Clint Olearnick knows winning small battles usually leads to winning the war, and the same is true of a rugby game.
As the No. 8 for the Columbus/Fort Benning Cruise-A-Matics, Olearnick tries to drill this into the heads of his teammates, no matter how much they are winning or losing by.
“That’s one of the things I tell the guys,” Olearnick said. “We put little goals within the game and after we meet those goals, then we’re successful.”
Not surprisingly, the success has shown as the Cruisers defeated Triad Rugby Club (Greensboro, N.C.) 45-5 in the USA Rugby Division III South quarterfinals Saturday. The Cruisers advance to the South Final Four April 30 in Lakeland, Fla., and will face the New Orleans Rugby Football Club.
Despite their 12-game winning streak, head coach Gary Kent said his team has consistently shown up to play and has not become overconfident.
“They stepped it up a notch today,” Kent said. “We’ve achieved one step in the process. We got to the next round.”
The Cruisers proved to be the more physical and athletic team and Triad continuously struggled to contain wing Matt Buehrle, who hit several long runs after breaking free to the outside of the field.
“We were able to use the whole width of the field to find some space,” Kent said.
Olearnick said the Cruisers were able to find that space by executing their rucks to the point where it became only a matter of time before they found a gap in the Triad defense. Olearnick got a scouting report before Saturday’s game and said he just tried to find a way to take advantage of the Cruisers’ athleticism.
“We knew they were going to be a technical team, but we knew we were going to be more athletic,” Olearnick said.
Gerald Safi scored two tries, one after a pick-and-go and another after a 40-yard run. Buehrle also had a try after a 60-yard run. Fly half and kicker Liam Marmion contributed 17 points for the Cruisers off conversion and penalty kicks.
Though the Cruisers continue to roll through opponents, Kent said there is always room for improvement, especially in the area of penalties, which he thinks may hurt them if the problem continues.
“We can’t afford to give away as many penalties,” Kent said. “We’ve got two weeks to think about what we can do to improve.”
