Anyone that hasn't already jumped on the Utah rugby team's bandwagon had better reserve a spot while there's still room left. The Utes lived up to their status as national title contenders in the first two rounds of the national collegiate tournament, defeating Washington and St. Mary's en route to securing a coveted berth in the round of 16.
"I am very happy about the way we played this weekend," said Utah coach Mark Numbers. "Hopefully we'll be able to carry this momentum all the way to New York in two weeks."
The visiting Utes staked their claim as the best team in the Pacific Northwest Saturday, walking all over tournament host Washington in an impressive 60-15 win. Utah scored early and often, and all but ended the game in the first half by running up a 30-7 lead before the break.
Sunday's match against St. Mary's proved to be much more exciting as the Utes hung on to win by a mere two points, 22-20. Peter Black got the Utes' offense going at the beginning of the second half, turning a 3-0 halftime lead into a 22-8 advantage.
"We played very well early in the second half," said Numbers. "We had a game plan, and we were sticking to it."
St. Mary's, however, refused to quit. It stormed back in the last 10 minutes, recording a pair of quick tries to pull within two. Thanks largely to Mike Harmon's outstanding kicking game and the defensive efforts of Rob Kingsford, the Utes held off the late rally and walked away with the win.
"I was a little worried there at the end," said Numbers. "I think that woke us up, and I think we can call this a lesson learned."
Numbers' squad, which has now won six of their last seven, will continue its quest for a national title April 22 in New York, where Utah will meet the University of Tennessee.