Vassar Thumps Albany 68-14

Courtesy of Vassar Rugby:
By Tony Brown, Head Coach
4/19/2012
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 18, 2012) -- The final game of the season for the Vassar College men's rugby team was played under cloudy skies with warm temperatures at the Farm and the conditions were ideal for running rugby. The Vassar team needed no other invitation and they bid farewell to their seniors in style, running in 10 tries to demolish a speedy and athletic University of Albany team. Senior Brett Anker set a new single season record for total points scored as he landed 9 conversions to go with two tries and a total of 28 points. Vassar College Men 68 v 14 University of Albany

MenTries: Andrew Jdaydani (3), Joe Karpman (1), Adam Steel (2), Brett Anker (2), Andrew Moore (1), & Hal Moore (1).Cons: Brett Anker (9).Next: Saturday April 28, 2012 versus Vassar Alumni a.k.a. "Big Pink", at Vassar kick-off 12:30 p.m.

Captain James Purtle led the Brewers on to the field in this the final game of the spring season with his thigh heavily strapped. He knew that he was on borrowed time given he was injured just 3 days earlier. Yet in those opening 10 minutes he ran hard, tackled harder, and led from the front as he has always done. When he limped off with the score at 7-7, one had the feeling that the Vassar team would play their hearts out to earn a win.Previous games against Albany have been close affairs. Last year Vassar edged it 14-5 and the year before Albany won 27-17 while in 2008 Vassar was victorious 18-10. But the 2012 contest was a real drubbing for the Albany team. Yet the opening 15 minutes they showed that they had pace and made some good line breaks. Their fullback Sean Kimmins is a flyer and their flyhalf Ryan Grant looked dangerous. Up front they had good size and in the first couple of scrums they attacked the Vassar eight and shoved them back. They certainly didn't do their cause any good when they had players yellow carded, one in each half, and they had to play with 14 men.

So after 25 minutes when Vassar led 17-14 it seemed that this might be yet another one or two score game.Albany looked most dangerous when the field was broken up after a turnover. Their athletic speedsters beat first time tacklers and found space. But too often a poor pass was thrown or the Vassar defense scrambled back and recovered. Vassar's first try was scored by Andrew Jdaydani as he cut back against the defensive flow following a tapped penalty just 15 yards out. The number 8 come inside center is unorthodox to say the least. Brett Anker, who had moved from left wing to take over flyhalf when Purtle left the field, slotted the conversion and it was to prove the first of many successful kicks as he connected on a further 8 in all. Albany responded well and a missed tackle in the centers allowed them to get through and around the Vassar defense to even matters up at 7-7. The next score was an opportunist try from Joe Karpman the Vassar loosehead. He gathered a ball at the base of a ruck and went don the blindside and in his usual no nonsense manner just ran over the defense. Anker missed the conversion and it was 12-7.

In fact the Vassar forwards were playing very well in the loose and one could have thrown a blanket over the whole 8 most of the time as they won ample ball and established their pattern of play. The lineouts were going well since Albany chose not to contest in the air so it was a case of "Zero Gravity Kenney" and "Air Ruginski". Ruginski also managed a couple of steals on the Albany throw. The scrums were rock solid apart from the first two and Albany's situation didn't get any easier when early in the second half Barrington Archer came on to replace Dann Flynn. The big lad had a couple of storming runs and tried to put a whole year of frustration into his last 25 minutes of collegiate rugby!Much of the credit for the Vassar forwards performance is due to two people in particular. Mark Griffiths coaches in the fall and gets the lads thoroughly organized and it is a great pity he is not here in the spring to see them firing on all cylinders. Vassar captain Tyler Blake is the man who drives the engine that Mark creates and he is as skilled an operator as there is on a rugby field. Blake does it all and is seldom noticed given that he is in there among the big bodies. He tackles, scrummages, calls the lineouts, and gets everyone in the right place so he's the ultimate multi-tasker!

So with Vassar assured ball from lineouts and scrums they were able to launch their attacks. Anker kept getting them over the gain line if the ball went to the backs and the forwards were loving the close quarters running off the fringes and making good inroads. In contrast Albany were static at the rucks and when they picked they went maybe a yard or two. Vassar's tackling around the fringes was excellent.

The Vassar backs sliced and diced as the game progressed and it was a joy to see Hayden Moon running with such confidence. He may not have scored on this day but he helped raise the temperature every time he got the ball. Adam Steel played a cracking game. Although he did put in 3 kicks counter to instruction! One led directly to a try and the others were not half bad either. He just had to sign off reminding us that he has that skill! Steel also picked up 2 tries for all his hard work and the D.C. area will be lucky to have him and his halfback partner in the fall there. Another senior Hal Moore scored a try that he will long remember and he tackled well throughout.Every player looks good when the team is on-song like this evening and the younger players too had moments. Freshmen Andrew Moore and Elliot Baker played with verve and skill that belies their years. Moore scored a try following a charge down and Baker was a star on defense.So the 2011-12 collegiate season ends and the Brewers finish 10-2-1, with a 6-2 Fall record and 4-0-1 Spring record. Not too shabby.