Match Summaries:

October 11
Conditions: Night match in a steady frigid rain; extremely wet, well-lighted, field. After about the first 15 minutes of play the pitch was a muddy mess. Field had a 15 ft elevation change from one try zone to the other. Tightly refereed.

UTRFC A 24, Michigan A 13
Facing the wind, rain, and a slight uphill grade, UTRFC truly"weathered" the conditions and the tremendous kicking game of UM in the first half and entered intermission trailing 0-6. UT outscored UM 24-5 in the second half with tries by Brian Melroy (2), Matt Tedford, and Andrew Wiske. Kevin Trussell converted 2 of 4 to tally the 24-13 victory.

UTRFC B 10 v. Michigan B 29
With many UT players getting their first ever game action, this match proved to be a real challenge for the referee and those playing. Only down 12-10 at the half, UT faced the elements in the second half thereby insuring the loss 29-10. First half tries by Josh Hawk and Josh Peay provided the UT points.

UTRFC C 31, Michigan C 5
The third match again proved to be a challenge for the referee and players with inexperience and terrible field conditions limiting the success of both teams. UTRFC withstood the first half facing the wind and elevation change and faced a 0-5 deficit. In the second half, UT put across five tries: Todd Van Dyke (twice while subing in at #9), Old Boy Nate Dampf, and first semester players Kyle Hunter and Jon Releford. Hunter converted three to tally the final of 31-5.

Postscript: Michigan proved to be a tough opponent and a very gracious host. The weather conditions and deteriorating field conditions proved to be costly for both sides. UM is a nicely organized club with three full sides and their players have a keen knack for change of possession. Thanks to coach Tom Stulberg for his time and effort to help plan our trip. All available players played at least a full match.

October 12
Conditions: Afternoon match under partly Cloudy skies with a slight breeze. Wet field that held up well during the match. Refereed by Coach Bradley.

UTRFC B 7, Notre Dame 14
Playing 12 first semester players, UT faced a tough challenge against a very experienced side. After falling behind in the first half 14-0, UT rallied to score a try in the second half when Josh Hawk crashed across, Todd Van Dyke converted to make the final 14-7.

Postscript: ND proved to be a tough match up for the much less experienced UT ruggers. They were excellent hosts and UTRFC hopes that they are able to return to being a recognized club sport on campus in the near future. Their players were extremely polite on the field and gracious hosts off.

October 13
Conditions: Rain began and increased as the day went along. Slight breeze running down the field. The level playing surface held up well. Referee E. Michael Sieferman did an excellent job of managing the match providing both teams excellent opportunities to show their abilities.

UTRFC A 5, Purdue 34
In what turned out to be the sternest test that UT has faced in many years, Purdue displayed an impressive combination of size and speed. Using the slight breeze to it's back, UT produced several opportunities with kicks behind the Purdue wings. Finally, the effort paid off with Jeremy Linne diving across after a long kick and chase by Todd Van Dyke (5-0). Purdue worked the ball with a combination of center crashes and strong forward running. UT's defense held well; however, Purdue got on the board following a poorly executed 22 dropout (5-7). Minutes later, Purdue again effectively used their tremendous size advantage to power over a tap and go from a penalty (5-12). Just before half, history repeated itself with Purdue powering over another try from a penalty to take a 19-5 lead at the half. The second half began unluckily for the UT club, as Purdue picked up a loose ball and after a couple of quick passes turned the corner for an 80 meter try to take the lead to 24-5. UT answered with a series of nicely executed runs and strong support; however, a slightly forward ball five meters out prevented the try. In the closing minutes Purdue added two tries as UT began to take risks in an attempt to create opportunities. Final: Purdue 34, UT 5.

UTRFC B 0, Purdue B 0
These two sides went toe to toe in a brutal affair that was called early due to an extended injury delay.

Postscript: Its hard to imagine a Midwest final that doesn't include these Purdue Boilermakers. Their good speed, massive size, and well coached discipline will serve them well as they progress through the playoffs. They were very gracious hosts and we hope that they will consider coming to Knoxville in the future.