Jefferson City RFC is a rugby club for high school rugby players in the Jefferson City area.
JEFF CITY RUGBY
  • Home
  • About
  • Schedule
  • Awards
  • Sponsorship
  • Girls

Nightmare Post a 2nd Straight Road Win

3/24/2017

0 Comments

 
The Nightmare traveled to St. Louis to take on Eureka in the second match of the season. Since both teams had low numbers, the coaches and referee agreed that rolling substitutions would be allowed. The Nightmare were a little slow to start the match, and Eureka capitalized in the 5th minute on some poor rucking to win possession and pick off the back of the ruck into the try zone. The Nightmare tried to answer, but some mental mistakes and a lack of support in the rucks kept them from taking advantage of scoring opportunities. Both sides battled back and forth, but Eureka broke the stalemate in the 25th minute with a converted try after a handling mistake in the Nightmare’s backline. This brought the score to 12-0 in favor of Eureka.

The Nightmare seemed to come alive after this, and kept possession through numerous phases of play. A penalty on Eureka near their own 10 meter mark gave an opportunity for the forwards to crash through the try line, with senior prop Kyle Mitchell ultimately putting the ball down in the try zone with an assist from 8-man Jake Burnett. Flyhalf Diego Silva converted the kick to bring the Nightmare within 5 at the close of the first half.

The boys kept the momentum going to start the second half, and took advantage of Eureka leaving the last man in the lineout open. A good throw from hooker Victor Leon sailed to the back of the lineout and into the hands of Jake Burnett, who made a bruising run close to the try line. Scrum-half Gabriel Elizondo capitalized by picking the ball off the back of the ensuing ruck and crossing the try line. Silva converted the kick to give the Nightmare a 14-12 lead. Eureka stepped up the effort after this score, and again the Nightmare’s own mistakes kept them from increasing their lead. After the Nightmare turned the ball over, Eureka organized an effective attack and drove down the field; but a stolen ball in the ruck in the 53rd minute, followed by a well-timed kick from Silva, provided some breathing room. Flanker Preston Robinett was able to take advantage of Eureka’s misplay on the kick to make a long solo run into the try zone. Silva converted again to make the score 21-12.

Eureka answered by keeping the Nightmare on the defensive and backed up in our own end, and finally punched through in the 67th minute with some passing along the backline. Unable to convert the kick, Eureka came within a try of overtaking the Nightmare with only a few minutes remaining. A strong effort by the forwards helped the Nightmare maintain possession in the final minutes, and Burnett put the match away with a pick from the back of the ruck after the forwards drove down to Eureka’s end. Silva was not able to convert the kick, but the try was enough to give the Nightmare the victory, with a final score of 26-17.

It was a hard-fought victory for the Nightmare, but mainly because of the boys not playing to their potential. As Coach Stevie stated, it was more of Marilyn Manson match instead of a Marilyn Monroe one. The margin of victory easily could have been much wider. We have a lot of things to work on, but fortunately we have plenty of time to do so with a bit of a break before we take on Columbia on April 1. The boys will continue to work on fixing simple mistakes and playing as a unit.

0 Comments

Nightmare Open 2017 with Win Against Springfield

3/11/2017

0 Comments

 
​The Nightmare started off the 2017 season by traveling down to Springfield. With low numbers, Springfield combined with some players from the newly formed Columbia team to field a full side. The match started with the Nightmare facing into a strong wind that made kicking difficult. Both sides spent the first part of the match feeling each other out and the new players getting their bearings, but the Nightmare didn’t take long to put up points. After driving down the field with some good passing and deep runs, Senior lock Issiah Sampson plunged across the try line in the 11th minute from a pick off the back of the ruck. He was followed in the 23rd minute by senior 8-man Jake Burnett, who caught a long lineout throw and weaved his way through Springfield’s backline for a long run across the try line. Not to be outdone by the forwards, the backs quickly organized their own scoring drive, playing off of several deep runs. Outside center Javier Salazar punched through for the try in the 31st minute for the final scoring of the first half, giving the Nightmare a 15-0 lead at half.
 
