Tigers emerge from muddy conditions with win over Millersville

Despite terrible conditions and a challenging opponent, the Princeton men’s rugby team managed to carry over its fine form from last season to edge out Millersville and secure an important opening victory. Although the players were able to overcome Millersville in a good performance, there remains a lot of work to be done, especially when the side has to face a much tougher opponent. As junior Ali Alami explained, the players “have laid the platform for the rest of the season.”

The team came into the season without too many changes to their roster. Although Princeton lost three important players in co-captains Peter Na and Chris Hamm and president Colin Sylvester, the team’s core remained intact, and they welcomed back junior fly-half Michael Rice from a knee injury as well as an exciting crop of freshmen, which included two starters in Adrian Odunayo and Nezim Mmegwa. The Tigers hope that this continuity will allow them to get over the hump and claim the Ivy League Championships, as well as secure another berth at nationals.

With cloudy skies and a forecast of heavy rain, the game started out very tightly, with the Millersville team proving very physical. Millersville looked dangerous on the attack, with its tricky and compact wing looking most likely to break the deadlock. However, the Princeton boys quickly settled down and started to control the tempo of the game. With sustained dominance, they were quickly rewarded after a powerful run by junior Jimmy Sarbanes, who then laid the ball off to Mmegwa. The rookie capped off the play with a blistering run through the middle, trucking through various tackles to score a try on his debut. Senior captain Nick Martin easily converted for a quick 7-0 lead.

However, the players took their foot off the gas after the try and allowed Millersville back into the game. Millersville quickly punished the boys by converting a penalty to pull the game back to 7-3. The players knew they were in a dangerous situation, as a try by Millersville could have turned the game on its head. The Tigers responded correspondingly, with superb attacking rugby. Once again, Alami was at the right place and the right time, picking the ball up from the goal-line ruck to bulldoze through two defenders for the team’s second try of the game.

The weather took a turn for the worse after this try, as rain started to pour onto the pitch, making the pitch much harder to play on. The match became much more even after that, with both teams trading tries before the break, including a mazy run by Martin just before the halftime whistle.

With conditions worsening, the second half became a much scrappier and cagier affair, with the physicality of the game becoming even more apparent, and players on both sides becoming more and more agitated. Both teams were unable to break the deadlock and neither managed to score tries in the second period, resorting to penalties to put up points on the board. This course of play ended up in Princeton's favor, as the team ran out winners in a tough 20-14 game.

Another positive sign for the team was the return of Rice in the second half from a serious knee injury. Although restricted to a cameo appearance against Millersville, Rice still managed to show agility and some spark and was confident that he had achieved a full recovery from his injury. Rice’s return and captain Will Hicks’ great form recently will provide a dilemma for the coaching staff of who to start at fly-half, but a positional change may suffice, as both players are too talented and valuable to be dropped.

However, it was not all positive for the Tigers in this game. With Millersville’s physicality and the poor weather conditions, a few of the players picked up knocks, notably Martin picking up a rather nasty one, which forced him to be replaced midway through the second half. None of the injuries seem too serious though, and the players are expected to recover in time for next week’s game against Columbia.

After the game, Rice said, “The game was tough, played in difficult conditions that suited their game more than ours, but through hard work from our forwards, we got the upper-hand and closed out the second half.” He is also not too focused on the future but taking it one game at a time. “I don't want to say much about the season —it is a long on, and we just need to focus on Columbia next week. They will be a much sterner challenge.”

Alami expressed excitement about the upcoming slate of games and the team’s new additions in Odunayo and Mmegwa, saying: “To see two new freshmen have such an impact was really encouraging. As for the season, we haven’t lost many players at all since last year and have added a few new faces. So I am very excited.”

The fans and followers of the Princeton men’s rugby team are also excited for the upcoming season and hope that the team can build on a strong 2013-14 season and a good win in the opener against Millersville for another eventful run this year. The team looks to remain focused on, currently preparing for an in-league challenge against the Columbia Lions next weekend.