Big Green Defeats St. Bonaventure in Regional Final
Following a victory over Pitt in the round of 16, Dartmouth Rugby took on St. Bonaventure on Sunday for the opportunity to represent the Northeast in the D1-AA Final 4. The Bonnies proved to be a tough opponent for the Big Green with their solid pack play and kicking game in the soggy conditions. But the Big Green hung tough and eventually came out on top, 30-22.
The Big Green were under pressure off the opening kick, finding difficulty exiting their own zone due to the Bonnie’s aggressive kicking game. St. Bonaventure struck first, blocking a kick deep in the Dartmouth zone and taking it in for the try to go up 5-0. But Dartmouth came right back off the next kick, winning a penalty in the St. Bonaventure zone and earning a lineout on the St. Bonaventure 5-meter. The Big Green struck quickly off the lineout with Lawrence Anfo-Whyte ’13 taking it in off a pick-and-go. The conversion was unsuccessful, and the score was leveled at 5-5. St. Bonaventure found the try zone next, putting down a try near the posts following some extended forwards play in the Dartmouth zone to make the score 12-5. But once again the Big Green came back strong, running 6 pick-and-go phases deep in the zone, culminating with a try by Zack Fowler ’15 to bring the score to 12-10. Both teams put through penalties before the end of the half, giving St. Bonaventure a 15-13 lead after 40.
In the second half, the Big Green decided to attack St. Bonaventure on the fringes of the ruck, using extended forward play to cut down on handling errors and maintain possession. This strategy paid off almost immediately, with Dartmouth stealing a lineout and driving into the Bonnie’s zone with numerous phases, eventually resulting in another try for Fowler. Madison Hughes ’15 tucked home the conversion, giving Dartmouth a 20-15 lead. Both teams were stalemated until Hughes darted free for an open field try with 10 minutes remaining. Hughes converted his own try, giving the Big Green a commanding 27-15 lead. Hughes put through a penalty in the final minute and St. Bonaventure broke free for a try in the last possession of the game.
Final score: Dartmouth 30, St. Bonaventure 22.
Dartmouth to the D1-AA Rugby Final Four
The Big Green now move on to the D1-AA Final 4. The tournament will take place May 11-12 in Bowling Green, OH. Dartmouth will face off the University of Central Florida in the semi-final game on Saturday May 11th at 2 pm. The winner of this matchup will face the winner of Lindenwood vs. Western Washington at 4 pm on Sunday for the National Championship.
Scoring Summary
St. Bonaventure try, conversion no-good, Dartmouth 0, St. Bonaventure 5
Lawrence Anfo-Whyte try, Hughes conversion no-good, Dartmouth 5, St. Bonaventure 5
St. Bonaventure try, conversion successful, Dartmouth 5, St. Bonaventure 12
Zack Fowler try, Hughes conversion no-good, Dartmouth 10, St. Bonaventure 12
Madison Hughes penalty converted, Dartmouth 13, St. Bonaventure 12
St. Bonaventure penalty converted, Dartmouth 13, St. Bonaventure 15
Half: Dartmouth 13, St. Bonaventure 15
Zack Fowler try, Hughes conversion successful, Dartmouth 20, St. Bonaventure 15
Madison Hughes try, Hughes conversion successful, Dartmouth 27, St. Bonaventure 15
Madison Hughes penalty converted, Dartmouth 30, St. Bonaventure 15
St. Bonaventure try, conversion successful, Dartmouth 30, St. Bonaventure 22
Final: Dartmouth 30, St. Bonaventure 22