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NIC rugby club falls to Gonzaga in high-scoring contest

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NIC rugby club falls to Gonzaga in high-scoring contest

In its final match of the season, the North Idaho College rugby club lost in a 45-38 shootout to Gonzaga University’s club team April 26 in Post Falls.

The game was close all game long and consisted of back and forth scoring. NIC captain Jim White led the team with three tries and two conversions. Thomas Thompson scored two tries and Calin Watt added a try for the Cardinals.

“I’m certainly proud of the effort,” NIC coach Joe Malloy said. “It was one of the more exciting games I’ve seen in a while. There was a lot of scoring, a lot of great tackles.”

Malloy was filling in for head coach Robert Gibson for the day. Malloy coached the Cardinals the previous four seasons.

“Really, they had a little bit more speed on the outside and we just had a few lapses in concentration, which happens when you get tired,” Malloy said.

“Second half we came out a little flat at the beginning,” White said. “I think they got two tries on us pretty much right off. Then, we got back in it, scored again and got up. Then we lost it towards the end. It was just back and forth. It was real close. Could have gone either way but they did a good job getting it, getting that last try and last conversion.”

White said missed tackles hurt NIC.

“We had a few missed tackles-serious missed tackles-that resulted in points against us,” White said.

White did say that NIC made good tackles, but he thinks two missed tackles resulted in Gonzaga tries.

“Thomas Thompson had some really good tackles,” White said. “He brought it to them.”

He also said Sean White ran the ball well and Joe Middlemore “had good kicks.”

Malloy also saw positives in the loss.

“He’s (White) big, he’s fast, he’s the most coachable player I’ve ever had,” Malloy said.

“Thomas Thompson he must have had 25, 30 tackles,” Malloy said. “I mean that guy was all over the field on defense, carried the ball well … Calin at fullback, he’s a new guy this year, tremendous athlete and weighs about 50 pounds bigger than he is. He still has a lot of speed. Our front row really did a good job in the scrums. We dominated most of the scrums all day long. It was a good performance by everybody really.”

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