Reports From Harold Hoffman
Long Beach’s Rugby team secured a league victory Tuesday afternoon with a 30-29 win over UC Irvine. Prior to the game, LBSU’s first year coach Kyle Quinn was concerned with how his side would bounce back after a tough loss to Arizona State the previous weekend. After the match, Quinn was impressed with the poise his team showed. “We still have a lot of room for improvement, but I was thrilled for our young squad,” stated Quinn after the match.
The game was a back and forth affair with many lead changes. LBSU was down 14-5 going into the locker room at half time, but they crawled their way back into the game and were up 30-19 with 20 minutes to go. UC Irvine replied with a penalty kick and a try with 3 minutes left to make the final score 30-29.
This Saturday LBSU plays its last league game at Noon against the University of San Diego. USD is in the hunt for a playoff spot with its strong forward pack and a dynamic 8 Man. Moreover, the outcome of the game will impact LBSU’s promotion/relegation game next month; it will certainly we an important afternoon for collegiate rugby next Saturday.