Match Report: Stanford Men's Rugby at Fresno State University

Fresno State 52 - Stanford University 38

February 17, 2024
Fresno, CA 

Stanford Men's Rugby hit the road early Saturday morning to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Cardinal started off on the front foot and found themselves in the Bulldog's defending 22 meters. Stanford was first to strike five minutes into the match as freshman flyhalf Riley Elliot '27 punched over the tryline in his first career start for the Cardinal.

The Bulldogs would fight their way into Cardinal territory, however, 8-man Faris Bdair '24 and wing Anders Luffman managed to tie up the ball carrier, holding up the try. It would remain 0-5 Stanford until midway through the half.

Near the twentieth minute, the Bulldogs would unleash a flood of scoring. Line breaks from kick off and missed tackles would send their wing and fullback on a scoring frenzy posting 33 unanswered points by the Cardinal moving into the 35th minute of play.

In the subsequent minute, the bulldogs turned over possession and a clearance kick by Elliot would off load pressure. The Cardinal would regain possession in scoring territory and punish the Bulldogs for an infringement with a quick tap from scrumhalf Taki Rifai '27 to Elliot for the score.

With no time remaining the half, Rifai would make a breakthrough the defense and finish a 50m try for a 19-33 deficit moving into halftime. Stanford regrouped at halftime, making adjustments and coming out ready to ride the wave of the pre-halftime scoring.

In the 45th minute, the Cardinal tied up the ball carrier, which initiated a maul that Fresno State could not progress. The Cardinal would win the penalty. A strong center scrum at midfield set the platform for Rifai to move the ball to Elliot in space. Elliot would slice through the line, dodging tackles and closing in on the last line of defense. Loose forward Connor Mehaffey was first in pursuit of his teammate, and when Elliot was caught near the 22m, Mehaffey was the recipient of a behind the back offload from Elliot. Mehaffey was tackled and popped the ball back to Elliot. With the defense scrambling, Elliot delivered a pass to wing Charlie Abowd '27 who caught the ball at the tips of his fingers and dived in for the try.

The Cardinal sideline and supporters were ignited with awe as they witnessed the resilience of the Cardinal. The entire Stanford squad had supported that line break to find themselves all within the attacking 22m reveling in the energy of the moment.

A few minutes later, Rifai would spot a gap and use this footwork yet again to find himself down the sideline and into the try zone. The Cardinal had closed the gap within two points; 33-31.  

In the 55th minute, Fresno State would regain momentum as a multi-phase go forward attack would find them back in the Cardinal 22m. The Bulldogs would drive over the line and convert the try to widen the lead to 40-33.  In the 60th minute, Captain Diego Burgos '25 would make a try saving tackle on the edge against a speedy Fresno looking for a hat trick. Burgos would be penalized for a high tackle as the wing ducked into the contact. Playing down for the next 10 minutes would prove to pose a challenge as Fresno scored off the penalty bringing the score to 45-31.

The Cardinal would hold the Bulldogs scoreless for the remainder of the yellow card and with five minutes remaining in the match, center Kasen Stephensen '24 would break the line, find space in the open field, and dot it down mid-posts. Burgos would convert the try bringing the Cardinal within a try; 45-38.

The Cardinal made final attacking efforts but unfortunately would not retain possession. The bulldogs would score at the final whistle bringing the final to 52-38. In a hard-fought defeat, the Cardinals were commended for their work rate, sportsmanship, and adaptability. The resilience and pride they showed after a slow start to the match to nearly take the lead was recognized by all players, staff, and fans.  The notable adjustments in the defensive line speed and tackle completion will undoubtedly carry through to next week as the Cardinal will return home to face San Francisco State University on Family Weekend.

Stanford Rugby hopes to see you on Saturday February 24th for a double header at home at Steuber Rugby Stadium and Doyle Family Clubhouse. Stanford Women's Rugby will meet Cal for the second time this season at 11:00am and Stanford Men's Rugby will take on San Francisco State at 2:00pm. A second-side match will be played by both squads as well. The matches will be live streamed on the Stanford Club Sports YouTube Channel.