Improving Men Ruggers Gain Experience, Win

Win-loss records may be the bottom line in sports, but they don't always reveal the entire story. The Harvard Rugby Club is a case in point.

The male ruggers enter tomorrow's match against Boston College at Chestnut Hill with a 1-3 slate, a record which team Co-Captain Will Thorndike terms "misleading."

"I'd hate to have our record be the only measure of our season," he said. "Right now, we can play with anyone in the Northeast. We just haven't had the breaks this year."

With only three starters returning from last year's squad, the Crimson have had to depend primarily on players with little A-side (varsity) experience.

"The difference between this year and last year is that we had many more experienced players last year," Thorndike said. "And experience is especially important in rugby. It's a tough game to pick up, because it's unlike most games people have played before."

Early on, that lack of experience proved costly for Harvard.

After only one week of practice, Harvard opened its season against Babson College on September 28, losing 18-9. "That was probably our toughest game," Thorndike said, "since we had only practiced for a week. We were still in the process of setting people in positions."

The Crimson's lone win came in the next game, a 12-4 conquest of Framingham State.

But Harvard dropped a controversial 9-6 decision to Boston University the following week. In the closing minutes of play, the referce disallowed an apparent try which would have given the Crimson the lead.

"I hate to say it, because it sounds like we're looking for excuses, but a blown call cost us the game," Thorndike said.

And much more than the game was at stake. The loss knocked Harvard out of the championship bracket of the upcoming New England playoffs. The Crimson now must compete in the losers bracket.

Last Saturday, the ruggers hosted an experienced Dartmouth 15, losing a hard-fought match, 10-0. The combination of a stong Green and a strong rain proved too much for Harvard.

The ruggers had their chances, but five missed penalty kicks sealed Harvard's doom.

"We've had a lot of really good efforts from new starters," Thorndike said. "They've had to do a hard job--taking on new positions. Two things have really helped, though: Martin Kingston has helped, us incredibly with his coaching, and the seniors' attitude has been really good."

Dartmouth, B.U., Babson and 13 other top college rugby teams will come to Cambridge on November 2 and 3 for the New England Collegiate Rugby Championship. Despite its spot in the losers bracket of the tournament, the host Crimson squad still has a chance to win the New England Championship and thereby gain a berth in the Northeast regionals.

If Harvard wins the losers bracket, it gets to play the runner-up in the winners bracket. If it proceeds to win that game, the Crimson will earn a shot at the winner of the winners bracket for the championship.