On Saturday January 23rd Saint Andrews RFC got their spring season off to a great start with a convincing 29 – 12 home loss to the visiting Augusta Rugby Club. And their coach feels like everything went according to plan…….

When asked what that plan was and how it could possibly involve considering a loss as being “According To Plan” this is what he had to say. “Over the next three to five years within the South territory we intend to progress from the social club that we are now to eventual D3 and D2 champions”. Several veteran members of the club joined the conversation and all agreed with Dave Edwards when he said “Within the South there is no reason to believe that playing at the D1 level is not out of the question assuming that our numbers and talent level continue to rise over the next few years”.

Bringing things back to the here and now their coach added, “For now the game plan will be to remain as a social side until next Spring. At that time we will enter D3 and remain there until one of two things happens. One when we win D3, or two after we spend two years at that level. Either way whichever comes first we will be moving up.” Until that time to help us prepare for the progression we intend to face a mixture of social sides that we should beat, D3 clubs that we can expect to split 50-50 with, and of course stronger D2 sides such as Augusta where our main goal is to learn from our defeat”.

Now that you have some idea of where the club is going in the future let me share some of the details of what according to plan felt like this past weekend against Augusta.

(First Half)
Even though they only had two practices under their belts before the match Saint Andrews was keen on pushing the tempo against the much larger pack oriented Augusta side. And as the early stages of the match began to unfold it was clear that there off-season touch program was paying dividends. After nearly 15 minutes of territorial jockeying Saint Andrews managed to secure a lineout on their own ten-meter line and they finally had the right platform to launch a meaningful attack.

Lockwood barked out the calls “99-16-31 – Red River Whiskey” and his throw found a willing receiver in the form of second rower Harrison Swadley. The pack brought him back down to earth and began mauling him forward. As the drive approached the half way line substitute scrum half Mike Miller dug out the ball and spun it wide to an eager hooker eyeing up the opposition flyhalf. As Lockwood hit the line and their flyhalf with a flying elbow number 8 Joffree Swait was in close support for a nicely timed pop pass. As Swait thundered towards the second defender it became clear that straight hands to his number 10 Dave Edwards would lead to some serious trouble for the remaining Augusta backline. Swait to Edwards, Edwards to Seay, Seay to Ledford and the floodgates were open for a 45-meter jaunt. Some good cover defense swallowed Ledford up about 7 meters from the line but the only temporarily. As Saint Andrews blew over the ruck it was a perfectly timed pass from Seay to Miller that left them with only one man to beat. And we all know what that means…. OVER! Miller covered the last 5 meters and dove in for the first try of the match for an unconverted lead of 5-0.

The remainder of the half was a hard fought battle with both sides pushing the issue in different fashions. Saint Andrews opted for clean hands and team support while Augusta honed in on their physical dominance in the forward pack. There were some spirited exchanges at the break down with boots flying in from both sides at ruck time (which thankfully enough the Scottish ref allowed with good cheer) but eventually the pressure and lack of experience led to several Saint Andrews penalties. Augusta eventually capitalized through their powerful number 4 who managed to tap quickly and catch Saint Andrews in an offside position. As they tried to reload and get back he tapped again and barged his way over the line for an unconverted tie of 5 –5 with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the half.

As time wound down the penalties continued to mount up against the home side and Augusta kept Saint Andrews pinned deep in their own half. Eventually pressure turned into points again as Augusta blew clean through a 5 meter Saint Andrews scrum. As the pack skated backwards Miller tried to dig out the ball but was put under immediate pressure from the Augusta back row. As he was taken to ground he ball was picked clean and the Augusta flanker was able to muscle over the line for a converted try and halftime lead of 12 – 5
(Second Half)
Saint Andrews did a good job of refocusing their efforts to open up the second half and they were able to put the inferior Augusta backline under a lot of pressure. Unfortunately that pressure typically resulted in a knock on which allowed Augusta to assert their dominance against the inexperienced Saint Andrews pack at scrum time. The first 20 minutes of the half was a back and fourth battle capped off by numerous scrums. Eventually things settled down but then open play turned into penalty fest which Augusta took advantage of with quick taps. Saint Andrews was caught off guard again and Augusta punched in a tap and go for an unconverted try which stretched their lead to 17 – 5. Several minutes later after blasting threw another Saint Andrews scum they were able to pick up clean ball and cut through some truly horrific team tackling attempts for another unconverted try and a comfortable 22 – 5 lead.

