WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY, Oct. 2 -- On a cold and rainy Saturday evening, the Dartmouth rugby team took on a strong Army squad at West Point. It was the third regular season match for the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club and the team was hoping to improve on its record of 1-1. However, in a hard-fought battle that opened with an early Dartmouth lead, Army slowly took control and was able to clinch a convincing 40-10 victory.
Throughout the match, Army was able to win the vast majority of scrums and lineouts, which effectively gave them control of the ball for long periods of time. Dartmouth showed early signs of offensive prowess, but its defensive lapses allowed Army to establish a lead in the first half from which the DRFC could not recover.
Early in the match, neither team could put together a long drive and find the try zone. However, Dartmouth was able to slowly work its way into Army territory by the fifth minute, and an Army penalty gave wing Andrew Caspary '06 an opportunity to kick for points. He managed to convert the kick despite the driving rain and Dartmouth went ahead 3-0.
Ten minutes of tough back-and-forth play passed before Army responded. The chain of events began when the Army forwards won a Dartmouth scrum near half-field. They picked up the ball and spun it wide to their sprinting fullback, who navigated the fractured defense for the try, which put Army up 5-3.
Again in the 28th minute, Army drove deep into Dartmouth territory. On a scrum inside the 22 m, the Army back line quickly changed direction to attack the weak side of the field. The backs ran the ball and capitalized on missed tackles in the Dartmouth back line to put Army ahead 10-3.
Dartmouth was unable to score to prevent the Army squad from pulling away in the dwindling minutes of the half. Instead, Army was awarded a scrum on the Dartmouth 5 m after a disastrous Dartmouth lineout inside the 22 m forced Tom Manzo '07 to touch the ball down inside his own try zone. The Army eight-man picked the ball from the back of the scrum and took it himself into the try zone for five points.
Two minutes later, as time was about to expire, Army again gained possession and capitalized on a Dartmouth penalty within its own territory to kick for points and make the score 18-3.
The second half proceeded much like the first, though by the final 40 minutes Army had established firm control of possession and was able to force the DRFC to spend the majority of its time on its heels.
Army had its first opportunity of the half in the 47th minute off of a scrum on Dartmouth's 22 m. Again the Army backs shifted to the weak side after a first phase forward play, which proved to be an effective tactic for them throughout the game. The backs quickly passed the ball wide and the Army wing put the ball down in the try zone to make the score 23-3.
Taking advantage of Dartmouth's missed tackles and poor defensive adjustment, Army managed to kick for points and to score two more tries before time expired.
Dartmouth did not respond until the final minute, when the team took advantage of Army penalties to drive the length of the field. With the ball close to the try line, flanker Isaac Kardon '05 picked it out of a ruck and touched it down in the try zone. Caspary converted the kick to make the final score 40-10.
The DRFC is hard at work this week training for its upcoming away match against Norwich Military Academy.
Dan Correa is a member of the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club.
