No. 2 Rugby to take on UVU

This article was published on 25th February 2011 in The Daily Universe

No. 2 BYU rugby will take on crosstown rival UVU this Saturday in the first home game of the season.

UVU is a Division II rugby school, but even though they’re not in BYU’s tier of competition, the rivalry will intensify the atmosphere of the game.

“With any school that’s close by you play hard against them,” said wing Alex Hill, a junior from Farmington. “UVU will come out and play hard and tough. They probably have a gameplan and they’ll play to that. I think it will be a hard fought game.”

The coaches are telling the team not to get caught up in the emotion of the rivalry.

“Typically when we’ve played UVU emotions from both sides tend to get away from players,” said assistant coach Kimball Kjar. “[But] you gotta make sure that you execute, work hard and do all the little things that will end up being in the scoreline when the game is over.”

The Cougars are not concerned about the victory or even the score of this game according to Kjar.

“We’re concerned about playing at the proper level — executing correctly, making sure all our systems are in place and clicking on all cylinders. Making sure that everyone’s roles and responsibilities are understood,” Kjar said.

An important aspect of this game is the opportunity it will give BYU to fine tune its gameplan before heading to Rio Tinto stadium and playing no. 6 Utah in the Wasatch Cup next weekend.

“It’s the last game before our big game against Utah,” Kjar said. “We want to make sure that we get a good game. We want to make sure that our guys are prepared when they play against Utah.”

This game will provide a chance for some of the second team for BYU to play in a first team scenario and to gain in-game experience.

“As a team we’re looking forward to getting more experience, getting more fluidity with the personnel and with our plays. Any game, no matter who you play, helps you become better; whether you win by one hundred or lose by one hundred,” Hill said.

The game will cost $3 and will take place at the South Field at 2 p.m. Saturday.