Western Washington University’s men’s rugby team took a tough loss to end their 15s season against the University of San Diego (USD) on Saturday, April 19. With the loss, Western failed to advance to the CRAA D1AA 15s National Championship.
USD opened the scoring early with two quick drives, taking a 15-0 lead. Western was unable to answer with their ensuing drives. Many of them ended with punts to the Toreros.
“We had plenty of opportunities to win that game, but they got onto their game plan a little faster than we got onto ours,” said Western Captain Harry Moore. “Those guys came out punching and we were looking to ease into that game and control it the whole time. They took two steps ahead of our one.”
USD continued the action with a try that extended the lead to 22-0. After that, Western mounted a drive that ended with a penalty kick, chipping into the deficit to make it 22-3 after a first half that was marred by turnovers and missed opportunities.
Western opened the scoring in the second half, quickly taking the momentum and making the score 22-10. Down big in those moments, players like Lyndon Bailey and Harry Moore kept the team motivated and helped them fight through adversity.
“It lies within my boys,” Bailey said. “I look to my left and right, I see 14 other guys fighting, giving everything they got, going to war. And it's impossible not to leave it all out on the field.”
However, their motivation didn’t prove to be enough, as Western drove down to the try line twice but had costly turnovers that led to 80-meter runs, resulting in tries by USD and making the score 34-10.
“They had those two 80-meter bombs, where we just made a mistake, but the guy ran the distance when we were on the front foot,” said Western’s Head Coach Adam Roberts. “Those kinds of mistakes are gutting and deflating for a team.”
After Western’s two drives downfield, they never fully found their footing again, and all ensuing drives resulted in turnovers or failed conversions on the try line.
“We were just kicking ourselves every time we got up. We were making silly mistakes, myself included,” Bailey said. “It's just what happens, and we're gonna get better. We're gonna clean it up, then it's only up from here.”
A late-game injury to wing Charlie Funk accentuated the challenging game. Funk took a nasty hit, injuring his leg.
“We just gotta play for the person next to us, even if we're down. It's all about pride,” Funk said. “At the end of the day, we play for the Western Washington logo on our chest.”
Despite the disappointing end to their season, the players and coaches are hopeful for the years to come as well as the CRAA D1AA 7s National Championships from May 17-18
“You know, we're such a young team that we are only going to improve,” Funk said. “We only have three seniors graduating this year, so the rest are all freshmen, sophomores and juniors. So, we have a loud and bright future.”
Chayton Engelson (he/him) is a sports and recreation reporter for the Front. He is in his first year at Western and is majoring in news/editorial journalism. When he isn’t covering stories, he is usually doing community theater, playing an instrument, or playing basketball with his friends. You can reach him at chaytonengelson.thefront@gmail.com.
