Pygmies Avenge Draw, 25-13

by Dave Wheelock, rugby director

SOCORRO, N.M., March 31, 2008 – It wasn't elegant, but it was dramatic. For the second time in two weeks, the NMT Rugby Club brought impact player Joe Tyson into the match for the final 20 minutes Saturday (March 26) and once again the 245 pound flank forward delivered the goods, knocking tacklers aside to score the match-sealing try in a 25-13 win over the visiting Albuquerque Brujos. Tech scored four tries to the Albuquerqueans' two.

Superior scrummaging and stiff defense had kept the Brujos within range throughout the match and with three minutes left to play, they trailed by just one converted try (seven points). Throughout the match the eight Albuquerque forwards drove Tech's scrums, robbing the dangerous Pygmy backs of useful ball possession.

For their part the Pygmies bettered the shaky ball retention rate they exhibited against the same team in a March 1 appearance in Albuquerque, yet looked slightly out of synch compared to their storming 36-18 win a week ago over New Mexico State University. Attacking breaks through the defense of a type that resulted in tries against the Chiles often ended in minor infractions or penalties on Saturday.

New Mexico Tech got off to a slow start and defended their own end of the pitch for the first ten minutes. Some good passing and support play then saw them cross into Brujo territory, and after the team retained possession through several tackles, flyhalf Matt Nelson sliced through for a 20 yard try. Captain Jay Herrera's attempt at a two-point conversion kick was wide and Tech led 5-0.

Brujos put three points on the board four minutes later when flyhalf Jon Eddy landed a 30-yard penalty kick, but Tech fullback Isaiah Sanchez scored a medium-range try after another prolonged Pygmy attack. Tech's kicking woes continued as Nelson missed the conversion, and despite their attacking dominance Tech led by only 10-3.

A string of handling miscues by Tech gave their foes a set scrum five yards from the home try line, and the Brujo forwards responded by ominously pushing the smaller pack over the line for a touchdown by #8 Elliott Salgado. Incredibly the conversion kick sailed wide from in front of the posts and Tech clung to a 10-8 lead.

After 29 minutes of the 40-minute first half the Brujos were once again awarded a scrum feed in Pygmy territory. Albuquerque scrumhalf Romeo Alonzo picked up from the back of the scrum, faked a pass outside, and scooted over the line to give the Brujos the lead at 13-10. Tech battled back to draw an offside penalty seven minutes later, and Nelson coolly slotted a penalty kick from a difficult angle to knot the scores.

Tech went into halftime with a 20-13 lead when right wing James Fallt picked up a loose ball in the open and motored half the length for a try between the posts. The easy conversion was taken by Waylin Sieler.

The Pygmies started the second half well but a promising surge ended in a knock-on (ball knocked forward with the hand) near the Brujos' line and yet another scrum to the visitors. For the next half hour neither team could break the line or sustain a scoring drive, setting the stage for Tyson's heroics and Tech's salvation.

Number eight forward Matthew Kretz was named Man of the Match by his teammates for his steady support play.

New Mexico Tech will ride their three-win, one-draw record to Colorado Springs this weekend to play two 60-minute matches on Saturday versus collegiate Division One power U.S. Air Force Academy and division two member Colorado College. The Pygmies will face the Zoomies' B side at noon on the Academy grounds and then take on CC at approximately 3 p.m. on April 5.

-NMT-