Sept 30- Arizona officially got their Fall underway this past weekend in Flagstaff, renewing a series with Northern Arizona University after a long break between matchups. The Wildcats handed debuts to a squad of mostly first and second year athletes, with Fullback Ethan Heim captaining the side.

The Wildcats’ start was marred by a number of early errors that the young side would quickly learn from as they got further along into the match. Scrumhalf Jonny Rix would put Patrick Barker through a gap in the third minute for the first try of the season, but it would be an early defensive battle against the Lumberjacks. Turnovers forced by the Arizona defense would lead to direct points, with Flanker Will Barrett and Lock Jamie Clegg each taking advantage for tries. The Wildcats started to get into a rhythm midway through the half, with some well-worked attack inside the Lumberjacks’ 22 leading to Prop Geno McKenna barreling over the line for a try before Clegg would score his second of the half to make it 26-0. Center Sergio Ruiz Sanchez and Ethan Heim would each score before the half to make it 49-0 at the break.

In the second half, the Wildcats would address some first half work-ons to get the results that will set them up for success in the coming weeks. The uptick in defensive pressure would lead to more turnovers, with Arizona doing an improved job at turning those possessions into points. Peter McKenna would open the second half scoring with a well-timed line, setting the stage for Arizona’s reserves to make their debuts. Nico Enegren would make an immediate impact, breaking away down the left touch line for a long-distance try on the wing, while Jimmy O’Connor would muscle his way through the defensive line for a try of his own. Alex Kemp, the vice captain on the day in the second row, would score a try later before a final score from Peter McKenna would round out the day for the Wildcats. The win, while just a friendly, lays a tremendous foundation not just for Arizona but also for the newly-revamped NAU program. “We always thank the opposition for hosting, but in this case it’s a little different. NAU is one of our three public in-state schools and we want to see them grow. This was the first matchup between our sides with NAU as a college-only side, all while keeping their robust men’s club environment as an add-on to the Flagstaff rugby community. So it’s a win for us on the day, but it truly is a win for rugby in this country as we push towards the hosting of the 2031 Rugby World Cup” said Director of Rugby Sean Duffy.

The Wildcats will return home for their next preseason match, hosting Grand Canyon in a Freshmen-Sophomore game at Clements Field this coming Friday.

 

The Wildcats regular season begins October 18th with a trip to Boulder to take on Colorado.
For the Wildcats’ full schedule, click here.​​​​​​​​​

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Arizona 82-0 NAU​

Tries: 12- Clegg (2), P. McKenna (2), P. Barker, Barrett, G. McKenna, Ruiz Sanchez, Heim, N. Enegren, O'Connor, Al. Kemp

Conv: L. Barker- 11/12

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1- Jack Lister

2- Carter Hertstein

3- Geno McKenna

4- Lachy Teissier

5- Alex Kemp

6- Jamie Clegg

7- Will Barrett

8- Nick Lake

9- Jonny Rix

10- Lance Barker

11- Kaleo Agustin

12- Sergio Ruiz Sanchez

13- Peter McKenna

14- Patrick Barker

15- Ethan Heim- C

16- Kai Caulfield

17- Max Tenery

18- Scott McGhee

19- Takumi Kawamura

20- Jano Jansen van Vuuren

21- Nico Enegren

22- Eli Zsemlye

23- Jimmy O'Connor

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