Cal Rugby: BYU Beats Golden Bears Decisively

Cal played its first significant Rugby XV match of the season on Saturday afternoon in Berkeley, and it did not turn out well for the Bears.

Cal entered the game ranked No. 5 by one service and No. 3 in another, but sixth-ranked BYU dominated the game, handing the Bears their first loss of the season 53-26.

Cal (6-1) is not used be being overwhelmed by that margin, especially on its home turf, but the Bears were hurt by a pair of yellow cards in the first half that led to two 10-minute segments in which Cal played a man down.

"BYU was really good today, certainly better than us," Cal head coach Jack Clark said. "Specifically, their attack asked questions of us. We had plenty of our own offensive chances inside the BYU 22, but must have turned over half a dozen good opportunities. Credit BYU for some of that, but our own inaccuracy was a factor as well. We also struggled with the referee team, which was somewhat expected. However we need to learn to compete without giving the officials marginal or even irrelevant reasons for penalties and cards. We just need to get better, we have more in us than we demonstrated today."

Cal seemed to be up to the challenge in the early going, scoring the first try of the game. And after BYU went ahead, the Bears regained the lead, 14-12, when Caleb Tomasin scored on a long run followed by Kealan O'Connell's conversion midway through the first half.

However, it was all BYU (7-1) after that.

Lilo Clark's try put the Cougars ahead to stay later in the first half, and Kaikiohua Piena powered his way in from short range for a try and conversion that made it a 26-14 game.

Just before halftime, BYU added a three-point kick to give the Cougars a comfortable 29-14 halftime lead.

BYU, whose only loss this season was a 21-14 loss at the hands of rugby powerhouse Lindenwood, kept itself comfortably in front through the second half.

Cover photo by Justine Willard, KLC Fotos

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