With the wind at their back, the Nightmare turned up the pressure in the second half. With punishing tackles and effective defensive movement, Springfield could not create attacking opportunities. The Nightmare had plenty though, and in the 40th minute inside center Ernesto Melgar kicked off the scoring in the second half with a bruising run off a pass from the lineout. With easier kicking conditions, flyhalf Diego Silva converted the try. Springfield came to life after this and play continued back and forth, with a few errors in judgment preventing the Nightmare from taking advantage of scoring opportunities. Springfield then took advantage of the Nightmare napping near the try line, and in the 48th minute scored a sneaky try off the ruck after a maul. Again play continued back and forth, with the Nightmare unable to keep consecutive phases on attack due to poor decision making and fatigue. That momentary lapse was finally broken by 8-man Jake Burnett, who picked the ball off the back of a ruck after a powerful run from the penalty by prop Sean McGrail and crossed the try line in the 65th minute. Silva converted the kick to bring the score to 29-5 in favor of the Nightmare. Shortly after, Ernesto Melgar picked up his 2nd try of the day as well after a nice bit of passing among the backs off a penalty. Silva converted the kick to close out the Nightmare’s scoring for the day. Springfield was able to sneak in a final try at the end, taking advantage of a tired Nightmare team and picking off the back of the scrum. The converted kick ended the match, with a final score of 36-12.
 
For the first match of the season, the Nightmare showed a lot of promise. There are things to be worked on, but overall the boys played well – especially the brand new players. The defense, though at times not properly aligned, was bruising. Simple mistakes kept the Nightmare from using more scoring opportunities, but there was no doubt that the boys were in control of this match the entire time. We’ll continue to work on these things at practice this week; but for now it is clear that the Nightmare will a force to be reckoned with this year. 
0 Comments

Spring 2017

1/7/2017

0 Comments

 
We are looking forward to our eleventh season in 2017.  We have a solid group of returning players and will be actively recruiting players from around Mid-Missouri to fill out the team.  

If you are interested in playing, please let us know by filling out this form.

Practices began on January 17th and will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. starting at the 63 Sports Complex and moving to our pitch in North Jefferson City after Daylight Savings Time ends. 

We've qualified for the State tournament the last four seasons and are confident we will return this year. 

Go Nightmare!

Coach Chris Bell
0 Comments

Volunteers Needed For Boys State Championship Game on May 7-8, 2016 at Lincoln University

4/25/2016

0 Comments

 
Jefferson City is hosting the 2016 Boys Rugby State Championship Games on May 7-8, 2016 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium on Lincoln University's Campus.  Volunteers are needed throughout the weekend.  Please sign up below.  We look forward to seeing you on the pitch at 8 teams from across the State of Missouri come together to battle for the Missouri Youth Rugby State title.  
0 Comments

The Nightmare Wins Big In Its Home Opener

4/1/2016

0 Comments

 
On Saturday afternoon the Nightmare took the field against the St. Louis Mustangs. The boys 
were aiming to build on last week’s win and looked to be in for a challenge. The Mustangs 
traveled with large numbers and looked ready to play, but the Nightmare brought the pressure 
early. Senior captain Andrew Bennett opened up the scoring in the 3rd minute after some strong 
phases from the forwards brought the ball all the way down the field. That was quickly followed 
by another try in the 6th minute from scrum-half Jordan Kemple, who picked the ball off of the 
back of a defensive ruck and made a great 60 meter solo run. The kick was converted by flyhalf 
Jose Estrada, giving the Nightmare a 12-0 lead. 

The Nightmare continued to apply pressure to the Mustangs’ defense and came close to adding 
another try, but the Mustang defense stood tough and held the ball up in the try zone two times. 
Center John Curley was finally able to break through the defense in the 22nd minute for a try. The 
kick was converted by Estrada and the Nightmare had a comfortable lead of 19-0. The Mustangs 
fought back quickly though. With a Nightmare player down with an injury, the Mustangs drove 
over the try line for their first score of the match in the 27th minute, cutting the Nightmare’s lead 
down to 14. Not to be outdone, the Nightmare answered quickly. A strong return by Estrada off a 
Mustangs kick set up Bennett for a pick off the back of the ruck in the 30th minute. The half 
ended with the Nightmare leading 24-5. 

The Nightmare started the second half just like the first – coming out strong and keeping the 
Mustangs on their heels. A steal by Kemple set up a great phase of passing all the way down the 
field by Kemple, junior Sean McGrail, and Yunil Jeon, finishing with Jeon scoring the try in the 
39th minute. This was quickly followed up in the 46th minute with a great bit of support from 
several players. Styles Fountain started it off with a strong run, Kemple followed suit, and 
Bennett finished it off for another try. 

