Controversy Engulfs Ruggers First Loss

Author: Dan Russel

The Middlebury College Rugby Club entered Saturday's game against Harvard University not really sure of what to expect from its players as the team entered the game with radically altered chemistry. The club is missing seven of the top eight players in its front line, after having lost two of its players to suspension, one (Casey McCann) to graduation in February, while another four: Angus Birchall '03, Jody Kramer '03, Ulisses Zanello '03 and Ben Herter '03 have not yet returned from abroad. Some of the players are thus attempting to adjust to the new roles into which they have been thrust while others, coming off the bench or over from the "B" side, are getting their first real game experience.

These difficulties were compounded by the fact that the team wasn't allowed to play and hadn't been able to practice on its own rugby terrain due to the wet field conditions. Ironically enough, it was forced to play in even worse conditions on roughshod public rugby terrain in nearby Rutland on Saturday. To make matters even worse, the Panthers had not played a game since defeating Yale in November while Harvard, a perennial contender in the Northeast Territory in Division I, had already played two games going into Saturday's contest.

The team struggled at first, making several mistakes and incurring a number of penalties that can be chalked up to inexperience. The players also struggled to adapt to the narrow, asymmetrical dimensions of the terrain in Rutland, which made it difficult for both teams to get the ball out to its backs and generated quite a bit of confusion and congestion on the field. Middlebury was still able to dictate the pace of the game and held the lead going into the second half, moving ahead 3-0 on a penalty kick by Evan Moppert '02. In a bizarre sequence of events in the second half, the referee, ruling on a penalty and showing signs of inexperience, signaled to the Midd ruggers that they had taken possession of the ball. Then, seemingly without explanation, he reversed his call, signaling Harvard ball, and in the midst of the confusion, Harvard was able to line up quickly and run the ball in for a try. This was particularly frustrating and damaging to the ego of the club, who pride themselves on their goal line defense, and who had only allowed two tries in the past two years. It was, unfortunately, the only try that either team would score, as the Panthers suffered their first loss of the entire season, eventually losing by a score of 8-3.

It was a disappointing result, but not an accurate representation of the team's talent or it's full potential. It was a "great learning experience," according to rugger Steve Messinger '02. "For many players it was the first time they had ever started, and for others, it was their first time facing real competition. Even though we lost, I thought the outcome was positive, and it showed us what we have to do to improve." The team will not play another home game until September, as they will travel down to Amherst College for another preparation game next Saturday before flying down to Arkansas the following week to play in the National Championship Quarterfinals against Stanford, the winner of the West rugby territory.