By Troy Hall · Clemson Rugby Family! Our first hit-out at home for the season is in the books - and we got exactly what we needed out of it. Belmont Abbey are a hig…
Clemson Rugby Family!
Our first hit-out at home for the season is in the books - and we got exactly what we needed out of it.
Belmont Abbey are a high-quality rugby team and will be right in the mix at the top of the division above us. We deliberately schedule games like this early in the season because we want to test ourselves, find out where we're really at, and expose the areas of our game that need work.
The Stats above tell a story in itself - and I'm happy to share moving forward. That way, you can follow the journey a little closer.
There was plenty inside the game that gave us confidence about where this group is heading.
We made 12 line breaks (big focus this week is having the discipline to finish and score tries), our lineout was solid, and defensively we were strong—particularly in the first half. We went into halftime only 7–0 down and competed hard against a very good side.
We finish 3 of those linebreaks and it's a different game.
They scored early in the second half to move to 14-0 (yellow card penalty try), and with the final 20 minutes we made a number of changes, getting some of our younger and newer players onto the field. That gave us another valuable opportunity to learn about our playing group and see how individuals responded to the challenge.
And that's really what Saturday was about:
Learning.
Testing.
Improving.
We learned a lot about where our game is at. We learned a lot about individual players. And, importantly, we saw enough to be genuinely excited about this team.
One thing that really stood out was our fitness - and our ability to break the line.
The boys were pretty banged up after the game - as you'd expect from a first proper hit-out - but the work they've put in throughout the summer and preseason is showing.
We've got plenty to work on. That's the reality at the beginning of a season.
But that's exactly why we play these games. To give guys time on the field - in the mixer as I call it. We also had several players play their first game as a Clemson Rugby Tiger on both 1XV and 2XV - which is so cool. They are now connected and part of something special (for 60 years!).
We're back at it this week - before another opportunity to get on the field.
UNC Charlotte comes to Clemson this Saturday (2 matches)
12:00 PM | The Pier | Clemson, SC
Another game. Another test. Another opportunity to rip in and get better.
The boys are excited, they're hungry, and they're ready to keep building.
As always, our goal is simple: do Clemson Rugby proud and leave the jersey in a better place than we found it.
Thanks for continuing to support this group. It means a lot to our players and team, and we're excited about what we're building together.
Go Tigers!
Troy Hall