WESTWOOD, CA — This Saturday the UCLA Bruins travel to College Mesa in San Diego to take on the 13th ranked San Diego State University Aztecs. This D1A friendly will be the first time the two universities have meet in 15's play in several years, meaning that each side will have to adapt quickly to the match on Saturday.
This is the second match in a row that UCLA will play against the nation's 13th-ranked college, Arizona having previously been ranked 13th when UCLA took them on at the StubHub Center two weeks ago. The Bruins were outmaneuvered by the Arizona Wildcats in UCLA's first loss of the PAC Conference season, but were able to take away positive learning experiences from the match. Notably, the Bruins were able to get a feel for a blitz-style defense against Arizona that will help them prepare for the Aztecs' defensive set-up.
The Bruins have plenty of personnel to be optimistic about going into Saturday's match. UCLA's top try scorer from, Eric Naposki-Abdalah has been a serious threat for the backs on his scoring tear through the season so far. Back-row forward Matthew Williams will make way for Freshman Jack McKeon to make his debut as a starter and experience some valuable minutes in an effort to expand the overall experience in that position. Expect Williams to make a big impact from the bench this weekend. Front rowers Andrew Alex and Christian Bernard have been consistently strong at the scrum and, more so than many of the PAC Conference's front rows, consistent offensive producers as well. As exhibited in the match against Arizona, flanker Patrick Regan has also been a persistent dual offensive/defensive threat.
The backs will be boosted by the continuing return of junior utility Devin Lim, who returned from a semester abroad in Norway in the match against the Wildcats. Senior James Francis continues to provide veteran stability in the center for a back-line mixed with green and veteran talent.
Map of SDSU Campus with ENS 700 pictured center
The key to a UCLA victory on Saturday again resides in the Bruins ability to play consistent, mistake-less attacking rugby for the entirety of the match. The boys in blue have proven on several occasions their ability to tear through opponents' defense, but a lack of attacking consistency (and a few too many penalties) against Arizona proved their downfall. If the Bruins can capitalize on basic attacking opportunities (breaking the gain-line, spinning the ball wide, finding line breaks) like they did against USC and Arizona State, then they will put themselves in good position to compete for a victory come Saturday.
UCLA will have to be on their toes win the battle the surging Aztecs on Saturday. The Aztecs, despite an early February thrashing at the hands of Cal, were able to score a morale-boosting victory over UC Davis last weekend, securing a 29-13 victory of the back of an attritional defensive performance. SDSU in the past had been known for its strong attacking abilities, but a new-look team this season has proved their defensive weight when it's counted.
Saturday's match will kick off at 1 PM at San Diego State's ENS 700 Field (directions from UCLA can be found here). Our JV's will also have a match immediately following the first. If you can make it down to SDSU then come out and support your Bruins in full voice! This is a big opportunity to get back to winning ways, so we will need all the fans and support we can get!
Remember: 1 PM. Saturday. ENS 700. Wear Blue. Be loud. Go Bruins!
