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Author: Lief
Date submitted: Februrary 27, 2002

What should have been a bright spot in San Luis Obispo’s season ended in despair on Saturday, as the local boys squandered a half-time lead to lose a tight battle at Riverbottom. The South Orange County Gators were highly fancied coming into the match, having only lost one league game this season and riding high atop the southern division standings.

Someone forgot to tell the SLO fifteen, however, as they took the game up to the Gators, and held a 5 point lead at the half. The first scores for each team were penalty goals. The Gators were the first to cross the try-line in a set of grafting phases in tight. San Luis hit back quickly with a try of their own as center Sean Bolduan did some good lead up work for fullback Lief McKay to tap the ball to an unmarked Mike Doig on the left wing. Kicking was difficult in the blustery conditions, and the conversion from the corner sailed wide. Ten minutes later, flanker Scott Lucas took a quick penalty tap, and caught the defense napping to score a five-pointer in the opposite corner.

South Orange County obviously did some soul-searching in the break, because they came of the blocks firing on all cylinders in the second half, as their forwards slowly but surely broke the spirit and momentum of the SLO pack. Fatigue and ill discipline led to a multitude of successive penalties, as the Gators scored three tries in the space of the first half hour.

To the absolute credit of San Luis, we picked ourselves off the canvas and came roaring back into contention. Some great phase play took the ball deep into Gator territory and finally resulted in a penalty try for repeated professional fouls close to the line. With the wind in our sails, we began playing with renewed vigor and enthusiasm, and before the Southerners had touched the ball, SLO had scored again from a bone-jarring charge from lock Craig Marlo.

Suddenly, the seemingly insurmountable lead had been reduced to five. Time had run out, and from the ensuing kickoff, SLO had to keep the ball alive for fear of the final whistle, and came within a whisker of pulling off a Houdini act, as block-busting number-8 Ross Moriarty broke one, then two, then three tackles before popping a pass inside to Scott Lucas in support. Unfortunately, Lucas was unable to pull the ball in, and the miracle try went unscored.

In retrospect, the Gator forwards clearly won the match, as the SLO backs had the number of their opposites. Center Sean Leamy had a field day with the Gator midfield when he had the ball, and Mike Doig was as ominous as ever when he touched. Unfortunately, the domination of the Orange County pack meant the ball was rarely in the hands of the SLO outside backs. That is something that needs to be addressed in the coming weeks, as we now desperately need a win to get back on track.

South Orange County would have been thankful to get away from the Central Coast with the win, and the SLO boys were left to reflect on the ‘one that got away’.

SLO is on the road next week in San Diego.


Score: South Orange County 32 defeated San Luis Obispo 25 (M Doig try; S Lucas try; C Marlo try; Penalty Try; L McKay conversion, penalty)

MVP: Sean Leamy

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