Working 9-5 on the pitch
On the weekend of Feb. 21, the University of Dallas hosted a rugby sevens tournament at McNab pitch, featuring 16 different teams from the Texas Lonestar Conference. The teams that attended were: University of Dallas, University of North Texas, UTD, Baylor, LeTourneau University, ASU, University of Houston, Rice University, SMU, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M, University of Texas, UTSA, St. Edwards University, A&M Corpus Christi and Texas Tech. The tournament went from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. with 24 different matchups. The UD Hoggies went 1-1-1, beating SMU, tying UNT and losing to Sam Houston.
Unlike 15s rugby which fans are more accustomed to, 7s rugby features a match with two seven minute halves and seven players on each team. Unlike 15s rugby which has many moving parts and strategy, 7s is more chaotic due to more open space which gives players more room to spread out and run; there is also less distinction between forward and back positions. Chaos and confusion were present at most of the games on Saturday, with teams struggling to get to the outsides; many teams had poor pacing, sideways running and poor ball-handling. Successful teams, however, had good pacing and running, and they swung the ball across the field effectively, taking advantage of the wide open field.
The Hoggies overall played well; their strengths were a quick style of play, focusing on quick passes and momentum building, and swinging the ball wide. They struggled, however, with pacing and ball handling, especially during the Sam Houston game. When asked about the team’s performance, Sophomore Nick Patterson said, “I think the team did very well considering it was a lot of guys’ first time playing 7s […] it’s a new, faster paced, more athletic game.”
Texas A&M, whom the Hoggies face in a crucial game soon, had a strong performance at the tournament going 3-0 against UT, Baylor and UTD. When asked if he saw them playing, Patterson said, “[…] they were gigantic […] massive and fast, and really athletic.” The A&M team dominated with both a physically bruising game against their opponents as well as a quick game, swinging the ball on the wings. The Hoggies, especially after seeing them at the tournament, are aware and ready to face the challenging game ahead.