New Mexico Tech Claims Rugby Championship

by Dave Wheelock, NMT Rugby Director

Right: NMT's Marcus Chavez, Moose Kretz, and Royce Beaudry (in blue, L to R) move up in defense against New Mexico State University. Tech won 34-17 to capture the Rio Grande Rugby Union division two collegiate championship. (Photo by Dave Wheelock.)

SOCORRO, N.M. -- It stands to reason that university engineering and science students should be good at math. And so it proved Saturday (Feb. 17, 2007) when, after 80 minutes of play, the New Mexico Tech Rugby Club’s 34-7 victory over New Mexico State University qualified them to advance to the Western United States playoffs by exactly one point.

Playing at home Saturday, the Pygmies needed to defeat NMSU by a margin greater than the 26-point hiding they had taken last September 16 in Las Cruces, when the Chiles beat them 50-24. Tech achieved the 53-point swing Saturday by touching down five tries, four of them through their improving backline and two by Man of the Match Jay Herrera. Meanwhile the Pygmies clamped down on defense to hold State’s dangerously speedy backs scoreless in the second half.

In sunny but cool conditions, the Pygmies opened strongly and after 12 minutes were awarded a scrum five meters from the Chile line. Scrumhalf Herrera rolled the ball between the opposing packs of driving forwards and hooker John Rundberg heeled it back for Herrera to pass to his backs. The initial attack was repelled, but Tech maintained ball possession through several more tackles and eventually first-year flanker Hunter Reik crossed for his second try this fall. Flyhalf and captain Seth Daly’s two-point conversion kick was automatic from in front of the posts and Tech led 7-0.

Playoff bound! New Mexico Tech's 2007 Rio Grande Rugby Union championship rugby team. Standing, left to right, Crowning, Hosemann, Kretz, Hill, La Torra, Rundberg, Beaudry, Nelson, Majors, Catron, McCarthy, Graves, T. Dotson, K. Dotson, Reik, Fallt. Kneeling: Herrera, Guthrie, Tadano, Sieler, Chavez, Hanson, Daly, Avila, McFarland, Santistevan. (Photo by Dave Wheelock.)

New Mexico State center Brandon Werist made two streaking runs in the early stages, but fine covering defense by fullback Tory Tadano and wings Justin Guthrie and Jay Hanson averted scores. At 15 minutes the veteran Tadano demonstrated his scoring magic with a weaving 35 meter run that carried him into the try zone untouched after fielding a kick. Daly’s kick made it 14-0.

New Mexico State clawed back to 14-7 after 24 minutes with a fine play from the back of a scrum at midfield. The number eight was tackled by Reik, but not before passing to his scrumhalf, who outran Tech’s defense to score between the posts. The first half ended with a try by NMT wing Josh Hanson, who threaded the needle to beat several defenders from 20 meters. Daly was good with the conversion from a difficult angle and Tech led 21-7.

Tech needed to add 13 second half points to their 14-point margin to capture the Rio Grande Rugby Union Division Two collegiate crown, and that’s exactly what they did. Daly connected with a three-point penalty kick after five minutes, and four minutes later penetrating play by centers Cody McFarland and Royce Beaudry was followed up strongly by their teammates to carry play close to the NMSU line. Daly shot through to block a desperate clearing kick inside State’s try zone and McFarland leapt to tap the carom to Herrera, who dove to the ground for five. Daly’s conversion attempt failed and Tech edged out to 29-7.

Tech’s final try came 15 minutes from full time. After play was again driven close to State’s try line, the Chiles were penalized for offside. Before the visitors could organize their defense, Daly quickly tapped the ball with his foot to restart play and dished to Herrera, who outflanked the wing to dive into the corner. Daly’s kicked sailed wide, but Tech held their 27-point margin by virtue of a 34-7 lead.

Tech’s lead held up over the final 15 minutes, with New Mexico State mounting a dangerous threat right at the end. First-year NMT wing Marcus Chavez was tackled close to his own line after a deep kick, but as the Chiles rushed in to recover the ball, one of them recklessly landed on Chavez with both knees. The resulting penalty whistle was followed immediately by the final whistle, and the Pygmies were playoff bound.

New Mexico Tech advances to the Western Rugby Football Union’s collegiate division two championship tournament April 6-8 in Greeley, Colorado. Teams from seven WRFU local unions representing 11 southern and western states will compete for spots in the national championship tournament in Sanford, Florida April 21-22.