Match Report - Harvard vs Army
30 Oct 2006
This Saturday the Men’s Army Rugby team faced off against Harvard’s starting XV.
Saturday’s game was the first of the round robin games that would decide the seeding between the four remaining teams in the NERFU playoffs. Army, Boston College, Norwich, and Harvard are the four teams with the best records that are playing for the NERFU championship and a bid into the National Tournament Sweet Sixteen. Given the round robin setup, Norwich and Boston College would play each other.
A Side: 46-15
Kickoff of the game was at high noon on the artificial turf field at the Anderson Rugby Complex. The skies were clear and the field was dry, however the game was hampered by the high winds that swept in off the Hudson. The wind often came in strong gusts, which made long passing a liability and gave the high ball extra importance. Army adjusted to the wind well by making running lines more precise and slightly tighter. Army got on the board first with a try by inside center Chris Bahr.
Soon thereafter, wing Chris Grevious finished a nice weak side play that was set up by scrumhalf David Lodwick. Army continued to apply pressure and played very solid rugby in all aspects of play. The tight five were extremely dominant in the scrums while locks John Breneman and Clint Hail proved to be excellent in the lineouts and were success in stealing multiple Harvard lineouts. Before halftime, winger Robert Zargan and Lodwick put the ball down for 5 points. Fullback Brendan McCarthy and Zargan converted all first half tries despite the high winds. The second half showcased more well developed team play as 8 man Nate Peper, Flyhalf Andrew Locke and Zargan all put the ball down for tries. As the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read Army 46 – Harvard 15.
This game is merely the beginning of Army’s run to the NERFU championship and the National Championship in the spring.
The next month of rugby should be extremely exciting as Army plays for the NERFU championship and faces off against NAVY on November 18th at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
A Side Starting XV:
1 Sam Ketcham
2 Erik Waage (Tony Fatula @ 65)
3 Chris Wallgren
4 John Breneman (Hewko @ 65)
5 Clint Hail (Dwyer @ 65)
6 JP Flach
7 Jay Berger - moved to 8 when Strathman replaced Peper
8 Nate Peper (Dan Strathman @60)
9 David Lodwick (Sean Flachs @ 75)
10 Andrew Locke
11 Chris Grevious
12 Chris Bahr
13 Robert Smalls
14 Robert Zargan (Del Castillo @ 75)
15 Brendan McCarthy
| Name: | Tries: | Conversions: | Penalty Kicks: | Total Points: |
| Andrew Locke | 1 | 5 | ||
| Chris Grevious | 1 | 5 | ||
| David Lodwick | 1 | 5 | ||
| Robert Zargan | 2 | 2 | 14 | |
| Brendan McCarthy | 2 | 1 | 7 | |
| Nate Peper | 1 | 5 | ||
| Chris Bahr | 1 | 5 | ||
| Total: | 46 |
