NMT Ruggers Rally to Avoid Defeat in Albuquerque

SOCORRO, N.M., March 3, 2008 – In a twist on the plot from last September 8, the New Mexico Tech Rugby Club clawed back Saturday, March 1, from a three-try, 17-0 deficit to register a draw with the New Mexico Brujos of Albuquerque. In the rival teams' autumn meeting on the same St. Pius Field, the Pygmies had hung on for a 29-24 victory after racing to a 22-0 halftime lead.

The hosts took early advantage of their physical dominance in contact situations Saturday, scoring three five-point tries in the opening 23 minutes. Shifty-running flyhalf John Bacardi tallied scores at 11 and 16 minutes, and burly #8 forward Elliott Salgado drove in from short range. Romeo Alonzo added two-point conversions to Bacardi's efforts but was unsuccessful with a steep-angled kick following Salgado's try.

Struggling for clean ball possession in scrummage restarts, Tech was forced into a "tackle or perish" game plan as the Brujos recycled the ball through a multitude of runs at the Pygmy line. Prop Nick Falcone and flankers Bart Hegarty and Mike Anguti turned in especially hardnosed performances among the forwards while Dustin Webb and Isaiah Sanchez desperately defended in the backs. Tech rookie John Amdahl jumped well to take in-bound throws at lineout time, but the Brujos managed to come away with the ball following each Pygmy attack in the first half.

Ten minutes from halftime the Brujos turned the ball over in Tech territory. Dusty Webb scooped up and shot between two defenders before finding Isaiah Sanchez with a well-timed pass. Sanchez advanced the ball 20 yards and as he was tackled returned the favor for Webb to gallop in for a try. Matt Nelson booted the conversion and Tech trailed 19-7.

After the five-minute intermission the tide began to turn as the larger Albuquerqueans seemed to tire. At twelve minutes Sanchez, playing fullback, gathered a kick and outflanked the defense before cutting back to score between the goalposts. Jay Herrera's kick was no good and the Brujo lead stood at 19-12. The Brujos continued to dominate possession but their attacking surges now seemed more easily blunted. Three minutes from full time, Anguti and Falcone combined on a deceptive lineout throw 25 yards from the Brujo line and the ball went to Matt Nelson, standing in at flyhalf for a shaken up James Fallt. Nelson wove between two defenders before being grounded a scant half-yard from the try zone. Center Royce Beaudry, running in support, swooped in to take Nelson's pop pass off the ground and flopped in to score. Herrera's kick was good this time to bring scores level with three minutes remaining.

The ensuring kicked off was controlled by the Brujos who drove the ball steadily downfield and looked likely to score until a jarring tackle caused the ball to fall forward and be judged a knock-on by referee Richard Morris. Time expired before the subsequent scrum could be formed and the match ended in a 17-all draw.

Bart Hegarty was named Man of the Match by his NMT teammates for his high work rate and dynamic tackling. With spring break following midterm exams this week, the Pygmies enter a hiatus until March 15, when they host the San Juan Rugby Club of Farmington.

-NMT-

New Mexico Tech Sports Schedules

Rugby Matches, Fall 2008