At this point in the match the Nightmare were showing some fatigue. The Mustangs took the ball 
off the kickoff and drove right down the field, taking advantage of a lack of defensive line from 
the Nightmare. The Mustangs managed to squeeze through a gap in the defense for their second 
try of the match in the 48th minute. The Nightmare seemed to wake up after this, and in the 52nd 
minute Bennett stole the ball in a defensive ruck and ran in for his 4th and final try of the match. 
This was followed quickly by Kemple in the 56th minute when he picked the ball off the back of 
the scrum. Estrada converted to finish out the Nightmare’s scoring for the day. The Mustangs 
caught the Nightmare napping in the 59th minute and scored off a quick-tap penalty. The 
Nightmare slowed down their attack for the remainder of the match, and both sides continued to 
go back and forth without gaining much ground. Final score: Nightmare 46 – Mustangs 15. 

The return of the MMA players and a focus on a faster pace of play seemed to be a huge boost 
for the Nightmare. The attack was strong throughout the match, though a bit chaotic. The defense 
held firm for the most part, but setting up the defensive line and moving forward will need 
improvement. We’ll continue to work on these things at practice this week. The next match is 
our first District match of the season and is at home this Saturday, April 2, in Jefferson City 
against Park Hill United. Kickoff is at 1:00pm. See you all there.
0 Comments

Nightmare Kickoff 2016 with Win Over Francis Howell

3/21/2016

0 Comments

 
​The Nightmare took the field Saturday afternoon against the Francis Howell Force in the opening 
match of the 2016 season. The match was broken into three periods to allow the coaches from 
both teams more opportunities to discuss the action with their players and for substituting new 
players into the match. The match kicked off with the Nightmare receiving. The first 10 minutes 
were a feeling out period for both clubs. Francis Howell found their feet first and scored a 
converted try on a long run by the #8. Jefferson City 0 – Francis Howell 7. The Nightmare 
settled down and held Francis Howell out of the try zone for another 10 minutes until Francis 
Howell added a second converted try. Jefferson City 0 – Francis Howell 14. That was the score 
at the end of the 1st period.

Jefferson City used the first intermission to correct their defensive alignment and chose to play at 
a faster tempo. The changes made a difference right away as senior captain, Andrew Bennett, 
picked from the back of a ruck and ran 30 meters for the Nightmare’s first score. Junior Sean 
McGrail successfully kick the conversion. Jefferson City 7 – Francis Howell 14. The score gave 
the Nightmare an energy boost which was quickly turned into another strong passage of a play 
where Jefferson City moved the ball down field. Senior Jordan Kemple took a pass and broke a 
tackle to score under the posts. McGrail made his second conversion and the score was level. 
Jefferson City 14 – Francis Howell 14. Francis Howell regrouped and earned a scrum penalty in 
the Nightmare’s half. The Francis Howell #8 picked from the back of the scrum and ran down 
the sideline to score. Jefferson City 14 – Francis Howell 21. That score held until the end of the 
2nd period.

The third period saw the Nightmare defense play very strong and the offense take better shape. 
Jefferson City got into the Francis Howell half and made dozens of strong runs into the Francis 
Howell defense. Eventually the Francis Howell defensive line was broken by a hard charging run 
from Kemple for his second try which drew the score line back to even. McGrail recorded his 
third conversion. Jefferson City 21 – Francis Howell 21. The ensuing kickoff was caught and 
immediately passed to senior Ethan Podorski who rumbled 60 meters untouched to score the go-
ahead try. Jefferson City 26 – Francis Howell 21. The Nightmare defense continued to hold 
Francis Howell at bay and Jefferson City was unable to add to its lead. Final Score Jefferson City 
26 – Francis Howell 21.

The Nightmare played very well for their first match of the season and to win is a big confidence 
boost. The defense had a strong showing and improved markedly from the start of the match to 
the end of the match. The offense showed itself to be effective when players looked to pass to 
space rather than run to it themselves. This first match, as is always the case, has given the 
players and coaches plenty to think about. We will continue to put in the work at practice to 
improve on our weaknesses and refine our game plan. The next match is at home this Saturday 
March 26 in Jefferson City against the St. Louis Mustangs. Kickoff is at 12:00pm. See you all 
there.
0 Comments

Spring 2016 Season

1/7/2016

0 Comments

 
We are looking forward to our tenth season in 2016.  We have a solid group of returning players and will be actively recruiting players from around Mid-Missouri to fill out the team.  

