The Jacks made the trip to Imperial Beach, Ca and not for nothing. First, the day started out at the beach for some breakfast at the Wave Cafe for some of the local ruggers. Next, we made it to the pitch at Mar Vista High School football field and the sun was out and the temperature was warm, today is a rugby day! We made the trip with 19 local rugby players, coach, family and they had 16 Imperial Beach ruggers to face us. The whistle blew and Manny Terrazas kicked off and as our packs collided, it felt good to watch our boys playing a sport that never existed in these guys minds ever before this day. A game of rugby is eighty minutes and our boys have not endured a 40-40 minute game yet, today was a real test to the type of hearts our guys are playing with today. Right off the bat we scored, Manny Terrazas scored off the ruck down the left side, Manny also kicked the conversion kick. Rightly so, the Jacks captain should create the first blow through the IB's defenses. As the game continues back and forth, bodies colliding with the hard surface of the field, into each other, and this exciting match looked as our boys in green were playing this sport as they should. In the Rucks we were there, we used our forwards to damage their line of defense over and over, allowed for Manny to kick to touch to help create the tempo of the game and own it. Coach Rick Frey, even suggested the words "we have starved them of the ball" which is really what an attacking team should be about. As the score went up quick in the first half. The Jacks scored 24-0, Manny scored twice with two conversions, Eric Eddy scored, and Everrett Patterson scored brilliantly down the right side to the corner with an assist from Nathan Whitehouse. This score was what rugby to me is about as you find yourself into contact and with communication and team work you create an overlap and you find the support to your open side and pass it to that man who races to the try line. After all that work and to see it pay off, yes sir, we did it!
The second half IB came out strong, maybe a little pissed about the game and the turn out so far. Although, you can see the energyy this young squad possessed, even hungry for some redemption they came out attacking getting the ball to the wing and getting that one on one; forcing the fullback to come up and help stop the forcefully attempt to reach the try line. Repeatedly, this example of the second half continues, but our boys in green keep IB from scoring. A lot of heart and toughness came out for our boys in these attempts throughout the game and it was great to whiteness from a fans perspective. IB gets the break and the ball is in the wings hands and he finds a gap after breaking through our would be tackler and smashes to the try line. IB 7 and ESRFC 24. The Jacks get one last try before time is up. Manny Terrazas finds himself with a quick tap after a penalty and runs forty meters until IB catches Manny. Bill then receives the ball and keeps the momentum and falls five meters from the try line, and we ruck over to keep the ball. Nate Williams grabs the ball and forces his way over the try line and scores the final try of the match.
Finally, the Jacks made the trip to Imperial Beach, Ca about 7 hours of driving to play rugby and some people would say that is to far and for rugby, no way! However, for these few men of the Eastern Sierra we say, RUCK IT!
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