ByZach Waltz
Assistant Sports Editor
The men’s rugby team is coming into this week with heads held high after beating the University at Buffalo last Saturday.
Head Coach Clarence Picard said the Bonnies overcame harsh field conditions to dominate the Bulls. Despite scoring a season low for a win on the season, the Bonnies still managed to score 46 points compared to UB’s 12 points.
“It was a big game against UB,” Picard said. “They’re our Western New York rivals, so we always have that one circled on the calendar. It was a muddy field, not ideal field conditions. It rained in the second half, but we got a lot of great work from our forward pack. They’re just really playing well and working hard. That was the difference on a day like that.”
Sophomore full back Dan Dillon said the field was tough to play on, but the UB match served only as a transition game for the Stony Brook match tomorrow at 7 p.m.
“We had really sloppy conditions,” Dillon said. “I think we played really well as a team. We had good communication and a lot of effort. We need to step up a little bit still, but I think we will be fine in our game against Stony Brook.”
Picard said Buffalo compares well with Stony Brook, which means the Bonnies should be able to compete at a high level with the Seawolves, who are at the top of the Empire Rugby Conference with five wins and no losses.
“The interesting thing when we look at film is UB is very similar to Stony Brook as far as the make-up of their team,” Picard said. “They have similar strengths at the same positions. (UB) was a nice warm-up, but we know we’re taking it to a new level this week.”
Picard said the biggest obstacle when facing Stony Brook is the long distance traveled to play.
“The cross-state trips are really challenging,” Picard said. “We’re going to be on a bus for eight hours on Saturday morning, so hopefully we have a good chance to get warmed up and everything. You just have to stay focused on the long road trips.”
Picard said the key to the game is containing Stony Brook’s potent offense in the first half.
“Stony Brook leads the league in points scored in the first half,” Picard said. “So we know at home, they’re going to jump right out and make a statement. They beat us down there last year. We just have to prove to ourselves that we can go on a long road trip and come out and play well for those first 10 to 20 minutes.”
Dillon said the Bonnies have a good chance of winning if the cards fall in their favor.
“It’s an important match for us, probably the most important of the season,” Dillon said. “I think we’re going to win this game though because in our practices through the week, we’ve been working hard. I think if we have a good week of practice and stick to the game plan, we should come out with the W.”