Practices began on January 5th and will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. starting at the 63 Sports Complex and moving to our pitch in North Jefferson City after Daylight Savings Time ends. 

We've qualified for the State tournament the last three seasons and are confident we will return this year. 

Go Nightmare!

Coach Chris Bell
0 Comments

Nightmare Win District Championship Emphatically

5/5/2015

0 Comments

 
Saturday was a great day to play some rugby, and an even better day for the Nightmare to play their last regular season match. We faced off against Park Hill at home in what was also our final District match and decided the District champion.

The Nightmare came out strong and put up an early try off an 8-man pick from the back of the scrum in the 8th minute by junior captain Joseph Bustamante. Emran Babak converted to give the Nightmare and early 7-0 lead. The Nightmare continued to drive down the field, and after backing Park Hill up to their own try line Sean McGrail was awarded a penalty try in the 12th minute when a Park Hill player he was tackling in the try zone purposely threw the ball forward out of the try zone. The match settled down after this until the 22nd minute when the Nightmare were awarded a penalty and flyhalf Alex Walker took the pass off the restart and galloped down the pitch for a try. Park Hill put up an impressive defensive effort for the remainder of the half, taking advantage of sloppy play from the Nightmare; but in the final minute of the half some quick passing by the backline off a ruck freed winger Patrick Romph and he took the ball in for a try from the Nightmare's own 22m line. Babak converted the kick, giving the Nightmare a 24-0 lead going into the second half.

The Nightmare were far from done, however, and got right back to it in the second half. In the 36th minute, the Nightmare kicked the ball to give them some breathing room and a mishandling from a Park Hill player gave them the ball back. The ball was quickly passed out to center Bobby Kalvans following in support, who took it to the try zone. Another conversion from Babak brought the score to 31-0 in favor of the Nightmare. A short time later, another mishandled ball off a kick from the Nightmare resulted in an impressive bit of passing from the backs, culminating in center Adam Schmitz squeezing through the defensive gaps for a try in the 40th minute. On the ensuing kickoff, captain Joseph Bustamante made a great run through the Park Hill defenders for his second try of the day. The conversion by Babak brought the score to 43-0.

At this point an injury to a Park Hill player left them with only 14 men, and the Nightmare began bringing on substitutions. The game calmed slightly for a time, but in the 52nd minute center Kalvans made a bruising run through the Park Hill defenders for his second try of the match, and Babak's conversion gave the Nightmare a 50-0 lead. Walker then made a great solo run off the kickoff for his second try of the day as well. Bustamante finished off the Nightmare's scoring in the 65th minute, when an offensive drive down to the 3 meter line allowed him to pick the ball off the back of the ruck and dive in for the try. Final score 60-0 in favor of the Nightmare.

This match was an important one. Not only did it decide the District champion, but it also decided our seeding for the state tournament. The boys knew this, and with this win made a statement to the rest of the state that they are not to be taken lightly. The District championship gives us a leg up in the first round of the tournament when we will play a second place team from another District. Throughout the season we have emphasized to the boys that they need to work together and implement the things us coaches have been teaching them. While we had been winning our matches, it felt like something had been missing and we could be so much better. In the last two matches, the players have started listening and doing all of those things the coaches have been driving home at practice. The results are unbelievable. While in the past we have been winning by small margins, this newfound attitude of teamwork and unselfishness has elevated our play to a whole new level. We have put ourselves in a great position for the state tournament, and we look forward to competing for a state championship next weekend at De Smet High School. Our first match will be at 10:00am on Saturday against either CBC or Priory.
0 Comments

Jefferson City Wins Big in First District Match

5/2/2015

0 Comments

 
The Nightmare traveled to Kansas City to take on Park Hill South for the second time this season, with this go-around being a District match that would go toward qualifying for the state tournament. The conditions were sloppy, and the weather was not cooperating, but the Nightmare seemed not to be bothered. They struck early after marching down the field from the kickoff, and in the 2nd minute scored their first try off of a quick-tap penalty by scrum-half Michael Townley. Josh Stinson converted the kick, giving the Nightmare a 7-0 lead. This was followed in quick succession by an impressive bit of passing out to center Adam Schmitz, who galloped down the pitch for a 60 meter try in the 4th minute.

Park Hill South seemed to collect themselves for a bit after this, and began an attack of their own. However, some hard defense by the Nightmare and excellent scrumming got them the ball back, and they drove back down the pitch. In the 12th minute Captain Joseph Bustamante scored his first try of the day with a pick off the back of the ruck from the 3 meters out. A successful conversion by Josh Stinson brought the score to 19-0 in favor of the Nightmare.

