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For two straight weeks, the rugby action has been intense, and it seems that the University of North Carolina are beginning to inch their way ahead of the competition.
In round one of the CRL competition, UNC lost a close one to NC State. Since then, they have rolled off three straight wins. The latest was a come-from-behind 36-27 victory over a very physical Clemson squad in South Carolina.
According to North Carolina coach Mike Groenewald, last week his pack left something to be desired in the set pieces, especially during line-outs. This week was a different story, as UNC ironed out their line-out issues and dominated in scrums.
The game was well in hand for North Carolina in the second half when they held a 26-10 lead. However, things got a bit dicey when the Tarheels received two yellow cards in close succession.
The emotional lift and 2-man advantage allowed Clemson to come storming back and with 8 minutes left in the game, they took an improbable 27-26 lead.
Clemson was knocking on the door again when UNC finally came back to life and regained possession deep in their own territory. They then deftly moved down the field, utilizing their line-out when necessary and scored to regain the lead.
An intercepted ball and one more try later, and they had held on to win 36-27.
According to Coach Groenewald, “our discipline was questionable at times today, but we are happy to come away with a win over a very physical Clemson team.”
He also had high praise for the newly formed CRL, saying, “the league has been a great benefit.” He sighted the newly rekindled rivalries as one of the most obvious indicators of this.
Standouts for North Carolina were flyhalf Gregor Maclennan, and Centers Jamie Duguid and Phillip Rouse.
Elsewhere in the CRL, NC State went to Wake Forest and shut them out 37-0. With their head-to-head win against UNC earlier this season, they are still certainly in the hunt for the league championship.
Appalachian State also got their first CRL win over ECU 22-5. Tomorrow, Appalachian State travels to NC State for a make-up match.
League Standings:
North Carolina (3-1) 15 pts
NC State (2-0-1) 11 pts
South Carolina (2-0-1) 10 pts
Appalachian State (1-2) 6 pts
Clemson (1-2) 6 pts
Wake Forest (1-3) 5 pts
East Carolina (0-2) 1 pt
