although we had a few unforced errors that resulted in turnovers, the Davis players were unable to capitalize on some excellent field position. Two or three times the Aggies had the ball within our 5 meter line, and yet were unable to score a try once. They did convert a penalty kick late in the 2nd half, so we didn't achieve a shutout, but we put up 87 points by the end of the 1st half, and 141 points at the final whistle, so I'm not complaining. Christian Dyer put up our 1st three tries, and we got some additional tries from our forwards, Brian Joyce and Sam Golla. The best Cal try however, IMO, was scored by our forward Jack Iscaro - he's not really built for speed, but he rumbled over half the distance of the field to score his try.

We dominated in the scrums and I think we stole one or two of their lineouts. But Davis had a neat play on one of their lineouts - they threw the ball deep - not to one of the guys the tunnel, but rather to another played who started well behind the line and ran up just as the ball arrived - so he had some speed when he caught it. He didn't get really far, but it was a nice play nevertheless.

Next week we play at Witter Field the winner of today's Arizona/Central Washington match. We beat the Wildcats earlier this season (something like 55-13), so we should get past that obstacle fairly easily.

chalcidbear said:

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"Next week we play at Witter Field the winner of today's Arizona/Central Washington match. We beat the Wildcats earlier this season (something like 55-13), so we should get past that obstacle fairly easily."

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As my grandmother used to say, "Pride goeth before fall".

It's really tough trying to track down rugby results within 24 hours of a match, but it looks like Arizona beat Central Washington, BYU beat UCLA, and Saint Mary's beat GCU (all fairly predictable outcomes).

So next week, Cal faces Arizona, and BYU faces St. Mary's, and therefore I expect (no surprise, really) the semifinal on April 27 will be Cal vs St. Mary's in Moraga. And THIS one could go either way.

I was in Seattle for a memorial service, but was able to watch bits and pieces on line.

Game went pretty predictably. As I have stated numerous times, Coach Clark is a master at personnel management. He started some players with less experience in order to build depth and give them essential experience for later combat.

The Bear forwards were dominant, and Cal's defense, as always, was strong, fierce and effective. Bears just don't miss tackles and the 5 meter line is no man's land when it comes to Cal's defense.

There were some important results on the east coast. Army could have defeated Arkansas State if it had not been for a poorly executed pass in the final minutes which was intercepted and returned for a try by Ark. State. The Cadets played inspired rugby and Arkansas State was fortunate to come away with the win. Penn State played a pretty good match against Life University, but the Life front row is really good and very strong. They will be a formidable challenge for whoever they go up against for the rest of the playoffs. IF Cal is able to defeat both Arizona and St. Marys, and assuming both Ark. State and Life are undefeated (at least until they play each other), then it could be Cal's forwards vs. Life'forwards, or Cal's wings and fullbacks coverage vs. Ark. State's kicking strategies in the national championship. (Again, I'm not trying to get ahead of myself here.....that's if all the dominoes fall just right. Navy just barely lost to Life a few weeks ago, so they might be a spoiler in their match against Life this weekend. And Lindenwood competes in a tough area, so their game against Ark. State could be very tight as well. So I don't mean to imply I'm taking anything for granted.)

This Saturday's match between Arizona and Cal will be really well attended because Arizona will rep with a fair number of fans, and St. Marys will be playing the other match and always bring a lot of fans as well. I also assume there should be a goodly number of BYU fans as well. So if you're planning to go to the match, I would plan to get there plenty early. Parking will not be great. But the rugby competition surely will!

About the parking. Last Saturday was Cal Day, and women's Softball was playing, an awful combination for available parking. The parking lot by Bowles was full, so I had to park up at Lawrence Lab. As long as the shuttle buses run, this shouldn't be a problem for parking at Witter Field.

I have always liked the sportsmanship of both fans and players. It pleased me that the fans applauded the only score UC Davis made - something you rarely get in football. Even better, there is no taunting by fans that I heard at any game.

Your point is very valid, oursdor65. That is one of the major differences in collegiate rugby vs. other sports.

You will not see the showboating and "me" oriented crap that is so prevalent these days in collegiate (and pro) football. The rugby game is hard, rough, and at times brutal, and players from both sides know it and respect each other for the battle that is done on the pitch (field). There can be some scrappiness during the competition itself, though surprisingly much less than you would expect. But the traditions of rugby demand that respect be paid to the referee(s), and the team you are playing.

As for fans. for the most part they are pretty civil with each other, in part because they too understand and respect the sacrifice both teams give in playing the game. Some fan bases are better than others, but I have never felt the hostility that comes with other games. The environment at Cal is welcoming, and sincere. Fans often applaud the opponents taking the field, and sometimes will also applaud the opponents after the match. There is a very certain and expected sportsmanship that is ingrained into the rugby community and is demanded from the coaches as well.

It is for these reasons, along with others, that the growth of the sport is accelerating at such a rapid pace, and that many football players (particularly at the high school level) are now expressing a desire to play rugby instead of football. And the sportsmanship element has won parents over as well.

I was up in Seattle over the weekend and one of the people working at the hotel I stayed at plays for a team that spun off from a team I played for up there about 35 years ago, and we were talking about the game of rugby and our experiences and observations. It was interesting to have others fascinated by our conversation and expressing positive impressions from what they heard. The idea of sportsmanship and respect had the biggest impression, and the more the word about rugby gets out (and the more people actually see the game), the more the game will continue it's ascent.

Thanks for the heads up on the shuttle service. I don't know if it will be working this weekend or not. But the parking situation, given that St. Marys and Arizona are playing as well as Cal, will likely be challenging. I have used the lot facility under the old Kleeberger, but usually try to get to Witter early enough to find a more convenient spot. Might be tough this weekend!

TomBear: agree completely with your comments about the traditions and culture of rugby. I'd extend them to note that Coach Jack Clark personifies all of those positive traits and instills them in our players and program. He is an incredible asset to our university, way beyond the simple large numbers of wins and tiny numbers of losses.

Amen and amen, Yamhill!