9/27 NCSU, UNCP @ Fort Bragg

3 30 Minute periods were played on this day with a sudden death overtime in Bragg v NCSU. The scores were as follows:

Fort Bragg 10 - 0 UNCP
NCSU 19 - 7 UNCP
Fort Bragg 7 - 0 NCSU

A match report for NCSU's games has been prepared by their coach, Jeremy Goodwin, at http://www.ncstaterugby.com/2008/10/match-summary-for-927-unc-pembroke-and-ft-bragg/

UNCP are a brand new rugby team - just started playing last Spring. For many of their players on the field that day it was their first ever game of rugby. Thus, I was responsible for teaching many of these players how to properly scrummage. Props were'not coming in straight, sometimes head too low, and the second rows didnt seem to want to properly to their prop through his legs. In the first game I had to reset A LOT of scrums, but hopefully the new UNCP players learned from the experience.

For a brand new team UNCP showed up very well, contesting lineouts (even if they were jumping too early), and managing to score a try against NCSU. Overall every game was pretty sloppy and slow, but the breakdowns were much easier to manage than last weekends Raleigh NOVA game.

Many of the Fort Bragg players were smart at avoiding my vision and getting away with hands in the ruck on a number of occasions. Bragg was also smart by infringing against NCSU on whatever scrum side I was not. One side boring in, another side pulling the scrum around to win the wheel. After this game I feel I need to work on my scrummage, as I find it hard to spot the infringements on the front row - including foot up, and the "pull."

Fort Bragg put food and beverage on for the teams and overall it was a good day of rugby. Great for a brand new team to get a run out against a legitimate university side and learn tricks from a bunch of old ruggers (Bragg).