Rugby, Luiss Avio starts the season with a good win

The Luiss rugby team‘s season begins with a beautiful victory, as on Sunday, December 4, on a muddy field they overcame the hosts Appia Rugby 32-16.
Several boys made their debut in the team coached by coach Granatelli, who fielded a very fast and technical starting fifteen. Right from the start Luiss Avio showed good defensive organization, solid static phases (especially the lineout), as well as attacking play ideas that allowed them to take the lead with the goal, converted by Alberto Rossi, by Pier Francesco Mazzolini, after some assisted pick and goes.
The guests continued to grind out the game without giving way to their opponents and doubled the scoring with a nice goal, converted again by Rossi, by Matteo Mancinelli, who took advantage of the numerical superiority off the ball that came with a very orderly play construction.
The first half ended with a score of 17-3 for the Luiss Avio boys.
In the second half, Appia Rugby reacts and puts more physical pressure on the field, even with provocative behavior and not in line with the rules. The Luiss youngsters fell into the trap and, in the first minutes of the second half, several penalties flew by the referee who had to quell a couple of scuffles. By the end of the match there will be six yellow cards and one red card.
Appia came back with the score and ten minutes from the end of the match, thanks to a goal conceded, the advantage of the players in blue-white jerseys was only one point.
Calmed down the tempers and thanks also to the work of the trainer Savastano Gianelli, Luiss captained by Tommaso Conti, proves to have a good athletic condition that allows it to go in goal twice more.
The first with Alberto Rossi, who sneaks into the opponent’s defense breaking a couple of tackles; the second, the one that allows the guests to take the bonus point as well, comes thanks to a splendid play by Bahati “Cesare” Mnyaci who with a wonderful sprint closes the score on 32-16.
The victory is a great satisfaction for the players and coaching staff who start the championship on the right foot. Now the team will be busy preparing for their first home game on Sunday, December 11, against Arieti Rugby.