Monthly Archives: August 2015

Tigers Take on Bulldogs

The Memphis Tigers will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at home at Memorial Field this Saturday, August 29 at 1:00pm.  No charge for admission. Just bring a lawn chair, set up on the track and come watch the fun.

Kickoff: 1:00

Referee: Eric Flemming

Rugby badge Version 2Starting side:  1. TJ Hardaway, 2. Musa Banat, 3. Matt Hill, 4. Kian Koleini, 5. RJ Thorne, 6. Wallace Kwasu, 7. August Stevens, 8. Chris Lemons (Captain) 9. Bennett Brown, 10. Jacob Scott, 11. Kevin Segog, 12. Cameron Walton, 13. Sam Toliver 14. Thomas Strickland, 15. Tezman Mosley.  (All players are going to get some playing time starting at the first 20 minutes.)

Players to gather at the pitch at 11:30 and be ready to warmup at noon.

Post match social at Ubee’s.  Free burgers and fries for the players. All Tiger fans invited to come out and celebrate our victory.

***Home games are played at Memorial Field on the campus of University of Memphis. You can find Memorial Field by following your GPS to 451 Zach Curlin Street  Memphis, Tennessee.  You cannot see the field from the street because the field is 25 feet above street level.  You can see the goalposts sticking up through the trees.  Park across the street and walk up to the field. Bring a lawn chair and sit on the track. There are no bleachers.  We have water and restroom facilities handy.

***Post match socials are at Ubee’s restaurant.  All are invited to attend the post match socials.  Ubee’s is located at 571 South Highland on the Highland Strip, past CKs Coffee Shop.

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Please help!

Old Boys, Friends, Family and Fans – We need your support.  Please join the Tiger Rugby 100 Club and be a person who contributes at least $100 annually to help the club.  It is easy to contribute with Pay Pal…  and if you are tight on funds, set it up to charge your card $10 per month.  Everyone can handle that.  John Elmore is going to sign up to pay $10.00 per month. Thanks John.  We are trying to get 100 folks to sign up, so everyone must be in.  See more here.

Please update your Kroger Card for Tiger Rugby.  Kroger requires that you select your funds to go to the Tigers each January.  So, if you have signed up in the past, please sign up again.  This is free money.  A small portion of each purchase will be given to the Tigers. So, go to this Kroger page to learn more and sign up today. Discover how we can get free money from Kroger.  Thanks for helping with this important initiative.  Do not delay. Do this today.

September 12 – Memphis Rugby Day

Tigers vs Blues September 12 at Memorial

The Tigers will play the Memphis Blues at Memorial Field on September 12th in a friendly and tune up for our conference play.

Memphis Blues

Memphis Blues

The Blues have been significant supporters of the Tigers and have provided much-needed support over the past few years. They have provided several thousand dollars over the past few years in jersey support and dues scholarship. They gave us a scrum matching worth several thousand dollars.  The Blues added to their support this year when the Executive Committee voted to contribute $2000 to our two new sets of jerseys required by the SIRC conference.

The Tigers are filled with gratitude for the consistent support by the Blues for the Tiger program. They support us with funds but also with teaching us the game of rugby.  “We look forward to playing our big brothers,” stated Coach Cole.  “They always teach us a few tricks when we play them.  We need a good lesson before we play MTSU the following week.”

The Lady Tigers will make their debut the same weekend when they take on a round robin of play with two visiting lady teams.  The three matches should make for a fun day.

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Please help!

Old Boys, Friends, Family and Fans – We need your support.  Please join the Tiger Rugby 100 Club and be a person who contributes at least $100 annually to help the club.  It is easy to contribute with Pay Pal…  and if you are tight on funds, set it up to charge your card $10 per month.  Everyone can handle that.  John Elmore is going to sign up to pay $10.00 per month. Thanks John.  We are trying to get 100 folks to sign up, so everyone must be in.  See more here.

Please update your Kroger Card for Tiger Rugby.  Kroger requires that you select your funds to go to the Tigers each January.  So, if you have signed up in the past, please sign up again.  This is free money.  A small portion of each purchase will be given to the Tigers. So, go to this Kroger page to learn more and sign up today. Discover how we can get free money from Kroger.  Thanks for helping with this important initiative.  Do not delay. Do this today.

Tigers Tie Ole Miss 24-24

The Tigers traveled to Oxford to take on Ole Miss in a friendly season opener.  Both teams have difficult conference play ahead of us and needed to start putting a squad together.

The Tigers have 4 freshmen, two who are new to the game.  We have a five returning to the Tigers after taking last season off.  We are thrilled to have all of these players and the coaches agree that this is the best group of athletes in the past 4 years.

Kian in the clouds!

Ole Miss has three internationals playing on their side and the captain, Dylan Carter, just returned from Colorado and some advanced training with the Serevi Training camp.

On this day, Oxford was unbearably muggy.  The heat was 89 degrees, but the humidity was off the charts.  The coaches were drenched with sweat from just standing and coaching. The player’s practice jerseys were soaked within 10 minutes of warm-up.  We knew then it would be a long day.

