Ruggers pull the rug out from under Ephs Middlebury rugby team beats Williams 38-0 in the rain

Author: Brett Swenson

The Middlebury men's rugby team traveled south on Rte. 7 to take on Williams in last weekend's match. Undaunted by the wet conditions, the Panthers came out hard from the get-go and applied intense pressure to capitalize on the Ephs' lack of size, speed and skill. Proving to be too strong for their competition, the Panthers beat Williams 38-0.

During the first few minutes of the game, the Panthers were able to keep the ball around Williams' 22-yard line. However, the slippery conditions caused by the rain resulted in numerous knock-on's, which prevented Middlebury from holding onto the ball for too long. Throughout the game, knock-ons continued to plague Middlebury and snuffed out several golden scoring opportunities.

After completing a series of passes, Craig Wilson '07.5 scored the first try of the game. For the rest of the first half, the Panthers continued to get the ball deep into Williams' territory, only to squander numerous scoring opportunities. But the Panthers showed true strength as they continued to win back lost possessions and maintain strong field position through solid defense and scrumming.

Ari Silverman '09 and Jason Jude '08 both came out strong, with Silverman showing great confidence running and kicking from all over the field. A newly clean-shaven David Burns '07 made his first A-side appearance in the second half and played aggressively and confidently on the back line.

Patrick Mott '07 scored his first try as a Middlebury Panther on a short run in the second half. Matt Volz '07 played superbly throughout the game tacking up even more points for the good guys. As reported by Mott "it was a pretty sloppy game," but the team still ended up with a victory.

The Ephs' biggest shortcoming was their inability to clear the ball away from their own try zone. Such faults allowed for Middlebury to take enough of the lead and allowed for some breathing room. This enabled the Panthers to take out their starters and show off their depth on the bench.

This weekend brings the annual showdown with in-state rival UVM. After a strong week of practice, the Panthers will host the Catamounts on their home field at 12:00 p.m. Saturday. The Panthers hope to avenge last season's defeat to UVM at the Williams Tournament. UVM has a tough group of forwards and blazing speed at the fullback position, but the Panthers believe they can take them on. With the rest of the fall sports teams away for the weekend, the Ruggers hope the College community will support them in what promises to be an intense game.