Nikhil Bhumralkar

It was back to basics for Cal rugby Saturday afternoon, when the team took on Penn State at home in the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup semifinals. With a potential berth in their second-straight final at stake, the Bears put on a clinical performance on both sides of the ball, coming out with a 35-14 win.

For most sports teams, a season featuring a myriad of lineup changes, roster adjustments and untimely injuries usually results in struggles and a decrease in quality play. Since the end of the 2016 season when it captured the national title, the Cal rugby team has been hit with it all — the loss of several talented upperclassmen, numerous lineup rearrangements and the loss of key players to long-term injuries.

Eleven minutes. That’s all the time the Cal rugby team had to hold on for to end its regular season on a high note. Eleven more minutes, and the Bears would manage to finish a season marred by crucial injuries with just two losses. Eleven more minutes and the team would complete the upset of Saint Mary’s, currently considered by many to be the top team in the nation, in front of their home supporters. But in those 11 minutes, the Gaels proved why they top the list of this year’s national contenders.