Sparkling Semi Sees Memphis Past UNI
Sparkling Semi Sees Memphis Past UNI
In one of the most exciting and competitive DII semifinals you’d ever want to see, Memphis defeated Northern Iowa 43-39 to advance to NCR’s DII national final.
The lead changed eight times in this game, which featured some thrilling attacking rugby and, despite the final score, some tough defense as well.
Memphis signaled their intent to go wide with and scored early doing it. A darting run from wing Christian Flynn, and, after the forwards backed up the attack, scrumhalf Caleb Schmidt sniped over.
Northern Iowa looked a little shocked but they dealt with it well. Nick Marker raced in on a strong run, and then a break from flanker Ben Hoeger set up another chance for Marker and he scored again.
UNI made it 19-0 after a longer period attacking the Memphis line when a penalty saw Jentry Staack tap quickly and score. It was a bittersweet moment, however. Marker fell injured with a hip injury that required some significant attention. It was a nasty injury and while the UNI players lauded their teammate as he was stretchered off, it was clear they were under some trouble. While UNI is a very good team overall, Marker is their leading try-scorer, and his absence would mean the loss of an expert finisher.
Memphis responded after play resumed. The forwards went to work and No. 8 Harry Hagan, followed by lock Alejnadro Nova, picked up from close-in and scored. Conor Dempsey slotted the conversions and Memphis led 21-19. The Tigers kept it up, working the ball sideline to sideline before Schmidt scored in the corner to make it 26-19. As the ferocious first half cam to an end, Northern Iowa retained the restart, ran a long and well-operated series of phases, paced by tighthead Tyler Kelderman running hard, before scrumhalf David Randall sold an outrageous dummy and was over. The #9 converted and it was 26-26. Memphis got a penalty right off the restart, but Dempsey’s effort drifted wide and it remained tied at halftime.
Staack sliced through early in the second half to put UNI ahead, but a penalty against the Panthers as they tried to run out of their half led to Sehrab Bagha unleashing an impressive stiff-arm on two tacklers before scoring. Dempsey converted and it was now 33-31 Memphis.
Not for long. Off the restart a Memphis player played a knock-on from an offside position. Randall put a penalty over and it was 34-33.
There followed a key passage of play. A smart kick into the Memphis 22 resulted in a UNI lineout and the Panther forwards worked closer and closer toward the Memphis line. They were right there, exhorted as they were by their coaches to be patient. They were, but the ball was lost forward just before the tryline anyway.
From there, Memphis worked their way out of their 22. A break from Tyler Rogers got them a cushion and while he was dragged down with a superb ankle tackle, UNI played that tackle from an offside position. Penalty. Tap move, and the ball was shipped wide where hooker Musa Banat was waiting to slide in. Now Memphis led 38-34. It was a remarkable turnaround for the Tigers. Memphis was, just a couple of minutes before, defending their tryline, and now they had scored the go-ahead try. It was a massive shift in momentum.
Memphis added to this with their best try of the day, shipping the ball through the hands and working loops and offloads to set up wing Christian Flynn into the corner. Now it was 43-34.
Of course UNI had an answer, with Staack blazing down the sideline. The conversion would have made it a two-point game and made a penalty goal a potential game-winner. Randall’s touchline conversion attempt hit the crossbar, floated upward, and decided to land in front of the sticks. No good, and a 43-39 lead for Memphis.
UNI’s final chance ended with a pass that rolled into touch, and Memphis had booked a place in the final.
This was a wild game from start to finish, back-and-forth all day, and key momentum shifts hung heavy throughout. It was well played and fast, so very fast, and the only shame is that a team with the talent and ability of Northern Iowa had to lose it.