Volume CXXXII, Number 4 October 4, 2002 f

William Wallace inspires ruggers
MIKE BALULESCU
STAFF WRITER

In a match that would make Mel Gibson's Scottish rebels run for the highlands, Bowdoin fought and battled its way to a 34-18 victory over the University of Maine at Farmington last Saturday. Farmington's scrappy play was not enough to defeat the ruggers in black, as Bowdoin seized victory and advanced to a perfect 2-0 on the season.

Australian sensation Nick Reid '05 looks to exploit Maine-Farmington's defense in a 34-18 victory. The ruggers improved to 2-0 on the season and are poised to make another run at regionals. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient)

During their long drive up to Farmington, deep in the hinterlands of central Maine, the Bowdoin ruggers had plenty of time to contemplate the task that lay ahead of them. "Farmington has always been well-coached, and they always give us a game," said

Coach Rick Scala before the match, "But if we keep our heads and play with discipline, we should be able to pull out a win."

Still plagued by injuries, Bowdoin arrived in Farmington with several key players sidelined. Captain Dave Kirkland '03 and Joe Wilson '02 were still unavailable, and hooker Kassim Mbwana '02 was sidelined at the last minute due to ankle problems.

With three important players missing from the pitch, and a hungry Farmington team eager to win its first game of the season, everyone in a black jersey knew that the day's match would not be an easy one.

Nevertheless, Bowdoin was able to outrun Farmington and take the game by the second half.

"We had better conditioning, plain and simple," said senior Captain Dennis Kiley. "Everyone on the team complains about our running and sprinting practices, but the reason we won Saturday is because we were in better shape. Farmington is a good team, but they lost steam towards the end of the match, and we were able to take advantage of that. Conditioning = victory."

Farmington's strengths - its forwards and the rough play in the rucks - set the tone for the entire match. The highlight of the game came at the beginning of the second half, when Farmington kept the ball within a few meters of Bowdoin's try zone for what seemed like an eternity.

Ruck after ruck, Farmington tried to break though Bowdoin's defense, and ruck after ruck, Bowdoin held on. At one point Farmington even punched through the Bowdoin forwards and pushed the ball into the try zone, but the crafty Bowdoin ruggers were able to keep the ball off the ground and prevent Farmington from scoring.

The robust flavor of the game rubbed off on everyone. "The Farmington ruggers were out to start a lot of fights," said Nick "Kiwi" Reid '05. "I come from a land down under, and in Australia we don't believe in solving our problems with violence. The belligerence on [Farmington's] part was entirely unnecessary."

Tim Yanni-Lazarus '03, who took over as acting captain of the forwards in Kirkland's stead, was very impressed with the way the team performed. "When you play against a pack like [Farmington], it makes you want to run for the showers and hide. But we rucked hard and we stayed focused, and that made all the difference. Everyone stepped up and did what they were ask to do."

One of the biggest surprises of the day was Ryan Naples '04, who entered the game at lock for an injured Larry Jackson '05. Naples had been up Friday night due to faulty plumbing in the Tower, and even so he was able to turn in the best game of his Bowdoin rugby career.

Another surprise performance came from Warren Dubitsky '04, who was able to play hard and finish the match without any head injury of any kind. Unfortunately, Dubitsky was unable to provide any commentary after the game, as he was out celebrating with his good friend and long time companion John Daniels, a senior at the University of Tennessee.

The B game saw much of the same intensity, but with a fresh crew of Bowdoin rookies to take on the weary Farmington ruggers. Bowdoin fielded a few veterans on the pitch, including Whitney "Flash" Schrader '05, who showed a great deal of leadership. Schrader, known normally for his computer salesmanship, had to assume a more mature role Saturday.

"The key against a big team is to be quick," remarked Schrader. "I told the rookies before the game that Farmington would hit hard, and we needed to do everything at pace. If anything takes longer than a few seconds, it's not worth doing."

The Bowdoin ruggers will host the University of Maine at Orono tomorrow, before an eager crowd of parents, siblings, friends, and fans.

"Farmington gave us a better game that we thought," said Coach Scala, "and it was kind of a wake up call for us. Orono is always one of the best teams in the conference, and if we want to win, we are going to have to play better than we have all season."

So before your parents take you out for the ubiquitous Maine lobster, bring them down to the rugby pitch at 2:00 PM and help cheer on Bowdoin in its biggest match of the season. GO BLACK!