Brown Men Overcome Yale in Tough Match

Brown and Yale, having sustained injuries to key players, faced off on Saturday in a must win match for both programs. Brown’s victory on the day was not pretty, but the Bears dug deep on defense to hold the determined Yale offense to one second half try after Yale’s intercepted pass in the first two minutes of the match.

With the field in good condition and the day warm and sunny, Brown recovered from Yale’s initial score through fly half Colin Schofield’s trusty boot as he kicked three first half penalty kicks and converted a try. Schofield also had a hand in a well executed backline play that sent freshman left wing Peter McHugh through a gap in the defense for a 30 meter score.

The Brown forwards were tested more today than in the previousYale encounter, unable to dominate scrums and lineouts as they had in New Haven. As well both packs were prone to unforced handling errors and lost balls in contact.

As the second half began with Brown up 16-10, scrum half and captain Matt Leonard placed a penalty kick out of bounds 7 meters from the try line. Brown’s lineout was not won cleanly but Brown had clean ruck possession. Rookie prop Dillon (DJ) Ingham picked up and drove over two Yale defenders for his first try and an important 11 point cushion.

Brown and Yale then played 16 minutes of tense but unproductive rugby, with Yale pressing attack and Brown defending well. Yale finally broke through, scoring a converted try to close Brown’s lead to four points.

Deep in its end and with the match winding down, Brown flanker Connor Flexman was “sin binned” and Brown would have to play the rest of the match a man down. The Bears stiffened its defense and benefitted from a couple of Yale penalties which Leonard kicked for touch to create space. Now in the Yale end of the field, Brown did not win its lineout but hooker John Landers alertly picked up the loose ball, surprising the Yale defense for a 15 meter run for a try. Schofield’s conversion gave Brown their first comfortable lead of the day as the game ended.