Texas A&M Grey side rugby earned a winning record before facing rival Texas, cruising past UTSA with a 29-14 win on Nov. 2.
A&M’s Grey squad finished its home slate with a 2-1-1 record, giving it a 107th-place ranking, according to RugbyHawk.com. The Aggies held control of the game with a successful try early in the match and continued to score while holding the Roadrunners to only two successful tries.
While the Aggies won in a dominant fashion, the score really should have been closer, A&M forward coach Brett Mills said.
“We were kind of sloppy all game long,” Mills said. “We should have put up a few more points, but we will take the win.”
A&M scored early in the first half, with UTSA quickly responding with a successful try of its own. The Aggies stepped up and scored twice before going into halftime with a 17-7 lead, controlling their side of the field on defense the entire time.
The Maroon and White held a very balanced attack through the game, with four players scoring and multiple defensive stops while the Roadrunners were in scoring position.
“We tried to give a lot of different guys a lot of time,” Mills said. “It was one of the classic team effort wins.”
The Aggies came out of halftime with another successful try, but general studies sophomore Lane Lewis put the nail in the coffin with a show-stopping try near the end of the second half. A&M took over possession and passed the ball to Lewis, who found himself in an open lane to the goal line. A Roadrunner defender stepped in the way to try to stop him, but Lewis put his shoulder forward and ran right over the defender, causing the bench to explode in celebration as he scored. A&M and UTSA each had a score late in the game before time was called.
“I think our best guy today was Lane Lewis,” Mills said. “He had a great score near the end there and was fantastic all the way around.”
The Aggies started the year with two losses, but have since been on a three-game win streak. According to Mills, the most important factor is being ready for the next game.
“The culminating point is in two weeks against Texas,” Mills said. “As long as we’re ready for that game, we’re good.”
Mills said the Aggies have been improving and taking importance from each and every game.
“Winning is a habit, and you get used to it,” Mills said. “You have to realize what you need to do to get better, and as we work and improve to get ready for next week, we should be in good shape.”
A&M rugby will face off against Texas at SaberCats Stadium in Houston on Nov. 23. Follow @TamuRugby on Instagram for updates.
Dylan McGinnis is a telecommunication media studies senior and contributed this story from the course JOUR 359, Reporting Sports, to The Battalion.
