Montini Rugby Football Club (click on picture to enlarge)

May 11, 2011

LEMONT, IL – After losing their first 4 matches of the season, the boys in Maroon & Gold finished 2011 with a closely contested match against the Glen Ellyn Ducks at the Blaze field Wednesday afternoon. After the dust settled, the score pronounced Montini the victor by a score of 32-30. This victory could easily be attributed to the speed of the Broncos backs, but the prop-work in the rucks told the larger story. Coaches Mullins and Bossy repeated the mantra of ruck-ruck-spin during pre-game warm-ups, and the Broncos took heed. Although size was not in their favor, their speed and numbers to the rucks became the difference in maintaining ball control and ultimately setting up scoring opportunities.

Early in the match the Broncos' benefited from a high tackle penalty near Glen Ellyn's try line. From 5 meters out prop Zach Taylor took the ball and barreled through the Duck's defensive line for the first try. Fly-back Josh Chomiczewski scores the next two trys, the first on a 10 meter run and the second on a beautifully executed loop starting on the 22m line and spanning nearly the width of the pitch. Scrumhalf Tom Desmond scores the next try when he scoops up a tunneled ball from a mid-field scrum and speeds past several defensive players. Minutes later center Jake Stevenson powers through a couple of tackles, ending on a spin and extending the ball just over the try-line for Montini's 5th try of the day. The final try comes late in the match when center Joey Rumph picks up a pass from Chomiczewski and dives in for the score sealing the Ducks fate.

Despite losing players to a string of injuries throughout the season, the Broncos refused to play the underdog role. But they were. The big win against Brother Rice the previous week showed what was possible from a team that played disciplined ball. The hard-fought win this week was not enough to reclaim the season, but winning two-in-a-row provides momentum for the underclass to carry something positive with them into next year. Now we wait until next year!

Watch the Glen Ellyn match on YouTube.