MIT beat Berkshire

MIT made the road trip west to Pittsfield to play Berkshire in their final match before the NERFU Cup tournament. It was a beautiful warm day, perfect for playing rugby. The Berkshire team assembled and found they only had 13 players so MIT graciously loaned a winger and both teams started the game with 14 men.

With many of the regular MIT backline unavailable to play, several players started in unfamiliar positions. But that did not stop MIT taking advantage of Berkshire having a slow start and two quick tries were scored to put MIT up by 12 points to nil after 10 minutes of play. Berkshire was able to regroup and competed hard against MIT for the next twenty minutes, allowing a single converted try from a well worked play in the MIT backline. As the first half came to an end, two months of hard training came to fruition as MIT scored 3 tries in the last 5 minutes of the half. As the halftime whistle blew, MIT were leading Berkshire 38 - 0.

MIT subbed most of their reserves on for the start of the second half and after 15 minutes of play the MIT machine was back to full speed with three tries scored in 8 minutes. Berkshire fought hard but was simply run ragged by a fitter team looking for higher honors in the upcoming NERFU Cup. With many of MIT’s regular starters not playing this was an opportunity for regular reserves and B team players to make an impression on the coaches, showcasing their talent and strong desire for selection at the NERFU Cup. Berkshire could no longer hold back the rampaging MIT machine as 4 more tries were scored in the 5 minutes before the referee blew the final whistle early. MIT finished with an emphatic 74 – 0 final score over a battered but spirited Berkshire team. The next stop for MIT is the NERFU Cup in two weeks, and this match has left the coaches pleased with the depth of talent throughout the squad.