The fall season is off and running and two clubs that are excited about the new season will be playing this weekend in San Angelo, TX. Texas Tech will be travelling to play Angelo State University on Saturday with TRRA referee Jacob Lenington flying out cover the match.
Jeff Price with Ram Rugby is excited to see match day finally arrive after months of sweat, blood, and the preparation, that leads up to the first week of cup competition.
Angelo State Ram Rugby club couldn’t be more excited to kick off the season against Texas Tech in a match of the week. Being that the Rams are a fairly young squad, many of the current players have never had the opportunity to play Tech before and are really keyed up for the challenge.
Recognizing the fact that Texas Tech is always a serious contender in the TRU, the Rams have really focused their training the past few weeks and are prepared to go out and show what they can do.
Jeff Price noted, “Personally, I am glad to see the rivalry between Tech and ASU, which has been forged in the intensity of many past playoff matchups, rekindled this season and am looking forward to a clean, hard-fought, and entertaining match that shows what Texas Rugby is made of.”
On the other side of the field is Texas Tech led by Michael Brdecka, who has been pushing the guys really hard since they started back in late August. Michael adds, “In practice we have been trying to create as many in-game situations as possible to improve their rugby instincts and knowledge. This has led to a couple of great warm up matches versus a mixed Dallas side and Cannon Air Force base from Clovis, NM. We worked many different combinations of players to see what chemistry works best for us.”
Texas Tech, like ASU Rams, have many new additions to their respective teams that have stepped up and earned a spot in the starting 15. A few of those key additions for Raider Rugby is Reid Curry, a transfer 8man from San Diego State, and freshman flyhalf Robert Poyser, from Alliance, have both emerged as vocal leaders on the field.
The Texas Tech guys are ready for the opportunity to prove themselves after a disappointing previous season but the enthusiasm level is extremely high and are counting on the new talent to fill the gaps we were missing last year. Michael adds, “We are trying to take our season one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves but ultimately we want to compete in the TRU championship this season. In years past Angelo State has been a very strong and physical side and this should be a great match to start off the cup season.”
The TRU and TRRA look forward to a fast paced match that gets to show off running rugby with committed and disciplined play from both sides. I am sure Jake will enjoy the encounter!
Texas Tech Lineup:
#1 Jerdal “Biggie” Whitaker, #2 Grant Murchison, #3 Jordan Talley, # 4 Chad Smith, # 5 Cameron Guthrie, # 6 Adam Newton, # 7 Ryan McSwane, # 8 Reid Curry, # 9 Chapman Bauerlein, #10 Robert Poyser, #11 David Marzak, #12 Marc De Charmoy, #13 Manak Basra, #14 Nelson Aguilar, # 15 Jason Kruzemark