The ASU men’s rugby team will look to get back on the right track Saturday night after dropping a tough game to No. 1 BYU last weekend. The Sun Devils welcome the Wyoming Cowboys as they seek their first win of the 2012 season.
Last weekend, ASU lost to BYU 54–13. It was a close battle until the last 10 minutes, when the Cougars were able to pull away from the Sun Devils. Although they’ve lost close games to some of the country’s best teams, the team’s confidence hasn’t wavered.
“It's nice knowing we can hang with the top teams,” senior forward Will Walmsley said. “It's just these little details we just have to iron out. We know that once we get it all together, everything is just going to click and we’re going to be able to start beating teams like that.”
With the loss behind the Sun Devils, the focus has shifted to Wyoming as ASU attempts to avoid a 0-2 start to its season.
“It's huge going 0-2,” Walmsley said. “That can mean we don’t go to nationals. We need to think of every single game as a must win, and we got to win this Saturday.”
It will be their first meeting with Wyoming since they shutout the Cowboys 29–0 on the road in Laramie last April.
The Sun Devils have performed well against past opponents, which includes four of the top five teams in the country. The Sun Devils will have to prepare just as hard as before, even though their next opponent ranks toward the lower end of the college rugby standings.
“We have to kind of keep up exactly what we’ve been doing over the few weeks preparing for these big matches and not really changing much,” junior Nate Chapman said. “We have to go into every game thinking it's Cal or BYU, otherwise we won’t be successful.”
The Sun Devils’ game plan for Saturday night will be simple: Play their own game against the Cowboys.
“They have some talent, but we have a very talented back line, and we want to spread the ball wide and get it into our runners’ hands,” coach Gary Lane said. “Defensively, (we want to) just deny them time and space and just pressure them around the ball.”
After ASU’s last home game was relocated to a local high school in Ahwatukee, the Sun Devils return back to Tempe for a late-night battle with the Cowboys.
“There’s nothing like Saturday night rugby in the soccer stadium,” Lane said. “The crowd and the whole atmosphere are just wonderful. It’s an event, and we love it. We can’t wait to be back there this weekend.”
Saturday night will also mark the first regular season game for Wyoming this year. The Sun Devils’ match is set to take place Saturday at the ASU Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m.
Reach the reporter at talopez3@asu.edu
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