GRR: Wayne State
A last minute try from Charlie Price pulled victory from the jaws of defeat to secure Babson the 2023 National Collegiate Rugby Small-College championship over a determined Wayne State.
A sunny and very windy day welcomed the finalists and Babson played with the wind and quite the wind it was.
In fact the breeze gave and it took away. More on that in a moment.
Wayne State College mounted a stirring, wind-aided comeback to overhaul a 15-0 deficit and defeat defending small-college champs Cal Poly Humboldt Friday in the NCR Men’s Small College semis.
Going into the NCR Small-College season, many felt that Cal Poly Humboldt and Babson had a serious shot to make it to the final.
Even the (mostly) trained monkeys working in the offices of GRR World Headquarters thought so. CPH had, of course, won it all last year, while Babson had emerged as Small-College 7s champs, so it seemed logical.
Cal Poly Humboldt’s national men’s small-college victory over Wayne State was a statement victory in a number of ways.
It showed that a Californian or West Coast team can win a fall playoff; it showed that adherence to a game plan that fits your players works; it showed that an all-domestic college team can win.
Humboldt signaled their intention early, working the ball quickly to wing DeShawn Ellis, who was caught but gave Endicott something to think about.