MIT RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

The trek to Moakley Park in South Boston revealed another blustery, freezing cold day for rugby. With no B game on offer it was agreed to play three 25 minute periods to allow all of the MIT players a chance to get some game time. The Old Boys got into the thick of the game right from the start, showing the MIT pack a few tricks they have learned from many years playing the game. But what MIT lacked in wiley play, they more than made up for with intensity and overall fitness. MIT’s loose forwards hit the rucks hard, and found gaps in close breaking through for a couple of tries.

MIT played their second game of the Spring season on a beautiful April afternoon at Briggs field. Having identified some areas of weakness on their previous outing against Charles River, MIT had worked hard in training for the week and were determined to show their improvement.

After five weeks of pre-season practices on cold dark evenings, with no regard to snow, sleet, rain or blowing wind, MITRFC looked forward to the first game of the spring season. The grass pitch was too wet to play on so the match was moved to the turf pitch. While the day was sunny, a stiff wind made playing conditions challenging. The match started with the usual early season jitters as players on both teams adjusted to playing against an opposition rather than practice drills.

Earlier in the season, Monadnock came down to MIT for a well-played, fun match that ended up very well for MIT (final score 62-0, MIT). However, MIT were taking nothing for granted as they made the trip up to what turned out to be a beautiful, soft pitch surrounded by mountains and trees, still with a lot of autumn color. It was a good bit colder than Cambridge, so after a long warmup MIT looked to come out hard and fast, and keep the temperature up for the duration. The early game saw a lot of penalties, but also a lot of hard, well-contested play.

The two remaining undefeated teams in NERFU DIII clashed on a bright fall day in what would prove to be a very exciting match. Both teams came out hard- MIT put in an early try. It seemed like defense would rule the day until after a lot of hard rucking and tackling on both sides, Saratoga were able to go wide for a few quick tries. MIT came back fired up in the second half, attacking hard and keeping defensive pressure up. MIT’s efforts were rewarded with a few tries and the lead.

MIT drove out to Springfield on a crisp, sunny afternoon for a hard, well-contested match against the Springfield Rifles. The first half was characterized by good defense on both sides, though the MIT backline was able to break through for a quick try early. Springfield’s large, experienced pack gave MIT trouble in the scrums, but MIT were able to stop them in open play. The second half continued to be a defensive battle with good hits both inside and out in the defensive line.