Rugby Claims New Hampshire Cup

By Donald Phillabertt | Wednesday, April 29, 1998

Every spring the senior ruggers turn over the club to the juniors. This 'sink or swim' strategy prepares the younger players for the fall while other clubs are still learning to doggypaddle.

The preceeding team of Indian ruggers scalped the skin off the Princeton Tigers to win the Ivy League championship, then advanced to defeat the Clemson Tigers in the national semifinals and earn a ranking amongst the 'elite eight' rugby clubs in the nations .

These victories placed that year's team amongst the greatest teams in DRFC history, and left big shoes for the new team to fill. The new regime took the field Saturday with great trepidation. Only four of the fifteen players on the field were 99's.

Forward co-captain Kevin 'homo erectus' Whitcher '99 was last seen somewhere in Germany, while the captain, Marc 'Rugby Gimp' Oldham, could only provide a motivational speech from his wheelchair on the sideline.

This motivational speech, however, inspired the Indian ruggers to abandon fear and demolish Keene State 31-6 in the semi-final of the New Hampshire Cup.

In his first start at flyhalf, Mike 'Needs a shave and a haircut' Evans '00 scored two tries and kicked three of five conversions for 16 points to lead the Indians. Wing Mark 'Keilbasa' Kowalsky '99 had two tries and center Alex 'What gut?' Kline '99 had one. UNH beat Plymouth State 17-5 in the other semi-final to set up the championship match between the New England Premier League rivals.Evans kicked a penalty in the 9th minute to give Dartmouth a 3-0 lead over the Wildcats. At the 14 minute mark, the Dartmouth forwards won several rucks and winger Don 'The Dragon' Phillibert '99 scored the first try of the final. The conversion missed and the DRFC led 8-0.

In the 24th minute, #8 Dave 'Fit as a Fiddle' Chamberlain '00 ran weak from a scrum and fed new found scrum half Carlos 'Show me the rules!' Escobar '00 for the try. Dartmouth missed the conversion and led 13-0.

As the half wound down, fullback Scott 'Rodentia' Whiting '99 scampered to counter-attack a UNH kick. The Dartmouth forwards won several rucks and scrum half Escobar put Kline away for the try as time ran out. Whiting kicked the conversion and Dartmouth led 20-0 at the half.

UNH scored a try in the 10th minute to close to 20-5 but Escobar put Kline away for his second try of the match and third of the day to put the DRFC ahead 25-5. UNH scored off a penalty play to close to 25-10.

At this stage the Indians wondered who would step up to the Wildcats attempt to claw their way back into the game. Prop Payman 'Angry Turk' Zamani '01, lock Bill 'Belligerent' Bing '01, and fullback Scott 'El Presidente' Whiting made sure to promptly give curteous reminders that UNH's 'friendly fists' would not be tolerated for the duration of the game.

Chamberlain won a lineout deep in UNH territory and set a ruck. Prop Andrew 'Wayno' Sweetland '00 ran off the ruck and snuck his slim body between two defenders for tduj5udthe try and a 32-10 DRFC lead. Winger Kowalsky scored his second try of the day to make the final 37-10 to Dartmouth.

Dartmouth is 19-5-1 on the year. They travel to Umass-Amherst next weekend and return to Sachem on May 9 to play the New England Collegiate All-Stars. The season concludes on Green Key weekend (May 16) with the annual match against the alumni. The DRFC takes a two game winning streak into the alumni game.

Rugby Claims New Hampshire Cup

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