Warriors look to hit their stride on the road in Austin

HERRIMAN — Putting everything together has been the challenge for the Utah Warriors in the early season. But with two straight close losses incurred to start things off, and with the formidable Austin Gilgronis on tap, putting it all together is now at a premium.

The Warriors travel to take on AG Rugby this Saturday at 6 p.m. MST in what could very well prove to be Utah’s toughest task to date in the early 2022 season.

Austin has started the season with two of the more impressive performances one could imagine. First it was taking down the Dallas Jackals by an overwhelming score of 43-7 before demolishing Old Glory DC by a score of 52-17 in week two.

All of it has been well-noted by the Warriors in preparation for this Saturday’s match, while maintaining a certain focus.

“They have a lot of attack power all across the field,” observed Warriors assistant coach Robbie Abel. “They have a well-rounded lineup … They cover all the bases. So, for us, it’s more about playing our game and really taking it to them in the areas where we feel we’re strong at.”

One more on the road before the Home Opener

⚔️ Austin Gilgronis
📆 Saturday, Feb 19
🕗 6:00 PM MT
📍 Austin, Texas
🏟️ Bold Stadium
📺 KMYU, KSL Sports, The Rugby Network
📻 KOOL FM (105.5)#ForTheNation || #RiseOfRugby || #AUSvUTAH pic.twitter.com/KhCmk9rIde

— Utah Warriors Rugby (@utwarriorsrugby) February 14, 2022

And that’s not to say Utah hasn’t shown particular strengths despite its two losses to start the season. Considering both of those losses were to formidable opponents on the road by a combined five points, both players and coaches are confident it can be put together in quick fashion.

All of that confidence is boosted by the fact that the Warriors understand that certain circumstances, including not having played a single preseason match, have put them understandably a bit behind the curve at the outset of the 2022 season.

“We didn’t have much of a preseason, so we’ve been sort of treating it like a preseason,” said Jamie Lane, who is in his first year playing for the Warriors after arriving from New Zealand. “We feel that once it all comes together that we’ll be a pretty good team. It’s just about tightening the screws.”

First and foremost among the screws to be tightened is getting off to a better start. Both of the Warriors’ losses on the season involved incurring early deficits leading to strong finishes that came up just short in the end.

“We just have to grind it out,” said Warriors Flanker Lance Williams. “The vibe is still good and the culture is still good … We’re just looking to find that spark that we need, and then I have full confidence that we’ll hit our stride.”

And why wouldn’t the confidence be high, considering either loss on the season could have easily gone the other way had just a few things been executed better? All of which Williams notes and derives confidence from.

“It’s not like we’re getting outworked or outplayed out there,” Williams said. “It’s just the little things … we just have to take care of those little things.”

UTAH WARRIORS VS. AUSTIN GILGRONIS

Date: Saturday, February 19
Time: 6:00 PM MT
Where: Austin, Tex.
Broadcast: KMYU, The Rugby Network, KSLsports.com
Radio: ESPN 700

Brandon Gurney is the Utah Warriors Team Reporter. With nearly two decades of experience covering BYU Football in print and on radio, Gurney brings a wealth of experience to the Utah Warriors beat. You can read all of Gurney’s stories on the Utah Warriors throughout the 2022 Season at WarriorsRugby.com