The sun was out for the first league game on Pruntrutermatte this season and the 1st XV made the most of it. Luzern, recently promoted from NLC for the first time since 2015, made life tough for our boys in the first half though. Their scrum was very solid and they attacked well through their centres. Basel on the other side were still coming together in a lineup that has seen a number of changes since last season. Greg Allen scored a try late in the first half, bringing the score to 10-0 together with the conversion and an earlier penalty from Daniel Zinsstag.

In the second half, the tone changed. Luzern went down to 14 players due to a yellow card pretty soon and Basel scored another try. Scrums started going Basel's way, but in a period around their own 22, Basel gave away a kickable penalty that Luzern converted for their only points of the game. Using the set piece and superior fitness as their platforms, Basel kicked on in the last 20 minutes however. Against a tired defense, Basel scored three more tries, including a beautiful score for Patric Senn who for once ran in a try from the 22m line. The result was a 36-3 win over a determined Luzern side.

Now the focus is of course on next weekend, with a big double header against Rugby Union Zürich and Grüezi XV (for the Future Team) on the cards. Games start at 13.00h and 15.00h respectively and we are looking forward to seeing you on the sidelines!