So close

Freshman Charlie Feehen led the Gamecocks with three trys Saturday. (Photo by Tiana Mandukich)

The USC Rugby 7s team showed dramatic improvement at the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC) 7s Championships Saturday.

But it wasn’t enough for a four-peat as the Gamecocks fell to Clemson 0-19 in the finals.

The Gamecocks opened the tournament by shutting out Alabama 12-0 and then followed that with an impressive 24-7 victory over Georgia. In the third game, a few defensive lapses and turnovers helped Ole Miss to a 21-14 lead with less than a minute to go. But a final-play try helped the Gamecocks escape with a tie.

USC played its best game of the afternoon against a very good Texas A&M team. The Gamecocks were on fire in the first half, building a 17-0 lead. While the Gamecocks were held scoreless in the second half, USC pressured the Aggies and preserved the shutout.

Against Clemson, the Gamecocks put up a spirited fight, trailing only 5-0 at the break. But the team’s offensive play was stymied by penalties as the Tigers controlled possession and scored two late trys to win the day.

Freshman Charlie Feehan led the Gamecocks with three trys. Captain Peter Blackburn, Jack Gallagher and Mike Dostillio score two trys each.

“While the finals did not go our way, I am proud of our overall improvement. For the most part we played great defense,” said Coach John Roberts. “And we played tough physical rugby, which are signatures of our program.”

With a runner-up finish in the SCRC, the Gamecocks are a safe bet to earn an invitation to the National Collegiate Rugby Collegiate 7s Championship Tournament, which will be held April 26-27 in Gaithersburg, Maryland.