BYU Upset Bears in Final, Take Home First National Championship Title

from USA Rugby:
Photo credit: Dobson Images

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Brigham Young University overtook California in the USA Rugby National Guard College Championship match Saturday night at Steuber Rugby Stadium, walking away with its first National title and ending the Bears’ five-year winning streak with a 25-22 victory.

Five penalty kicks by flyhalf Keegan Engelbrecht and an Eric Fry try were unable to put enough space between the Golden Bears and Cougars, with Championship MVP Shaun Davies kicking the winning penalty goal for BYU with two minutes remaining.

In the ninth minute Cal (30-2) got the first of several penalty opportunities when BYU (18-1) was whistled for offsides at the Cougar 10-meter line. Engelbrecht booted it through for the Bears' first points.

A similar infraction at the same spot led to the senior flyhalf's second three-pointer just four minutes later. A 17th-minute whistle for hands in the ruck afforded Engelbrecht his third attempt from inside the 22, and he connected to make it a 9-0 Cal lead.

BYU was awarded a penalty just a minute later outside the Cal 22, but Davies' attempt hit the left crossbar. A 21st-minute drop kick by Dylan Lubbe was also wide, but the Cougars stayed after it and lock Kyle Sumison muscled his way into the try zone at the 24th minute, with Davies' conversion cutting Cal's lead to two.

Another whistle against the Cougars left Cal with another penalty attempt from inside the 22, which Engelbrecht slotted in front of the boisterous BYU bleachers for a 12-7 Bears lead at halftime.

BYU had the intensity to match Cal's, but their infractions were often costly, as when Cougars lock Isikeli Volavola was yellow-carded for leaving his feet at a ruck in the 36th minute, giving the Bears a man advantage for the next 10 minutes.

Uncertainty hung in the air over the Cal faithful entering the second half, with four penalties keeping the Bears less than a converted try in front of BYU.

In front of a large local contingent, Cal marched a driving maul almost to the BYU goal line and Fry finished the work with a try to increase the lead to 12 following Engelbrecht's conversion.

The Cougars returned to full strength and quickly mounted another charge, hammering away inside the Bears' 10-meter line until Viliami Vimahi was awarded a try in a pile of bodies. Davies' missed conversion kept it a seven-point Cal advantage.

The Cougars' second yellow card came against fullback Sam Thorley for tackling Colin Hawley while the Bears' outside center was in the air.

Hawley managed to remain in the match as BYU played shorthanded again.

A dangerous-play tackle by Vimahi at minute 57 resulted in another yellow to put BYU two men down, with Engelbrecht nailing his fifth penalty kick for a 10-point Cal advantage.

But BYU stayed just as hungry as the Bears, and a Vito QaQa try with Shaun Davies' conversion made it a three-point con

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