POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (March 27, 2010) -- Although the Vassar College men's rugby team created scoring opportunities against Rensselaer , the Brewers were unable to capitalize, falling 19-5 to RPI on Saturday at the Farm.

The Vassar men seemed to have patented their games this season. Establish good field position and get an edge in possession, apply pressure, create scoring chances, and spend the majority of the first 40 minutes in the opposition half. But fail to capitalize on scoring opportunities and turn around either even or with a 1 score differential. On this chilly sunny Saturday at the Farm they followed the script precisely, then fell behind, and finished scoring a late consolation try.

Vassar College Men 5 v R.P.I. Men 19
Tries: Nic Placeres (1).

There was no score in the first 30 minutes of this match but there were quite a few line breaks as each back division ran hard. RPI had a nice break early with a well timed run but it was Vassar's James Purtle and Jake London who looked the more dangerous early on. Up front the RPI forwards had a significant size and weight advantage and they managed to barge their way around the fringes of the rucks. RPI would win lineout ball and move it quickly off the top to the backs whereas Vassar tended to drive their ball before releasing it.

Purtle went over the RPI line at the 30 minute mark only to spill the ball forward. It was cruel luck as Vassar had spent some time controlling the ball and been very constructive. Even after that miscue Vassar kept the pressure on inside the RPI 22 but it seemed at critical moments they'd commit an error. A knock-on, the ball kicked forward in a ruck, or a pass timed just a fraction late meant that all the time in the 22 was for naught.

Adding to Vassar's problems was the fact that when RPI kicked out of their 22 the back 3 of Anker, Coleman, and Placeres dropped the ball. Instead of returning very average kicks back Vassar lost ground and possession. RPI finished the half with a few minutes in the Vassar 22 but after 40 minutes neither team had scored.

It just seemed that whenever Vassar took one step forward they made an error that put them two steps back. From the first scrum in the second half hooker Hal Moore took a ball against the head but when number 8 Iain Gordon picked and ran left he made good ground but then the ball just slipped from his grasp. Moments later after two good rucks and some quick ball Conor Boylan's pass was very low and Connor O'Neill knocked it on.

RPI made their intentions very clear and with their first 4 possessions they kicked the ball long and continued to plague the Vassar back 3. Lacking confidence the Vassar 3 struggled again.

Now in the Vassar 22 RPI began to turn up the heat. Their robust number 8 picked up from a scrum close to the Vassar goal line and went over but he dropped the ball as he tried to emphatically slam it down.

Immediately following that incident the RPI forwards bundled over the line again but were held up in-goal. Then follwoing the ensuing scrum they did get a deserved forwards try. Now with their tails up RPI bagan to run with real purpose and from a turnover they moved the ball wide and their right wing sliced through to make it 12-0 following the conversion.

The Vassar players were definitely deflated and matters didn't get much better in the last 15 minutes as they would win a couple of rucks only to get turned over or give away a penalty. It meant that RPI stayed in the Vassar half and pressured the Brewers. The RPI forwards kept making inroads as the Vassar defense was on it's heels and a third try was scored under the posts and the visitors led 19-0.

In the last 5 minutes Vassar scored a good try when they moved the ball left inside the RPI 22 following a couple of rucks and left wing Nic Placeres scored. It was some consolation given the efforts of the team.

Vassar must be more physical at the rucks and ensure good ball for the halfback and the back division must support each other so as to not get turned over. If they can do this then improved continuity with quick ball should lead to tries.

Team: 15 Brett Anker, 14 Kendall Coleman 13 Jake London, 12 James Purtle, 11 Nic Placeres 10 Connor O'Neill, 9 Conor Boylan, 1 Tyler Blake 2 Hal Moore, 3 Barrington Archer, 4 Ian Ruginski 5 C.J. Le Sueur 6 Nick Campbell-Seremetis 7 Adam Steel 8 Iain Gordon. Subs: Matt Elisofon for Nick Campbell-Seremetis.

Next: Saturday April 3, 2010 versus Union Men KO 2:30 p.m.
Overall record 2009-10: 2-9-1.

Vassar College Men "B" v RPI Men "B"
Tries:

In what looked like a bantam weight versus a heavy weight the Vassar "B" side showed great shape and some measure of skill in a closely contested game. Both teams had a number of rookies and it was strewn with errors but there was genuine endeavour and total commitment.

For Vassar there was plenty to build on as the completely novive halfback partnership of Zach Wasser at 9 and Ken Wolkin at 10 made breaks, linked with support players and made their tackles. Jehan Shams in his first game at loosehead showed promise and Russell Webner, although pretty much lost positionally, ran well. Left wing Jerry Dieudonne was often a threat and will only get better as he learns the game.

RPI was unlucky to have a try called back for a forward pass after some early pressure in the Vassar 22 and they would have had another but for a wonderful tackle by Vassar flanker Alan Kenney when they split the centers. But the Vassar defense scrambled back and cleared the danger. However, late in the first half RPI moved the ball quickly down the threequarters line follwoing a ruck and their right wing rounded the defense to give them a 5-0 lead. Vassar's Stephen Platz on the left wing was kept busy but aquitted himself well.

In the second half Vassar had a great chance to even the score when flyhalf Ken Wolkin ran a full 60 yards after gathering a loose pass from Wasser. He was brought down just 15 yards from the RPI goal line and moments later Jehan Shams almost crashed over. It was exciting stuff for the spectators. But one problem that haunted Vassar all day was the power of the RPI scrummage. Too often Wasser was having to pick the ball out as the scrum was being shunted back.

RPI scored when at a ruck some 30 yards out their number 8 slipped through and soon after from a 5-meter scrum the 8 went over again. At 17-0 and with not much time left one might have expected the Vassar men to shut up shop. But they kept running and tackling and Zach Wasser scored a lovely try converted by Brett Anker to make it 17-7. Then Ken Wolkin and Jerry Dieudonne had a couple of runs and it looked like a second try was on the cards, but RPI killed off any last minute heroics with a breakaway score to leave matters at 24-7.

Team: 15 Russell Webner 14 Jerry Dieudonne 13 James Purtle 12 Adam Kardon 11 Stephen Platz 10 Ken Wolkin 9 Zach Wasser 1 Jehan Shams 2 Brian Carvajal 3 Nik Goldberg 4 Brandon Greene 5 Andrew Massey 6 Alan Kenney 7 Sam Thomas 6 Matt Elisofon. Subs: Brett Anker for James Purtle.

Next: Saturday April 3, 2010 versus Union Men KO 4:00 p.m.