The men’s rugby team beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 43-12 Sunday in New Haven, N.J.
Head Coach Clarence Picard said he started five freshmen to get them playing experience. This tactic is new to the Bonnies lineup.
“(The freshmen) all had their ups and downs, definitely,” Picard said. “They’re still getting used to the speed of the game. Even though Rutgers is lower in the league, they’re still a big, physical team.”
Senior lock Tallon Moritz said the newcomers did well in their first appearance on the starting lines.
“It was nice to see some of the younger guys get a start,” Moritz said. “It was nice to expose them to some A-side minutes. They’re still really young, but they got the job done.”
Not only was Picard able to incorporate freshmen into the lineup, but he also implemented other players who have not seen very much playing time. In particular, Picard lauded senior flanker Tim Callahan for his outstanding performance.
“Tim Callahan was awesome,” Picard said. “It was his first start as a senior, and he played a fantastic game. (Junior wing) John Sullivan had three tries, a man-of-the-match effort.”
Picard said even though the Bonnies didn’t play their best rugby, the game was still good experience for the team.
“We didn’t do as well as we had hoped,” Picard said. “But on that long road trip, I thought it was a positive experience for the guys.”
The Bonnies have two home matches this week. The first is against Iona, and the second is a rescheduled game against the United States Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point that was originally cancelled because of the government shutdown earlier this year.
Moritz said it’s an important weekend for the Bonnies because they are currently in a position to go to a bowl game if they win both games.
“Right now, we’re fighting to get a bowl game, and to do that, we have to win both games this weekend,” Moritz said. “The tougher opponent is going to be the Merchant Marines, especially since it’s on the second day. Two games in a row is always tough on everybody, especially the forward players. We just have to go out and get it done two times rather one.”
Picard said the Bonnies are hosting recruits, which also makes it an important weekend.
“It’s a big weekend for us,” Picard said. “We have over a dozen recruits coming to see the games. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Picard said injuries are a big factor this late in the season, so he will be using different combinations of players to ensure everyone stays healthy and fresh.
“At this time of the year, everyone’s dinged up,” he said. “It’s definitely not an excuse, but we have to monitor that. There are going to be guys who play (tomorrow) that don’t play on Sunday and vice versa. We’re just going to try and balance it so we feel strong both games. We’re going out there to try and get two wins.”
