Opponents facing the LSU rugby team see a small squad that could be easily outmuscled. But the Tigers take advantage of their size, using their speed and athleticism to run around and past competition.LSU won both of its games at the Western Championships in Greeley, Colo., during spring break. They squeaked by Colorado State, 18-14, and demolished Air Force, 51-18, to advance to the USA rugby collegiate playoffs.The LSU rugby squad (13-1) is one of 16 teams traveling to Berkeley, Calif.,  this weekend for the national tournament.The Tigers are ranked No. 5 by AmericanRugbyNews.com and will face No. 7 Utah in its first match Friday.”Utah is going to be a bunch of big guys just like we are used to playing against,” said Brendan Batt, pre-veterinary senior. “We’ll probably be faster and more fit than they will be, but I don’t see us losing to Utah.”Jimmy Rehkopf, kinesiology senior, said the LSU rugby team outruns its opponents instead of running over them.”Our game is a speed game,” Rehkopf said. “We try to score as much as we can.”Batt said this year’s team is the smallest in his five years at LSU, but the Tigers don’t let size faze them.”We are not just small and weak,” Batt said. “We tackle really well. We don’t lose a lot by being small.”Batt said much of the national competition underestimates LSU.”A lot of these teams are looking at us as some kind of fluke,” Batt said.The winner of LSU and Utah will play either No. 10 Bowling Green or No. 4 San Diego State.If LSU wins both games in the national playoffs, the Tigers will travel to the semifinals at Stanford in two weeks. Money will be limited for a third trip across the country, but Rehkopf said the team will find a way to pay for it.Because the rugby team is not fully funded by LSU, the team has to resort to other ways to finance the trips. It relies on limited money from Student Government, advertising, donations, dues and fundraisers. “We are better rugby players and a better rugby team, but we just don’t have the funding,” Rehkopf said.Despite the money situation, Rehkopf said the team is ready to face the competition at the national playoffs.”This is time for the big boys,” Rehkopf said. “We are on the prowl right now. We expect to make it to the championships.”The rugby team has been training for the playoffs the entire year.”Every part of our lives revolve around rugby,” said Cody Cadella, finance junior and LSU rugby president.Cadella said the team is looking to win this weekend and advance to the semifinals.”We have as good of a chance as anyone,” Cadella said.—-Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]