Arriving on campus for preseason in early September, the members of the Dartmouth Women's Rugby Club weren't quite sure what to expect for the fall season. The team was small, both in physical size and in numbers, and the physical rucking game that had worked in the past was obviously not an option.
As co-captain Elisse Gaynor '03 said, "I'm going to be honest with you. There were times when I thought we looked like a midget-league basketball team."
But a lack of size on the field has not stopped the Big Green this year. Instead, one of the speediest teams in recent DWRC history sealed up first place in the New England Rugby Football Union East division with a 34-5 defeat of Boston College last Sunday.
The score may sound lopsided, but it doesn't quite tell the whole story, as BC gave the Big Green the best challenge of the league season.
Dartmouth came out strong and the ball stayed in the BC half for the first few minutes. One of the best tackles, certainly of the day, and probably even the season, led to the first Dartmouth try.
Seeing a BC forward pick up a loose ball, lock Amanda Behm '04 and prop Christine Coldiron '03 dragged her to the ground so hard that some say the trees shook. While the three involved in that play peeled themselves off of the ground, the rest of the Big Green forwards set a great ruck.
Scrumhalf Catherine Dale '04 grabbed the ball out of the back and got it to eight-man Johanna Willer '04, waiting on the weak side. After faking out a defender, Willer passed to a still-slightly-winded Coldiron who had somehow managed to locate the ball and saw nothing but space in between her and the tryline.
"You don't need to be able to breathe when you have a goal in mind," Coldiron later said.
A kick from the corner missed, but the DWRC had taken a five-point lead.
After that, the better part of the first half was spent in a deadlock. Dartmouth threatened the try line, but some sloppy passing prevented the Big Green from breaking the plane. But just before the half, Dartmouth's shutout streak was broken when the BC outside center found herself cherry-picking in the right place at the right time.
A pass was tipped up in the air and she grabbed it and raced 80 meters untouched for the lone BC try. This kick also missed, but the damage had been done: the game was tied.
"Yeah, that play was a real kick in the pants," outside center Emily Battle '05 said. "We knew it was kind of a fluke but it still stung, you know?"
The half ended soon after and Dartmouth went into halftime in a deadlock for the first time all season. "How are you going to respond?" coach Deb Archambault '85 challenged the team.
True to form, the DWRC stepped up. After a few tense minutes in the second half, the Big Green drove decisively down the field. After a ruck, the ball went through the hands of the backline until it reached wing Annie Snider '04, who beat her BC counterpart to the corner of the tryzone.
Dartmouth never looked back.
In the remaining 30 minutes, decisive rucking by the Big Green forwards and good hands in the backline overwhelmed the Eagles.
First, hooker Jen Obiapi '04 was instrumental in setting up a rolling maul that eventually allowed fullback Jackie Johnson '05 to bring the ball up to the tryline.
"Touch it down, Jackie, touch it down!" was Gaynor's expert advice. Instead, Johnson set a ruck. Luckily, inside center Kelly Gloor '05 was right there to move the ball the requisite six inches for the score. Battle converted the kick and the DWRC led 17-5.
Good scrumming and rucking allowed the Big Green to continue to drive the ball, and tries for Gaynor and flanker Cate Macomber '04 were the direct results of good possession control.
The final Dartmouth score was preceded by an eight-man pickup from senior Lois Schonberger, who had replaced Willer late in the game. She dished to Dale, who alertly handed the ball to a bursting Abby Berniker '03 for the score.
Although not particulaly close in the end, the game was telling for the Big Green. As co-captain Coldiron said, "This was an important game for us. We knew we could win against weaker teams, but I think today proved that we can play our game against tougher opposition as well."
Next weekend, the DWRC will continue its homestand with a Sunday afternoon match against Boston University. The A-side kickoff will be at noon at Sachem fields.
Anne Snider is a junior winger for the Dartmouth Women's Rugby Club.