At that point it was determined by the ref that all remaining scrums for the afternoon would be conducted as “Non-Contested”. And on cue at the very next scrum Saint Andrews was able to reply with a nicely taken try by number 10 Dave Edwards. From ten meters out from the line with clean non-contested ball at the base of the scrum PNG was able to work his typical wizardry by dummying two defenders and coasting in under the sticks. For good measure he converted his own try to bring the score to 22 – 12 in favor of the visitors.

Although it would be fair to say that had scrums not gone to “non-contested” the match very well could have ended at 22 – 5. Having said that they did and Saint Andrews was able to take advantage of that fact. With roughly 7 minutes remaining Saint Andrews moved deep into Augusta territory and were awarded a penalty for foul play at the breakdown. Tapping quickly Edwards went left to Miller for what looked like a simple 3 on 2. Miller moved it to Lockwood with Swait in support but rather then moving it wide to the giant he opted to back himself for the line. There was a massive collision and he did cross the line but he was unable to touch it down which ended the last real chance for Saint Andrews points. To add insult to injury (Lockwood hurt himself trying to make the line) not only did Augusta get out of jail but they snuck in another converted try at the final whistle giving them a solid 29 – 12 victory.

(Third Half)
Both sides were joined at the Wild Ace in downtown Greer by the local Greenville Highlanders ladies side for food, drink, songs, and match day awards. Augusta was complimentary of their host’s efforts and Saint Andrews remains encouraged by the fact that they were not blown off the pitch by a D2 side. Everyone understands that the best way to learn and get better is by playing an opponent from a higher level. Saint Andrews looks to continue learning and competing this coming weekend against the Charlotte Barbarians.

According to Joffre Swait, the club's founder, weighing in at a magnificent 6'9 and 300 pounds, "Regardless of the outcome of our match today, Saturday, September 5th, 2009 marks a very special date in our club's history". Although there were several notable absences in the side due to prior engagements (Zack, Jake, Tony, Josh, Erickson, Randy, Cliff, Dover, Shap), Saint Andrew's was able to make the trip with a well rounded squad of 19 players. With an age-range from 19 years old all the way up to 47 years old, and match experience between 0 games and over 250 games between individual players, it was clear that sticking to the basics was going to be a must if the club had any hopes of surviving the entire 80 minutes, let alone collecting their first scalp.

(First Half) Action in the first half was fast and furious as Saint Andy's tried to make the adjustment to playing on a regulation pitch against a much faster side. As the two teams tried to feel each other out, USC managed to strike first on a long range try in the corner after taking a quick tap penalty which came as a resultof some ill-disciplined defensive play (high tackle). The conversion sailed wide and Saint Andy's was quickly down (0 - 5). The anxiety level climbed even higher as USC continued to apply pressure on Saint Andy's by capitalizing on several handling errors committed by the backs and forwards alike. At one point in time it looked like nobody had even seen a ball, let alone touched one. During a short injury break Saint Andy's was able to regain their composure after some strong words from scrum-half Mike May. *"Rugby is an easy game. You pass, you catch, and it’s that simple. 15's is a long game, let's calm down and get it sorted out"*. Over the remaining 20 minutes Saint Andy's started to settle into their game plan, and outside center Jason Ledford was able to power through two defenders for a try and a brief 7-5 lead. Ledford was able to squeeze through the middle for a 15 meter run after being put through the gap by fullback Dave "PNG" Edwards. USC managed to work their way to one more try in the first half just before the whistle which left the count at 7-12 in favor of the hosts. During half time Saint Andy's coach and number 10 Mike Miller had only two quick comments: *"Please do not talk to the ref (NC-17 version excised)", and "get back to what we've been practicing - bom, bom, bom, try". Joffre admitted that he had no idea what language that was, but he did understand what it meant and felt that it summed it up perfectly. As the second half unfolded it was clear that everyone now knew what “bom, bom, bom, try” meant. Saint Andy's came out with much more discipline and was able to focus on their strengths.

