Dixie State rugby club team dominates second half to down UNLV

Written by Andy Griffin
March 19, 2016
Dixie State University vs. UNLV, Rugby, St. George, Utah, Mar. 19, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Rugby is definitely catching hold in southern Utah, with the prep rugby clubs, led by state champion Snow Canyon, growing in great numbers. At Dixie State, the rugby club is also making some noise, with the Red Storm ruggers continuing its undefeated division season with a 52-24 win over UNLV Saturday at the Snow Canyon rugby pitch.

Dixie State University vs. UNLV, Rugby, St. George, Utah, Mar. 19, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Dixie State University vs. UNLV, Rugby, St. George, Utah, Mar. 19, 2016, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

“The game was really heated, but no yellow or red cards” Dixie State’s Ben Jones said. “(UNLV) was gassed pretty early, so we were just running circles around them.”

The fitness advantage led to a huge second half for Dixie, which turned a 17-12 intermission advantage into a 52-24 rout.

Dixie State had six conversions with eight tries, while UNLV had two conversions with four tries.

Jones had an interception for a try from 22 meters out. Other scorers for Dixie include Lehona Tiatia with two tries, one from about 22 meters out off a ruck and the other he just plowed his way in; Eight man Robert Schwenke with two tries; Desmond Paopao from about 22 meters out, and Roman Salanoa, who dove in for a try.

Dixie State plays Weber State next Saturday (probably at 3:30 p.m.) on the DSU encampment mall.

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Twitter: @oldschoolag

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andy Griffin has been in sports media since 1989 and has covered BYU, Utah State and the Utah Jazz as well as all sports in southern Utah. A journalism graduate of USU, Andy has carried on a dual career as both a sports writer and a sports broadcaster and has been heard around the country. He has also been published in USA Today, Sport magazine, The Sporting News, Fairways magazine, the Los Angeles Times and locally in the Deseret News, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Spectrum. Andy was “The Voice of Region 9 sports,” for many years. He also hosted a daily sports talk show for three years called AG in the a.m. Andy has been married to his college sweetheart Shelly for 28 years and has five children ages 13 to 25.

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