Neighbor Newspapers - The Suburban Choice

Old White second in San Diego

Wednesday, June 22, 2005 7:03 PM EDT

By Chas Strong
Neighbor Newspapers Sports Editor

This was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Atlanta's Old White Rugby Football Club. As it turned out, Old White rebuilt itself into a national powerhouse.

After his team's 26-17 national finals loss to Haggis in San Diego June 12, Old White coach Brynn Ireland gathered his team, some teary-eyed, and commended his group's effort against what he would later call simply "a better squad".

" We went from a team of five [prior to the season] to a team of winners; a team of champions," said Ireland as his team gathered around him following their loss in the title match.The Director of the Board for Old White, Chuck Sherwood, echoed his head coach's pride as he thought back to the disarray the club looked to be in prior to 2005.

" We didn't really know what to expect coming into this year," said Sherwood. "We thought this was going to be a rebuilding year, but what we found was a shell of guys upon which we built a team that made it all the way to the national finals."

Old White's playoff run took them first to Newport, R.I. where they knocked off Queen City, NY 17-10, and Red Mountain, Ariz. 25-24. And after their thrilling victory over Red Mountain, Old White found life much easier in the semifinals against a clearly overmatched Lancaster RFC, Penn. squad, cruising to a 26-20 victory.

" Honestly, the game was never really in doubt," said Ireland.

Old White jumped all over Lancaster RFC, building an early 12-0 lead, but allowed the Pennsylvania side to climb back into the match in the second half.

" I think the chaps were a little amused because we were scoring so quickly early, and we just took our foot off the gas a little," said Ireland. "But the last 15 minutes [of the second half] we were able to beat them pretty comfortably."

The finals against Haggis, a club based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, would be an entirely different story as Old White would fall 26-17. "They [Haggis] just had that little something extra," said Ireland. "The thing that got us through many of the games prior to the finals was our terrific back line, but they had an even better back line than we did."

Ireland said his squad performed as well as they had all year in the national championship match.

" There is no disappointment at all because the team played terrific," he said. "We gave it everything we had and I told the guys afterwards that they could walk off the field with their heads held high."

And despite falling just shy of a national title, Old White will assuredly be back in the hunt again in 2006.

" This was a magical run and it is the board's responsibility to make sure we make this club a perpetual winner," said Sherwood. "No more of this up and down business."

With the entire squad already having signed on to play again next season, Ireland gave his assurance that his group will be a force once again.

" Once you get to the finals, it hardens your resolve to make it back," he said. "Now, we know what to do when we get there - next year we are going to win it all."