Three-peat

Heading into the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC) 7s Tournament, the Gamecocks were cautiously optimistic.

The field of Division IAA teams was deep and talented. Alabama, Tennessee, and Clemson had all won or finished runner up in tournaments this Spring. While Kentucky had not played much 7s, they are reigning national champions in 15s.

And the Gamecocks, who won the tournament in 2022 and 2023, have suffered more than their share of injuries. Nick Dubois, last year’s leading scorer, was sidelined. Two others in the 7s rotation – Grant Howard and Gavin Curran – had also been lost for the Spring.

But somehow, South Carolina found a way to win nail-biters. And for the third year in a row, the Gamecocks won the championship game on the final play of the contest. In 2022 it was Clemson. Last year, it was Tennessee. And Saturday, Kentucky was the victim of a late Gamecock rally.

With the game knotted 12-12, the talented Wildcats, who bested USC 10-14 in pool play, went ahead 17-12 in the final minutes of the championship. With 30 seconds remaining, Kentucky erred on the kick-off sending the ball into touch, which gave USC position at mid-field.

From there the Gamecocks went to work. Powerful runs by Pat Emch and Grant Ruhlen propelled South Carolina to the five-meter line before sophomore Matty Walsh found the try-zone under the posts. The game official called a high tackle against Kentucky on the final play, which awarded the Gamecocks an automatic conversion and the win.

South Carolina advanced to the finals with a 17-12 win over rival Clemson. It’s the second year in a row, USC has defeated the Tigers in the SCRC semifinals. The final two games were won without the services of 7s captain Dan Golden, who was sidelined after the first Kentucky game with a hamstring injury.

“We showed a lot of grit,” said South Carolina Coach John Roberts. “Our depth and team spirit really pulled us through. Our club also extends our thanks to Tennessee for hosting. The pitch was in super shape. And congrats to the well-coached Kentucky squad. The final could have gone either way.”

All of South Carolina’s games were close, a testament to the talented SCRC field. The USC b-side finished 0-4 on the day losing games to Tennessee, Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. The Gamecock reserves close the spring with a 3-9 record, while the A-side is 17-6 and advances to the Collegiate Rugby Championship to be held April 26-27 in Washington, D.C.

Ruhlen, Golden and Peter Blackburn led the Gamecocks with three trys each. Trys were also scored by Cole Maney, Pat Emch, and Evan Deutsch.

Scores:

W Auburn 17-10

W Georgia 17-14

L Kentucky 10-14

W Clemson 17-12

W Kentucky 19-17