While the Tigers’ offense struggled against West Virginia on the football field this weekend, the LSU rugby team managed to blow out the visiting Mountaineers 51-14.
In the midst of blaring music and tailgating at the Parade Ground, Bobby Johns and the LSU rugby team put a beat down on West Virginia.
The senior captain led the team with three scores and a pair of conversions in a season-opening blowout victory. West Virginia didn’t even get on the scoreboard until late in the second half when eight-man Nick Sacheli scored on a long run against a second string-defense.
LSU ran all over the Mountaineers and scored almost at will the entire first half, building a 32-0 halftime lead. For about a 10-minute stretch in the second half, the Tigers were up 51-0 on the visitors.
“We’re always striving for perfection,” Johns said. “There’s so much pressure to win and by so much.”
The pressure comes because LSU doesn’t usually get a cut at the best rugby competition in the South, as most good teams come from the North and California. The Tigers know blowouts are necessary to prove to others and themselves that they can compete with the best in the nation.
But LSU coach Scott McLean said Saturday’s performance clearly gets the ball rolling in the right direction.
“I was really impressed by the younger players,” McLean said. “We continue to get better every week.”
Players and coaches agreed playing the game at the Parade Ground on a football game day brought out many more LSU fans than games at the UREC Sport and Adventure Complex.
“Hopefully they’ll start playing here more so that they get known,” said Harsha Dissanayake chemical engineering junior and an avid rugby fan.
Rugby’s next scheduled game is against LSU rugby alumni on Saturday, Oct. 9 at Highland Road Park.
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