Framingham State Men's Rugby Powers to Championship

The Framingham State Men's Rugby team completed it's Fall 2017 season as New England Developmental League Champions for the third time in three years with a crushing defeat of Colby-Sawyer 48 - 0 in the semi-finals and a hard-own victory over a vastly improved Fitchburg State 24- 5.

Framingham faced Colby-Sawyer for their first ever contest at Keefe Tech last Sunday on a wet, but firm pitch. The previous few days' rain provided an excellent soft and tactically challenging pitch, allowing Framingham to exploit the skillful kicking from Jesus Ruelas and Liam Glynn. Colby-Sawyer was a significantly larger team, but the Rams were able to use tactical kicking to exploit open spaces and exhaust the big men men.

The power-running trio of Noah Swords, Alex Beaton and Ezekiel Mercer-McDowell hammered the Chargers' defenses which quickly crumbled under the assault. Beaton scored four tries, and Mercer-McDowell scored three tries for a combined score of 35 points. The foot of Ruelas added three more conversions (6 points total) and a penalty kick for the total score of 48.

However, the scoring was only a reflection of the superb execution of the entire team. Although they were outweighed in the forwards by and easy 15 pounds per man, the Framingham pack was able to ruck and run with power against the tired and increasingly demoralized Chargers. The Rams' three-quarters line were able to string together many multi-phase movements, carving up large swathes of territory.

At the conclusion of the match, they team was justifiably proud of perhaps their best performance in the pat few years.

On Saturday November 4 the Rams headed to Holy Cross to face old foe Fitchburg in the league finals. While Framingham were defeating Colby-Sawyer, Fitchburg defeated the North conference champion Champlain College in a tight 21-6 match. The finals pitted Framingham against Fitchburg for the seventh time in three years. Previously, Framingham had dominated each of those meetings, most recently with a 39-0 victory in September. However, the coaching staff at Fitchburg had been pushing their side to improve and add complexity to their playbook.

The finals began with a long period of stalemate, reflecting Fitchburg's vast improvement from earlier in the season. The Rams had a great deal of possession but were unable to advance into the final quarter of the pitch. Time and time again, the Falcons either push the Rams back, or poached the ball and advanced into the opposite half. It was well past the 20 minute mark of the first 40 minutes when senior Noah Swords crashed through a series of tackles and scored between the posts. However, Jesus Ruelas who was playing with a severe groin pull from the previous week, did not have his usual control and missed the conversion, leaving the score at 5 -0.

Fitchburg then responded with some excellent rugby. Over the course of the next 15 minutes they thrice advanced to within 3 meters of the Framingham try-line, being stymied each time by a forced error or a score-saving tackle. Finally, on the cusp of half-time, they scored a well-constructed try on the far side of the field, making a conversion difficult, and ultimately, unsuccessful. So at halftime, the score was 5-5.

In the huddle the Rams were challenged to figure out how to overcome the solid defense they had met, and to dig deep to create a win. Match captain Marty Conally made a seemingly minor, but tactically brilliant and game-changing adjustment, and moved Noah Swords from ruck and maul duty in the forwards to running with the backs. Receiving the kick in the second half, the change was instantly effective. Swords cut through the Falcons defense, allowing the Rams to move quickly down the pitch, with Alex Beaton scoring a nearly untouched try within the first three minutes of the second half. Ruelas found this conversion difficult as well, and the score was a mere 10-5 to Framingham.

However, one the resulting kick-off, Framingham again drove deep into Fitchburg territory with a series of talented runs from Matt Pellegrino and Steve Oram. Then the powerhouse forwards took over. Time Yelle, Jack O'Donovan, and Matt Nettnay each took hammering runs, advancing the ball slowly but effectively 2 meters at time. Then the compact front row of Pat O'Keefe, Joe Bettinelli and rookie Able Veguilla dug the ball out of the pile and re-cycled the ball for the three quarters. It was a slow, powerful and most importantly, clock consuming drive that ended with Alex Beaton yet again dancing through the defense to score. Ruelas rediscovered his form and easily slotted a difficult kick to give the Rams seven more points to lead 17-5.

With under 15 minutes left in the match, and the outcome hardly a conclusion, Fitchburg cam roaring back, and Framingham had to withstand a series of very skilled and powerful attacks. The best sequence saw Fitchburg go through 15 phases of possession advancing more than 50 meters to stand on the doorstep of the Framingham line. Yet a handling mishap knocked the ball forward and Framingham took control of the ball, and a subsequent offsides call against Fitchburg pushed them back into their own territory.

From the subsequent lineout, Noah Swords tried an innovative low bouncing kick that was neatly scooped up by Garrett Fillion who for moments seems to break free on the far wing. However, a fingertip tackle saved the day. Again Fitchburg roared back. The intensity of the match was beginning to take its toll on the players, and with 15 minutes left in the match, senior Andras Sevigny replaced freshman Tim Yelle who had to leave the match with a leg injury. His impact was immediate and electric. A few moments later when a missed pass hit the ground, Sevigny kicked the ball on soccer style. He out-paces the defenders to again dribble the ball between defends and advance some 30 meters. Although Fitchburg recovered the ball, this quick strike deflated their momentum, and the spectators could see their heads hang low in defeat although the match was not yet over.

Shortly after, a wonderfully worked series of phases gave Zeke Mercer-McDowell a gap to exploit and score. Ruelas again converted, and with five minutes left the Rams led 24-5. Scrum half Liam Glynn had exhausted his energy and had gotten all he could out of his severely injured ankle and gave way to Mich Leonard who managed the team efficiently though the last moments. In the dying moments of the match, super-sub Sevingy made yet another powerful tackle, jarring the ball loose and out of play to end the game as time had expired.

It was a hard one but excellent victory for the Rams and their third in as many years.