Rob Halcomb whistled the start promptly at 2:00 and we were off.  The Tigers tore into their tasks aggressively and with passion.  Unfortunately, the pace of the play and the heat began to take its toll. The coaches smartly began to replace players 20 minutes in to get the lads hydrated and give them time to cool.

The Tigers only made a few mistakes, but Ole Miss was ready to take advantage of any error.  Ole miss struck first, 5-0.  Later, Rob caught Ole Miss not releasing the ball and Jacob Scott slotted a penalty for three points for the Tigers.  Then the Tiger errors and heat took their toll.  A few more mistakes Ole Miss took two tries.  The half whistle left us behind 19-3.

The Tigers were working hard individually, but needed to work togehter.  They had worked very hard in the first half and the score was not indicative of their effort.  The coaches asked them to settle… and apply what they had learned in practice.

The second half was quite different, in part because a slight breeze provided some heat relief, and because the Tigers started playing their game.  Jacob kicked a long penalty to touch gaining excellent ground for the Tigers. The forwards provided a fast lineout, and off to the backs before the defense had time to set.  Quick hands and Thomas Strickland had the ball on the wing with room to move… and move he did. Side stepped the wing, cut inside and juked the fullback.  Try for the Tigers.  Jacob notched the conversion and we are back in the hunt.  We just proved to ourselves that the game plan worked.

The ball was terribly slick. It was a good ball, but it was greasy with sweat from 30 players wrestling over it.  Slick ball led to lots of knocks, but they began to work in our favor.  Our forwards began to drive their scrum, winning all of our scrums and several of theirs.

Tiger drive.

Tiger drive.

We were on the front foot.  The forwards charged down the middle of the field following a quick ruck by Cameron Walton and company.  Lemons, to Wallace, to Matt, to freshman hooker Musa, to TJ to RJ and on it went. Straight up the middle. The ball continued to change hands and RJ grabbed it last.  With the line in sight, RJ plowed through four tacklers to score his first try as a Tiger.  Justin converted and the score stood 19-17, Ole Miss by 2.

The Tigers were playing their game and things begin to click… but we were not error free.  A wily Ole Miss player chipped ahead, picked up the ball on the bounce, fended off the tackle and took a try.  Dang!  24-17

Chris Lemons settled his players, brought them to the line for the kickoff and challenged them to rise to the occasion.  In fact, he caught the kick solidly himself, took good yardage and set an excellent platform with the help of his forwards to start another attack.  A few scrums, a penalty kick and we were back in their half, and on full attack.

We knew time was short and we needed a score.  The forwards set several platforms for attacking and this time the backs got into the game.  They worked the ball down to the Ole Miss 5 where Jacob took the ball forward into three defensive players as he leaned for the line.  Three Tigers hit the maul from behind and drove it to the ground.  The ball looked tied up short of the goal, but Jacob was able to shove the ball to the base and the quick thinking Bennett Brown picked the ball and dove for the line.   We pealed Jacob from under six players, got him breathing again and asked him to kick another conversion.  He did so like he had been there 100 times.  No one could tell this was his first collegiate match.

Captain Lemons

With one minute left, Rob allowed one final play.  The kickoff resulted in a knock on (of course) and that was the game. Finals score tied 24-24.

The Tigers showed great heart in coming back from a 16 point deficit.  Actually, they gained confidence every minute of the match.  We didn’t run out of ideas, we just ran out of time.

The coaching staff were able to see several players in different positions.  We have a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.  There is a lot to ponder as we work to prepare the players for Mississippi State next Saturday at home.  We look forward to the challenge.

I’d like to go on about each player, but this post is too long already.  Suffice to say that I have great things to say about each player.  I’m sure the highlights of each person’s play will be captured in future posts as we move through the season.

Details

Referee:  Rob Halcomb

Players 1. Matt Hill, 2 Musa Banat, 3. TJ Hardaway, 4. RJ Thorn, 5. Kian Koleini, 6. JT Henson7. August Stevens, 8. Chris Lemons (captain) 9. Bennett Brown 10. Jacob Scott 11. Bert Milam 12. Cameron Walton 13. Sam Toliver 14. Thomas Strickland 15. Tezman Mosley 16. Justice Houston 17. Wallace Kwasu, 19. Mike, 20. Tevin Jackson, 21. Kevin Segog, 22. Justin (Injured reserve – Mitch Jacobson and Hector Marquez)

Scorers

  • Jacob Scott– 3 points penalty, 4 points on conversions
  • Justin – 2 point on conversion
  • Thomas Strickland – 5 points
  • RJ Thorn – 5 points
  • Bennett Brown – 5 points

Man of the Match – Sam Tolliver for hard driving, hard tackling, excellent defense, front foot offense.  He also stole several balls from the opposition and made a significant impact in the game.

Tigers at Ole Miss

Tigers at Ole Miss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More photos here.  http://www.bluemelon.com/drcole/olemiss2015#page-0/photo-5590733

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Please help!