The match slowed down at this point due to some heavy rain, with the Nightmare making some sloppy penalties that culminated in a suspect yellow card being issued to prop Sean McGrail for not retreating on a quick penalty. Even without the hard-hitting loosehead prop, the Nightmare came charging back in earnest, driving the ball down the pitch and scoring another try when Joseph Bustamante picked the ball off the back of the ruck again. With that, the half ended and the Nightmare had a commanding lead of 24-0. 

The Nightmare wasted little time expanding their lead in the second half, with Joseph Bustamante scoring his 3rd try of the day with an 8-man pick off the back of the scrum in the 39th minute. Park Hill South answered quickly though, taking advantage of the ref's placement and field of vision to encroach offsides and intercept an ill-advised pass, with the interceptor running down the pitch for a Park Hill South try in the 43rd minute. This brought the score to 29-5. Not to be outdone, in the 45th minute center Adam Schmitz intercepted a Park Hill South pass and ran it back down the pitch for his second try of the match. A conversion by Michael Townley increased the Nightmare's lead to 36-5. 

The Nightmare continued to dominate the remainder of the match, scoring an additional four tries - two by scrum-half Michael Townley (bringing his total to three on the day) and two by Joseph Bustamante, increasing his club record for most tries in a single match from four to five. Other notable moments included a yellow card to a Park Hill South player for repeated high tackles, and Nightmare newcomer Mohammed Babak from the Missouri Military Academy scoring his first points for the Nightmare on a conversion kick. The final score was 58-5 in favor of the Nightmare. With this victory, the Nightmare have qualified for the state tournament. They will face another District opponent, and fellow state-qualifier, Park Hill this coming Saturday, May 2 at 1pm, in their final home match of the season. The winner will take the top seed for the District in the state tournament.
0 Comments

Nightmare Top Eureka

5/2/2015

1 Comment

 
The Nightmare took the field Saturday afternoon against the Eureka Wildcats under threatening skies. Jefferson City came racing out of the gate as junior captain Joseph Bustamante fielded the kickoff, broke a tackle, stiff armed another defender then outran the rest of the Eureka defenders to score a try in under 30 seconds. The conversion kick went wide. Nightmare 5 – Eureka 0. The match continued with more even play from both teams. Jefferson City’s defense was in top form. The Nightmare had a several periods of strong play that put them in positions to score, but at key moments, individual players lost their patience and made poor decisions that allowed Eureka to turn the ball over and relieve the pressure. About midway through the first half the rain started which slowed down the offenses. The first half ended without any more scoring. Halftime Score Nightmare 5 – Eureka 0.

The second half started with several substitutions for both teams. Jefferson City kicked off to Eureka and played strong defense and forcing a turnover. The Nightmare tried to get the ball wide to its speedy players but Eureka intercepted a pass and ran 40 meters for a try under the posts. The kick was good giving Eureka a 5–7 lead. Jefferson City regrouped from the mistake to push their way deep into Eureka territory. After sustained pressure Andrew Field picked the ball from the base of a ruck and dove across the tryline from 3 meters out to take back the lead. The kick missed low. Nightmare 10 – Eureka 7.

The game resumed with more solid defense from Jefferson City. The Nightmare caused a turnover at a ruck and quickly got the ball out to Alex Walker who ran around several defenders to score in the corner. The conversion from the touchline was no good but the Nightmare pushed their lead to 15–7. Late in the match Eureka worked down the field and punched in a second try which was converted. Nightmare 15 – Eureka 14.

Jefferson City spent the final minutes of the game slowly moving up field while protecting possession dearly. When they got word from the referee that time was out they kicked the ball out of play to end the match. Final Score Nightmare 15 – Eureka 14.

Overall the team played well. They were aggressive on defense, made their tackles and counter-rucked excellently. The offense needs to work out some kinks which will help us convert more of our scoring chances into points. Sean McGrail was Man of the Match for his effort. He consistently lined up against Eureka’s strongest players and won the contact on both offense and defense. We will continue to work at practice to improve the execution of our game plan. The next match is Saturday April 25 in Kansas City against Park Hill South. The next home match is Saturday May 2. Kickoff is at 1:00pm. See you all there. 




1 Comment
<<Previous

    Chris Bell
    Tom Smith

    Coaches

    Archives

    March 2017
    January 2017
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Contact Us