Rugby postseason hopes go through UT

The men's club rugby A-team (1-1) will try to upset Tennessee this Saturday as it rallies for a bid to the National Championship in April.

The game will kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Intramural Fields.

The two teams last faced off in March of 2006, when the Volunteers crushed the Bulldogs in a 68-0 victory.

"We're a whole different team this year. They don't know what's gonna hit them," said Sam Pennel, a sophomore from Calhoun.

Georgia has four Rugby Union All-Stars, including Nick Burgess, Sean Catlett, Harrison De Jarnett and Michael Thompson.

"This is the best team we have had in the last half-decade," Ryan Downey, a junior from Peachtree City, said.

The team, led by coach Doug Porter, will enter Saturday's game hoping to turn things around after falling to Clemson last week 26-18.

The team has practiced four times this week in preparation for its showdown against Tennessee.

Sophomore Devin Smith said, "We've put a lot of hours in, and I definitely see us pressing Tennessee and moving on to nationals in April."

After the A-team game, the B-team, which boasts a 3-0 record, will take the field.

If the Georgia A-team advances to the postseason in April, members of the B-team will stand by as reserves should any A-team member get injured.

- Daniel Hanna is a columnist for The Red & Black.
Originally published in the Red & Black 2/16/07