Metro Rugby achieves perfection

By Matt Gunn
gunnma@mscd.edu

"Stop celebrating and play," Metro Rugby Football Club head coach Gregg McCorkle shouted at his team during its 44-17 victory over Colorado School of Mines.

For the second consecutive season, Metro RFC went a perfect 7-0 and earned the top seed in next week's Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union playoffs.

"We're playing pretty good at times," senior outside center Spencer Walls said, "but the team we played was pretty sloppy and that slowed us down when we played down to their level."

Metro played hard throughout the match, but was thrown off pace at times by Mines' undisciplined play. The Orediggers' messy play occasionally worked to their advantage.

"When we played to our potential we played really great, for 10 minutes at a time," Walls said. "It's hard to keep the game clean when the other team's playing really sloppy."

Wells scored a try and a pair of conversions for Metro.

When Metro overcame the careless Orediggers, the team looked sharp. Metro out-muscled Mines during scrums and approached line-outs like basketball players willing to do anything for possession of the ball.

Metro's defense was on showcase early in the second half. After taking the ball to within a few feet of the end line, the Orediggers were stifled by the defensive force of Metro. Mines turned the ball over and Metro took advantage, as players worked together to score a try.

"We're all brothers out here" sophomore David Deagle said after the game. "It's just awesome running with these guys."

Late in the game, Mines broke through for a pair of tries. Metro answered by winning a kickoff, and junior Evan Swieckowski ran the ball to the end line to score a try as time ran out.

Seven Metro players scored tries in the game. Sophomore Adam Scruggs led with two tries. Much of the scoring was balanced primarily among Metro's wings and centers.

Despite their big victory over the Orediggers, neither the team nor coaches seemed satisfied with their performance. The undefeated record is only a small step toward Metro's larger goals.

"Undefeated is nice," McCorkle said, "but our bigger goal is the national championship. It gives us a good base to know where our team is at and how we've progressed over the past three years since I've been coaching."

Metro's players echoed their coach's sentiment.

"It's a work in progress because we're trying to build a program," Walls said. "It's a work in progress and we're just going to keep getting better."

Though it may not have been the ultimate goal, Metro earned the No.1 seed and will play the weakest team in the upcoming ERRFU playoffs. Metro plays Regis University in the first round. The Rangers upset Metro last year and went on to finish sixth in the nation.

"Our plan is to go into Regis and make a statement to them that we are the dominant team," McCorkle said. "Regardless of what happened last year, we are the better team this year."

If Metro advances past the Rangers, they earn the right to play for the ERRFU championship. Their opponent will most likely be defending national champions, the University of Northern Colorado.

"We can't let them psych us out," Deagle said. "Obviously, they're national champions, and that's going to be in the back of everyone's head, but we've just got to play our game and bring our game out on the field."

The old sports clich‚ "anything can happen in the postseason," applies to Metro RFC. The playoffs begin at noon Saturday, Oct. 29 in Greeley.

"There's going to be fireworks next week," McCorkle said. "It should be the game of the year, as far as collegiate rugby in Division II goes."