Green Match Gulls’ Physicality, Put Structure to the Game

Dartmouth faced off against the Mystic River Rugby Club on Mystic’s home field at Pine Banks Park in Malden, MA.  Conditions were ideal, allowing the Big Green to test all aspects of their game against one of the premier mens’ clubs in New England.

The opening kickoff went to Dartmouth, and Captain Tommy Brothers ’11 put the ball deep in Mystic territory to start off the first half.  The Dartmouth pack was in hot pursuit, and the Gulls were forced to work for several phases in their own half to gain stable possession.  Play was back and forth, with equal time spent in both halves but neither team was able to find the try-zone.  As a result, kicks were the main source of points early on; Brothers was able to find the post twice for Dartmouth, while a penalty kick and a well executed drop-goal from the field scored an equal number of points for the Gulls, and at the half the game remained tied 6-6. Coach Magleby substituted captains Paul Jarvis ’12, Chris Downer ’11, and Nick Downer ’11 at that point to give opportunities to younger players.

In the second half, Mystic was first to score, with a stolen ball catching the Green off-guard only meters from the try-zone.  The try and subsequent conversion left the Green trailing 6-11.  Dartmouth struggled to keep the ball out of their half, and Mystic was able to score two more tries, but both conversions fell short, leaving the score 6-21.  However, a great steal by scrum half Derek Fish ’12 deep in Mystic territory gave Dartmouth the chance they needed, and the ball went across the pitch and into the hands of Sam Gehret ’11, who took it home for the try.  The corner placement made the kick a challenge for Brothers, and after an unsuccessful conversion the score was left at a slightly more comfortable 11-21.  With the clock winding down, a penalty against the Green resulted in Mystic’s final scoring opportunity, but the conversion kick went wide, leaving the final score at 11-26.

After the match, Mystic Coach Ted Vassallo was very complimentary about the level Dartmouth is playing at towards the end of the spring.  “They took it to us early on”, he said.  “You know with a side like Dartmouth that they’re going to find your weaknesses and try to exploit them, and they were able to do that really well in the first half”.  Overall, though, Vasello said the team “played extremely well, with great intensity, one of the best college sides we’ve seen”.  Vasello remarked that Mystic has been trying to put more structure to their game, especially in light of their upcoming playoff match against a physical Maryland side, and that the Dartmouth game was “a good wake-up call for us”.   That match will take place next Saturday, May 1.

On the Dartmouth side, the sentiment was largely upbeat despite the score.  Co-Captain Paul Jarvis ’12 acknowledged that it is “always a challenge to play against mens’ teams…but we were able to match a lot of their physicality while also being able to have success with the expansive style we’re becoming known for”.  Jarvis also said the game gave many new faces on the Dartmouth’s First-XV “to get exposure to and compete at the level we’re trying to play at”.

Dartmouth will play yet another mens’ club next weekend, on Saturday, May 1 hosting another Boston rugby powerhouse, the Boston Irish Wolfhounds.    Kickoff for that game is at 1:00 PM.

Photo Courtesy of Bob Grant