Pygmies Victorious over New Mexico State 36-18

by Dave Wheelock, NMT Rugby Director

SOCORRO, N.M., March 24, 2008 -- The New Mexico Tech Rugby Club took their first step toward next fall's Western Rugby Union playoffs with a 36-18 win Saturday, March 22, against downstate rival New Mexico State University. The Pygmies scored six five-point tries to the Chiles' two. A successive win over NMSU September 13 would propel the Pygmies into an October 18 playoff match against the Eastern Rockies Rugby Union (Colorado) southern division leader.

Rugby conditions were perfect in Socorro Saturday, with temperatures in the low 70s and spring winds on hold. Tech's eight forwards, led by eventual Man of the Match Nick Falcone, looked determined to correct their poor showing in a 13-12 preseason scrimmage loss in Las Cruces, where they were outplayed by their opposites. In the first of 40 first-half minutes the Pygmies drove the ball into the Chiles' end of the field but flyhalf Matt Nelson's attempted drop kick goal was just wide.

The home team tackled aggressively to keep play within scoring range and after nine minutes hooker Waylin Sieler's quick foot stole the ball from a New Mexico State scrum put-in 25 meters from the try line. Tech scrumhalf Jay Herrera scooped the ball quickly to Nelson, who broke through to touch down Tech's first try. Herrera's conversion kick attempt was wide and Tech led 5-0.

Tech's forwards won another scrum at 16 minutes and co-captain and inside center Royce Beaudry took a short reverse pass from Nelson to launch a marauding run through the Chile defense. Tech support play kept the ball alive and the ball came back to Nelson looping around on the outside. His try also went unconverted for a 10-0 Tech lead.

NMSU put seven points on the scoreboard after 21 minutes with a try from flyhalf Joe Duerkson, converted by captain Chad Thompson. The Pygmies responded four minutes later with NMT fullback Isaiah Sanchez fielding a defensive kick and initiating a picture book counterattack in which six of seven Pygmy backs handled the ball. Beaudry took the final pass from wing James Fallt to jot down for a 15-7 lead. Five minutes from halftime Nelson's long speculative pass was intercepted by Ryan Adams and returned 70 meters for a try between the posts. Thompson's easy conversion kick brought the Chiles within three at halftime, 15-12.

New Mexico State battled hard to stymie Tech's attack in the opening minutes of the second stanza, but at 16 minutes Nelson sneaked behind a strong Pygmy scrum to attack up the blind side. Beaudry took Nelson's pass and in turn found fellow center Dustin Webb flowing through the defense. Nelson's conversion of Webb's try was good to put Tech ahead at 22-12.

Thompson kept State in touch at 22-15 with a penalty goal after a Pygmy offense 23 minutes into the half. At 25 minutes Joe Tyson came into the game at blindside flanker and within a minute bagged his first try for Tech after Jay Herrera ripped the ball away from a Chile runner and started a passing counterattack. Nelson's kick was good for a 29-15 score that ensured State would need two converted tries in 14 minutes to bring the scores even.

NMSU's Thompson elected to slot a three-point penalty kick in the dying minutes to bring the Chiles up to 27-18 but the Pygmies snuffed out State's hopes in the dying minutes when Tyson broke into the open following a strong run by first-year lock John Amdahl. Tyson fed the hardworking fullback Sanchez for Tech's sixth try, which Nelson converted for the final 36-18 margin.

New Mexico Tech's second consecutive win brings their fall match record to two wins and a draw, with the hiccup coming in Albuquerque against Brujos Rugby Club on February 1. The rubber match comes this Saturday, March 29, when Tech hosts the Brujos at 1:00 on the NMT campus.

-NMT-

New Mexico Tech Sports Schedules

Spring 2008