Men’s Rugby Edged Out in Tough Contest with UNC Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Bearcats had fought a hard 80 minutes but came out down 23-10 to the 49ers on Friday, Nov. 1.

Penalties, handling errors, and a few missed opportunities were the biggest obstacles in the match. The hosts jumped out to a 6-0 lead on two PKs, and then Nathan Charbonnel converted a penalty to make the score 6-3. The score stood until the 35th minute when UNCC scored its first try to bring the score to 13-3 and carry the score into the half.

The visitors defended the second half well, much like the first half. The score changed in the 60th minute when UNCC got another try in the corner to bring the score to 18-3.

While Lander seemed to always be one decision or play away from scoring, it wasn't until after another 49er try that the Bearcats got some momentum on the attack.

Michael Kukucka had a line break with an offload to Ethan Richardson for a try and a Charbonnel conversion. With 3 mins left to play, it looked like a comeback was being started, only to end in a turnover 5 meters from the goal line.

Coach Billings said after the match, "It's always disappointing to lose a match, but our growth from last season to this one and our growth within this year is very encouraging."

"Our men never let up despite the adversity and challenges in the match. There were some questionable calls, and we had the combination of an off night and very good play by UNCC. They definitely did their homework and made some adjustments to face us, both in their defense and attack," said Billings. "I can say with confidence we just ran out of time in the end. We had the momentum and resilience to win, but the time was gone. I'm excited to see how we rebound for Chapel Hill."

Next up, we host UNC Chapel Hill on Nov 16 in a match to decide the conference champions.

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Players Mentioned

Ethan Richardson: Senior

Michael Kukucka: Freshman

Nathan Charbonnel: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ethan Richardson
: Senior

Michael Kukucka
: Freshman

Nathan Charbonnel
: Freshman