Brown 17 - Yale 12

That's game! 17-12 @BrownRugby in a fantastic win against @YaleRugby. On a windy day with temperatures in the mid 40’s, Brown defeated a good Yale team to keep alive hopes of advancing next spring to the Ivy Conference playoff in a quest for a birth in the national scene.

Brown made the first few minutes look easy as the Bears gained early possession and, with the wind at its back, worked the ball to the Yale 20 meter line where center Connor McDermott powered the ball to the five and hooker Mike Manning drove over for the match’s first try, with wing Pete McHugh converting. The entire team put together an error free sequence of possession to achieve this score.

Yale, although fighting a strong breeze, immediately stepped up its game and took the attack to  Brown, with non-stop possession but the Bear defense was solid on the day and turned back waves of Yale backline strikes for the next 22 minutes until two missed Brown tackles on the wing conceded a try to close Brown’s lead to two points. Yale’s outside backs would prove dangerous throughout the match.

Four minutes later, Brown regained momentum with a kick to the Yale corner and a Brown lineout. Several rucks later, McDermott broke free for a 20 meter try, again converted by McHugh and Brown had a 14-5 lead at the half.

The defensive pace of the first half had been intense and with Yale now playing with the wind, Brown would have to up its game to offset this Yale advantage. But the defensive pressure exerted by Brown in the first half seemed to weaken the Yale resolve. It was anticipated that Yale would use the wind to kick the ball into Brown territory and keep the Bears pinned deep, but Yale maintained its first half pattern of play, passing to its very quick outside backs, who became isolated from the Yale forwards. Brown defended with heart and drove into Yale territory several times, adding a penalty kick in the 64th minute to increase its lead to 12 points.

With 8 minutes left in the match. Brown was again at the Yale goal line. A long pass from scrum half Joe Paolino at midfield had gone to right wing Nick Hoynes who with captain John Landers, had run the ball to the 5 meter line. With an opportunity to put the match away, the Bears bobbled a lineout possession, with the quick Yale left wing scooping up the free ball and running the length of the field for a converted try to reverse the match’s momentum and putting the result in jeopardy. Brown however, ran out the clock and held on for a well deserved win. Brown, on the day, put together its best performance of the season, but with lots of room for improvement.

About

Yale makes the quick trip to Providence to play Brown on the penultimate weekend of the Fall 2015 season. The first XV match kicks off at 2pm. The field is located on Elmgrove street across from the football stadium parking lot.

This is Brown's final game; Yale plays Harvard on 11/21.