Match Report - UC San Diego v UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara 59 - San Diego 19

The match between UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara was a game of two halves; a game that would produce a winner however, a score line that would not fairly or accurately reflect the match itself.

Santa Barbara kicked off deep and San Diego played good phase ball and were rewarded with a penalty 10 meters into the Santa Barbara Half. Eighth Man and Team Captain, Josh Mello, put the ball into touch 10 meters from the Santa Barbara Line. San Diego won their line-out and with an excellently executed driving mall were over the line and on the board with a try scored by open side Flank Jordan Bruno; Will Cowell, Fullback sent the conversion wide of the uprights and the score was 5 – 0 San Diego with 37 minutes to play in the first half.

San Diego retained their possession and keep Santa Barbara under continued pressure which saw them rewarded by a couple of long range penalties from Cowell, putting SD ahead 11 – 0 with 20 minutes to play. Santa Barbara started to find their form and after a couple of phases and missed tackles were able to put their first points on the board; with the converted extras the score was 11 – 7 San Diego. San Diego continued their good form, dominating possession and forcing Santa Barbara due to the continued pressure which saw San Diego awarded another penalty and Santa Barbara cautioned for their continued infringement at the breakdown.

Cowell slotted another long range penalty seeing SD to a 14 – 7 lead.

Although SD continued to apply the pressure, seconds before the half time whistle while SD were trying to exploit an overlap out wide, the ball found itself into the hands of the SB number 10 who intercepted the pass and raced 40 meters untouched to dot down under the post to set the scores level at 14 a piece at the half.

SD came out perhaps over confident knowing that the game was a winnable proposition and after the first half perhaps felt they had the measure of SB. SD abandoned their pattern with a false sense of security and a few basic errors saw Santa Barbara’s speed and skill punish them with a barrage of quick tries. Like the play-off team that they are, Santa Barbara entered the second half after a few stern words from their coach KB and picked up the intensity and found their true form blowing SD off the breakdown and forcing SD to re-win their ball. SD seemed to go to sleep and very disjointed, almost as if they couldn’t believe the 14 – 14 all half time result and stopped the pressure and made elementary mistakes turning over the ball to Santa Barbara at will.

SD started the second half by losing their first 5 line outs. Santa Barbara could sense the disarray and choose to play in San Diego’s half. The SD disarray and superior fitness saw SB put 6 tries on the board within the first 20 minutes spell; of which 5 were converted. San Diego finally regained their composure, returning to their pattern, retaining their own possession and making their tackles. The last 20 minutes saw one try a piece from SD and SB producing a final whistle tally of 59 – 19.

Honorable mention needs to go to Dana Teagarden who refereed an outstanding match!

Man of the match would have to go to the SB number 10 who lifted his team with good decision making and even better distribution to provide the platform for the 6 quick tries.

All credit goes to coach KB and the SB team; winning is a habit and the mark of a good team is the ability to lift their efforts to produce the desired result despite what happened in the first 40 minutes.

SD will be very aware that it’s not how you start the match but rather how you finish it that ultimately counts. SB left SD deserving winners running in 9 tries to 2, SD would like to wish KB and his team all the success for a great season. SB are back in SD next weekend to take on SDSU and SD travels to Arizona to take on UofA on Friday and ASU on Sunday.

San Deigo
2 Tries:
Jordan Bruno
George Luu

3 Penalties:
Cowell

Santa Barbara
9 Tries:
#10 Jonathan Schaefer 3 (36th, 56th, and 79th minutes)
#7 Justin Roberts 2 (55th and 68th minutes)
#14 Marquise Goodwin 2 (25th and 54th minutes)
#15 Kyle McBride (62 minute)
#21 Mike Zusmanovich (66th minute)

7 Conversions:
Jonathan Schaefer (from 9 attempts)