The Norfolk Blues were stung rather deeply last week when they lost away to NOVA.

it was a close contest, but ultimately a loss for the Blues, and so this week, hosting Raleigh, they re-girded themselves to rebound. And rebound they did, shutting out the Vipers 50-0.

Assistant coach John Grasso said the team wanted to play better.

You could see the difference in training,” Grasso told RUGBYMag.com. “Last week was really an eye-opener. The guys realized they can’t win by just showing up, and they responded.”

Having lost some veteran leadership, Norfolk needed players to step forward, which happened this week. And with a couple of players absent from last week’s game back in the lineup, it all came together.

Stepping in at outside center for the retired Ed Stockunas, Nick Flynn played superbly Saturday, but there was also a change in attitude.

“Last week we tried to get too much done at one time,” said Grasso. “We tried to make 1^st or 2^nd phase do everything for us, and we just needed to be more patient. We were much more patient today.”

It’s a big move for Norfolk, who were second in the Mid-Atlantic league last year, while the 50-0 loss is certainly a sobering one for Raleigh.