(Second Half) Getting back to hard straight running and first man rucking resulted in the clean ball that we were looking for and it enabled us to conduct one way traffic throughout the second half. In particular our flankers and number 8 (Nick Napier, Matt Garrett, and Ryan “The Beefcake” Lockwood) really got the club moving in the right direction with some punishing runs through the USC defensive line, and several filling-rattling tackles on their would-be attackers. Not to be outdone inside center Todd Seay was in fine form on the defensive end and seemed to ignite the entire side with his constant presence around the ball. Saint Andrews pulled into a 12 - 12 tie shortly after the half began when winger Dan "The Man" Phillips was able to keep his feet and spin through a tackle to sneak into the corner for the first try of the second half. Once he opened the flood gates it was as if there were tries raining down from the heavens for the next 15 minutes. Next on the score sheet was Ellis “Idaho” Eiffert, who touched down directly under the sticks after a wide move from a set phase. Mike May converted to put us ahead for the first time of the match, 19 - 12. About 12 minutes later St. Andy's stretched the lead a little further with a well-earned try created by two big tackles from Todd Seay, which caused USC to spill the ball. Nick Napier pounced on the gift and moved it to within a meter of the line. St. Andy's superior size gave Mike May the breathing space to exercise his old rugger patience, as he waited for the dust to settle, then burrowed in with forward support for a little breathing space on the scorecard (24 - 12). At that point, although it would have been easy for them to do so, USC never gave up. After some dubious tactical kicking by number 10 Mike “Tex” Miller, USC capitalized on a good long range try to bring the score alarmingly close at 24-19 with around 12 minutes remaining. Happily Saint Andy's still had enough in the tank to advance the ball into USC territory and to apply steady defensive pressure, which kept the Gamecocks in their own end as the clock wound down. Eventually the continued pressure caused the USC lineout to crack, and Joffre Swait found himself the proud owner of yet another stolen ball off of their lineout. Tex camped out well behind the ensuing ruck and Mike May gave him perfect service for an easy 30m drop goal that took St. Andy's out of immediate danger at 27-19. That kick seemed to break USC's spirit and discipline, and Saint Andy's were able to put in one more try for good measure when full back Dave “PNG” Edwards hooked up with Mike May for a converted try under the sticks which brought the final hooter and score of (34-19).

(Third Half) After the match Saint Andy's descended on one of the local watering holes (Delany's) to celebrate the successful launch of their new club and to share in the sheer excitement of their very first victory. For the first game of the season the side consisted of: 1.Alex Hyman, 2.William Aughtry, 3.Richard Burtt, 4.Harrison Swadley, 5. Joffre Swait, 6. Matt Garrett, 7.Nick Napier, 8.Ryan Lockwood, 9.Mike May, 10.Mike Miller, 11.Andy Mauk, 12. Todd Seay, 13. Jason Ledford, 14.Josh White, 15. Dave Edwards, 16. Dan Phillips, 17. Ellis Eiffert, 18.Trevor MacPherson, 19. Ralph Little. Everyone on the list played, and everyone contributed something very special, which ultimately enabled us to walk away victorious. In addition to the on-the-field action it was simply fantastic to see the amount of family support that we had in attendance through friends, family, kids, and spouses. Family/Friends participation will continue to be a cornerstone of our foundation as a club. As coach Vince Atkinson recently said, *"It makes me really proud to see how fast this group of guys has picked up the sport of rugby. Not only that but the manner in which they have established things has been impressive. The history, the tradition, the sponsorship, everything. It makes me happy to be involved with the club and feel like I am giving something back to the sport".

We would also like to let anyone and everyone that is interested in playing rugby know that SAINT ANDREWS RFC would love to have you join the club. Please visit our site for more information about playing (www.standrewsrugby.org )* *In closing we would like to thank each of our current sponsors in and around the city of Greer. Without your support we know that this would not be possible. These include Wild Ace Pizza & Beer, Sushi Mizu, and Big Blue Hat.

Be sure to come...this meeting is going to go a long way toward setting the tone for our first season!

We'll raffle off some t-shirts and some other great prizes. Also, a part of all beer sales will go to the club! So invite everyone you know!