Volume CXXXII, Number 3 September 27, 2002 f

Men's rugby starts with a bang
MIKE BALULESCU
STAFF WRITER

Thomas Hazel '05 charges past a Plymouth rugger with Warren Dubitzki '04 and Kassim Mbwana '02 (far left) trailing. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient)

Neither the unseasonable heat nor a string of unfortunate injuries could stop

the Men's Rugby team from prevailing at home last Saturday. In the season's first match, the Bowdoin ruggers easily beat Plymouth State College 62-0, and picked up where they left off in last year's undefeated regular season.

The Polar Bear ruggers proved that they could win in their September 14th scrimmage against Bates, but last Saturday they stepped up their game a notch and grabbed the first victory of the fall.

Leading the backs with his usual poise and ruthless play, senior captain Dennis Kiley cut through the opposition and left Plymouth State scratching their heads. Although Kiley spent this past semester in Ireland, he returned to Bowdoin as quick and as strong as ever, and with even more sheen to his flowing hair.

"Bowdoin = good, season outlook = optimistic" said the always loquacious Kiley after the match. "Hard work = needed, but team = strong."

Kiley was not the only one who made contributions in the back line. Sophomore scrum half Tom Hazel showed maturity beyond his years on the pitch, and has proven his ability to fill the shoes left by Matt Stanton '02.

Although he only has one year of experience under his belt, Hazel played hard and pulled the ball out of the rucks until he was red in the face.
"Playing scrum half is difficult at first," noted Hazel, "but after a while it becomes very intuitive. It's like putting on sunscreen-you just get used to doing it."

As usual, the forwards played well and did an admirable job rucking the ball and getting it to the back line. Led by senior captain Dave Kirkland, the forwards hit hard from the first minute of the match and did not let up on Plymouth State until the last whistle blew.
Sadly, the pack has been plagued by injuries of late, and Saturday's match was no exception. Starting prop Joe Wilson (class undetermined) was already sidelined due to injuries, and within the first ten minutes of the game, Kirkland suffered a concussion and had to be taken off the field. Not soon after that, Larry Jackson '05 was taken out of the game due to ankle problems.

It was not only injuries that affected the Bowdoin forwards. Reserve flanker Alex Meszaros '05 was unable to play and was absent from the pitch. Meszaros, known for his speed and his tackling ability, could not be in Brunswick on Saturday, as some of his rugby equipment was in a jar on a shelf in the Penn dorms.

Despite all of the setbacks, the forwards carried the day, and Bowdoin rugby showed its depth as a team, with all of the starting and reserve forwards filling in wherever they were needed. The most notable performance in the pack was turned in by The Goat '03, filling in at prop for Wilson.

The Goat, who had never played prop before in his three years as a Bowdoin rugger, handled both the rough play of the Plymouth State forwards as well as the constant whining and moaning of his tight-head prop.

"Losing Dave [Kirkland] was very hard on the team," said Coach Rick Scala, "but the fact that Bowdoin went on without him and still pulled out a victory is a testament to his leadership. We played without a lot of key guys and we still looked like the best team in New England out there."

Injured wing Alexis "Focus" Acevedo '04 could not participate in the match Saturday, but was nevertheless very metaphorical about Saturday's victory. "Rugby is kind of like two crabs fighting in a glass tank," he said, "in the end, one crab-or in this case, one team-is going to win."

After the victory over Plymouth State, Bowdoin scrimmaged with Maine Maritime Academy, and all of Bowdoin's rookies got a chance to gain valuable playing experience. As an added bonus, the Bowdoin rookies were helped by some alumni participation, as Billy Soares '02, Kris Bosse '02, and Rob Mandle '02 were all in attendance and played in the scrimmage.
"It was really fun to come back and see so many new faces," mused Bosse. "I learned a lot from my experiences on the Bowdoin rugby team. I took a lot of things in my four years here, and hopefully the rookies will take some of the same things I did before they leave the Bowdoin campus."

The Bowdoin ruggers are as excited as ever about tomorrow's match at the University of Maine at Farmington. With one victory already under their belts, they hope to continue their winning ways and live up to the high standard set by last year's squad. GO BLACK!