Coming off an extremely disappointing loss to AIC in which the team seemed to have lost all sense of its identity, the Red Ruggers had one last shot in qualifying for the national playoffs by beating Dartmouth at Grauert Field.
Dr. Mark Nemec spoke to the team prior to kickoff. In his talk, he emphasized how strong of a metaphor rugby is for life – rugby is so much fun when you play it with your mates; life is so fulfilling when live it with your friends at your side.
That was EXACTLY how the Red Ruggers played against Dartmouth…TOGETHER!
While Captain Nick Lapponese '23, Center Chris Giunta '25, and Hooker Stephen Ryan '23 finished all the scores, it was the team that set them up! The courage and the physicality of the defense reminded everyone of the Iona game. Dartmouth could not muster phases together because John Thompson '23, Victor Zurowski '23, and Patrick Tunney '23 refused to let anyone by them.
Lapponese '23 finished the day with 2 tries, several lineout steals, a ton of tackle-busts, and over 100 meters as a ballcarrier. Ben Ehlers '23 made if very clear from the first phase to the last that Fairfield was going to play its game, not anyone else's. He commanded the tempo and direction of the attack at scrumhalf, and Danny Enright 'grad kept ball-inhand to starve Dartmouth of possession.
It was a high-quality rugby match. Both teams scoring and defending, and electrifying the crowd. For every try Lapponese '23 and Giunta '25 had, Dartmouth's 15 was equal to the task. Once again, the benefits of the Walsh Athletic Center sports performance training proved to be the X-Factor. Fairfield's run-ons, including Pat Burke '25 injected passion and physicality into the game, for which Dartmouth had no answer. Sean Vernon '24, Jude Minnich '24, and Shane Baffa '25 continue to lift the standard when they run-on! Burke '25 scored a champagne try as Enright 'grad chipped a kick right over the top of the Dartmouth back line
The Red Ruggers will host Siena College on Saturday 11/12 at Barlow Field for a 2:30pm kickoff in the first round of the NCR D1 National Playoffs!
Match Reports submitted by Austin Ryan, Director of Rugby/Men's Head Coach.
