Hail To The Victors
It’s been a long time coming since those words were echoed after a XVs game against Ohio State. Yesterday, for the first time since 2013, the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 25-22 in a match that came down to the very end.
The men in Maize and Blue put on an inspiring performance that was anchored by strong defense. The Buckeyes struggled all day to make meters and line breaks against the stingy Wolverines’ defense. Senior fullback Ty West had a terrific kicking performance, putting the pressure on Ohio State all day with his high-arcing boots. Junior transfer Nate Cumming had a great day as well, playing all 80 minutes at flanker. He opened up the scoring for Michigan, kicking a loose ball all the way down the field and diving on it for a try. Senior captain Luke Zana added a try of his own, powering through multiple defenders to score as well as nailing the conversion. Right before half, flyhalf Jack Regan connected with Regan Plank in the corner to give Michigan the lead going into the break. Plank was also dominant in the air out on the wing, shutting down the OSU counterattack and winning contested high balls all day.
There were inspiring performances all around, but outside center Jack Cummings was one of the best players on the field. He single-handedly stripped multiple OSU ball carriers and completely flipped field positions for the Wolverines, along with having multiple line breaks on offense. It was an all-around complete performance for Michigan, but far from the best. This team will only continue to get better and ride the momentum through the rest of the season. We’d also like to give a special shoutout to Halal Bros for their delicious post-game feed.
What’s Next?
Up next on the dinner table is a home match against Illinois next Saturday, 10/4. It also happens to be Michigan Rugby Parents’ weekend, so we hope to see everyone’s families come out and support!
