Aggie 2nd XV Follows 1st XV And Go Undefeated.
Press Release
March 04, 2006
Written By Josh Back
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With both sides fielding an inexperienced pack, scrums were a mess and had to go to “uncontested”. Both Aggie forwards and backs played exceedingly well and for the most part were disciplined. There were a few after ruck incidents but that was mainly put down to the Bearkat’s frustration and rookie mistakes, as the score began to be insurmountable. Some silly penalties were given away by the Aggies as experienced players tried to take advantage of an inexperienced referee, whom, to his credit, allowed the game to flow as best he could.
A marvelous display of rucking was a large factor in the win. With weeks of practice concentrating on ball retention, it looked as though the players finally understood how it was to be done properly. The mere fact that the Bearkat players hardly touched the ball was a reflection of the dominance of the Aggies in the loose.
Mesmerizing running from ex-USA U-19 Eagle Justin Boyd was a joy to watch as he carved his way through the defense, both to score a hat-trick for himself, and set up winger Jim Adams for a try. Similarly, another good performance from rookie No. 8 Casey Thompson saw him score after a good run to cap off his determined work at the breakdown and dogged tackling. And, after a long drought, Englishman Josh Back got onto the score sheet as he crossed over after the Aggie pack started a rolling maul off a lineout on the 22m line. Kenyan Robert Mwandia scored after some brilliant runs in which it was difficult for the Aggies to be in support, as he would even manage to confuse his own players. His sevens style of playing was cheered on by the sidelines as he ran the defense ragged.
The capability of the Aggies to play this well can only aid the team, as many players are good enough to make the 30 man playoff squad that will travel to Norman, OK. If the squad can perform as a team, their playoff prospects are looking up. The team knows that the coming weeks are vital and they will persevere to train as hard as possible. They will try to smooth out any remaining nicks in the Aggie armor and try to create a well-oiled machine that can be successful come the beginning of April.