Old Boys, Friends, Family and Fans – We need your support.  Please join the Tiger Rugby 100 Club and be a person who contributes at least $100 annually to help the club.  It is easy to contribute with Pay Pal…  and if you are tight on funds, set it up to charge your card $10 per month.  Everyone can handle that.  John Elmore is going to sign up to pay $10.00 per month. Thanks John.  We are trying to get 100 folks to sign up, so everyone must be in.  See more here.

Please update your Kroger Card for Tiger Rugby.  Kroger requires that you select your funds to go to the Tigers each January.  So, if you have signed up in the past, please sign up again.  This is free money.  A small portion of each purchase will be given to the Tigers. So, go to this Kroger page to learn more and sign up today. Discover how we can get free money from Kroger.  Thanks for helping with this important initiative.  Do not delay. Do this today.

Logistics for Ole Miss – Updated

The Tigers take on Ole Miss Saturday 8/22 in Oxford, MS in a pre-conference friendly. The Ole Miss/Memphis match has become one

Ole Miss Rugby

Ole Miss Rugby

of the highlights of our season and we look forward to this test with great expectation.  Everyone registered with USA Rugby plays this match.  Logistics for the day are as follows:

  • 9:30 gather at Central Parking Lot
  • 10:00 vans leave for Oxford
  • 12:00 we’ll be in Oxford
  • 12:30 everyone s/b dressed, taped and ready to play
  • 2:00 Kickoff
  • 4:00 Social with Ole Miss
  • 8:30 arrive back at Central

Kit

  • Black shorts, match day socks, jerseys to be provided.
  • Blue tiger shirts for travel and warmup.
  • Mouth guards, Cleats
  • Clean blue shirt for social and travel home.

Referee: Rob Halcomb

Location:  Blackburn-McMurray Outdoor Sports Complex.  Insight Park Ave, Oxford, MS 38655

The Social

The post match social is an important part of the game of rugby. It is a holdover from the gentlemanly version of sports in english speaking countries.  It is also seen in golf, where opponents will gather in the restaurant for some food and beverage after a round of competition.

Proper application of the post match social is to meet with your opposition and get to know them as persons, not just opponents. Take a minute to get to know them, finding out their major of study, personal interests, time with the sport and other such items.

We have found that the camaraderie built during the social enhances the game and pulls players of the sport closer together.  In fact, as you as a rugby player travel around the globe, if you wonder into any rugby pub and they find out you played rugby, you are usually treated to a free drink where the lads of the pub will be interested in your game and when you played.  Just ask Kian the interesting times he had in this regard during his walkabout.

Off to Ole Miss.

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Please help!

Old Boys, Friends, Family and Fans – We need your support.  Please join the Tiger Rugby 100 Club and be a person who contributes at least $100 annually to help the club.  It is easy to contribute with Pay Pal…  and if you are tight on funds, set it up to charge your card $10 per month.  Everyone can handle that.  Even Phil Elliott who signed up last month.  Thanks Phil.  We are trying to get 100 folks to sign up, so everyone must be in.  See more here.

Please update your Kroger Card for Tiger Rugby.  Kroger requires that you select your funds to go to the Tigers each January.  So, if you have signed up in the past, please sign up again.  This is free money.  A small portion of each purchase will be given to the Tigers. So, go to this Kroger page to learn more and sign up today. Discover how we can get free money from Kroger.  Thanks for helping with this important initiative.  Do not delay. Do this today.

 

Fall 2015 Camp a Success

The Tigers gathered for pre-season training at a full day camp to start to prepare for our season.  The camp was attended by veterans and newbies alike.  We had 22 players in attendance where we reviewed the Tiger play initiatives that we will be focusing on this year.

Special guest coach was Marc Holley, Tiger alum and recently retired coach of the Germantown High School program that he oversaw for 17 years.  It was a pleasure learning and working with Coach Holley who has a passion for the game.

Here are some of the players that were at the camp this weekend.

Tiger Camp Fall 2015

Tiger Camp Fall 2015

The Tigers start their pre-season with Ole Miss in Oxford this coming Saturday the 22nd and Mississippi State next Saturday the 29th at home.

Go Tigers!

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Please help!

Old Boys, Friends, Family and Fans – We need your support.  Please join the Tiger Rugby 100 Club and be a person who contributes at least $100 annually to help the club.  It is easy to contribute with Pay Pal…  and if you are tight on funds, set it up to charge your card $10 per month.  Everyone can handle that.  Even Phil Elliott who signed up last month.  Thanks Phil.  We are trying to get 100 folks to sign up, so everyone must be in.  See more here.

Please update your Kroger Card for Tiger Rugby.  Kroger requires that you select your funds to go to the Tigers each January.  So, if you have signed up in the past, please sign up again.  This is free money.  A small portion of each purchase will be given to the Tigers. So, go to this Kroger page to learn more and sign up today. Discover how we can get free money from Kroger.  Thanks for helping with this important initiative.  Do not delay. Do this today.