Low numbers might deflate other programs, but Bryant University is accustomed to asking 80 minutes of every player. The Bulldogs are also emboldened by that demand and used it win a third-straight Rugby Northeast conference title. The team is now returning to the USA Rugby DII Fall College Championship Round of 16/8 this weekend, and wants to come out of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with a berth to the final stage.
RELATED: Fall Championship Brackets (use tabs at bottom of doc to move between competitions)
“We came off a great year – you can’t get better than No. 1 in the nation,” Bryant head coach Rosanna Downey said of the 2019 DII College 7s National Championship title in the spring. “But we did lose pivotal seniors that played a huge part in the team. … We came back with 13 players. It’s the story of Bryant rugby; we’re always small and lean.”
So the team hit the recruiting trail and added nine players for the fall, and they were immediately integrated. Two rookies were named to the season-opener starting roster and took their two practices’ worth of rugby experience into the Roger Williams match. The team played down for the majority of the match – down one player for 60 minutes, and down two players for 40 minutes – but managed to win 33-5.
“We went into the season saying, ‘It’s going to take heart.’ That’s our mantra and we say it every day at practice,” Downey said. “I remind them that you can have all the skill and talent, but you need that heart and mentality to make it through a game.”
Players expect to play 80 minutes when they take the field. The down side is that injuries inject another layer of pressure, but the up side is that players are adaptable.
“We move people around a lot. We are just a very flexible team and always have lot of variation in our roster,” Downey said. “We’ve also been working on getting the ball wider because we’re a very small team with almost no size to us. We’re pretty fast but defensively we’re small and we’re trying to figure out how to beat bigger teams when their size overpowers us, and how to move the ball smarter on offense because we’re not breaking through them.”
Jen Rosinski has added an interesting element to the back line. The No. 8 moved to outside center to fill the void left by Melissa Mallahan, the MVP of the 2019 DII college 7s championship.
“It’s changed our dynamic a bit. Jen isn’t as fast as Melissa but still plays very strongly,” Downey said of the standout. “She intercepts a lot of ball because she’s always in the right place at the right time and has great ballhandling skills. She’s shown brighter there, where in the pack she might get a little lost.”
Rosinski pairs well with inside center Rylee Van Epps, who can power through the middle or take the corner and pull away from the defense. Courtney Wheeler, however, is the speed in the back line and returns to the lineup after a semester abroad.
“It’s not just speed, it’s the way she cuts around people,” Downey explained. “After our game with Bentley the coach said, ‘My wings said that no matter what direction you try to tackle her from, she can tell and just moves and gets around you.’ She scored six tries that game and has always been a leading try-scorer. She’s a captain this year and really leading the way.”
The forward pack is home to several rookies, so that’s where the guidance of players like Nyatasha Jackowicz, Judy Duong and Erica Johansson are crucial.
“Nyatasha is one of the best tacklers on the team, making tackle after tackle after tackle, and will hold that defensive line where it needs to be to help the rookies,” Downey said. “Judy plays prop but I’ve moved her around the pack because she’s such a strong person who can play any position I need. At prop she’s able to hold that scrum together and switch sides when needed – like this past weekend against Delaware. They started turning our scrum so Judy went to the other side and it stopped.
“Erica is not big but people have such a hard time tackling her because she always takes the ball at pace and is able to break through and gain a lot of yards,” the coach continued. “We pride ourselves on winning all of our rucks – as well as we can – so we seal as quickly as possible whenever someone goes to ground. The support is always there.”
They provided solid examples for the rookies, who were immediately called upon to contribute. Ali Weisheit and Julia Cappellini have taken to the game naturally.
“Ali knew she wanted to play rugby here before she came to Bryant, and she was one of the two rookies who played in our first game,” Downey said. “Afterward she said, ‘I can tell why you’re nationally ranked. Everyone’s so helpful and takes the time to explain things.’ I’m thankful to the vets for that.”
Weisheit started at hooker and then tested her quick feet at wing and fullback. She and Cappellini, who plays wing, have been soaking up everything like a sponge, and don’t play like rookies with two months’ experience. Cappellini has good hands and turn of pace, and has planted some great try-saving tackles. The team values all of its rookies, who are still figuring out their place on the pitch and looking forward to contributing.
It was tough, however, to get players enough field time, as the Rugby Northeast season was light. Stonehill College forfeited its game against the Bulldogs and the bye-week friendlies didn’t come through, leaving just five regular-season games to build cohesion.
Bryant and Colby College were 4-0 heading into their final conference match against each other. Both teams were guaranteed berths to the Fall Round of 32 as well as home-field advantage. The Bulldogs wanted to be the first team to win the conference three times in a row, but also needed to rest rehabbing players since more important playoff games awaited.
“We knew Colby was the game that was going to be the toughest,” Downey said. “We didn’t have our full starting line … and that hurt us a little. It was more frantic.”
Bryant had developed its offense, poaching possession and then playing off of those steals to stay on attack, but Colby pushed back. The Bulldogs were forced to play serious defense and those weaknesses showed themselves.
“It’s easy to stay positive when you’re winning games by 50, 60, 90 points, but Colby really tested us,” the coach continued. “We found holes in our defense and the communication wasn’t totally strong. Colby cuts back in a ton and we weren’t always there to cover that. Some of that had to do with 4-5 rookies who were playing and that’s just a gap of learning – not realizing where they need to be and what to do.”
Bryant won 19-14 and did become the first team to win three-straight Rugby Northeast titles. But there was a sense of work to be done in the two weeks before the Fall Round of 32, and Bryant focused energies on its defense in preparation for the University of Delaware. The Blue Hens finished fourth in the Mid-Atlantic conference and thus traveled to Rhode Island. Bryant won 56-10 and the defense, especially the communication aspect, was better, but the fast, uniform launch off the line needs work. It’s still coming together.
Bryant now heads to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the Fall Rounds of 16/8 and will face SUNY Cortland this Saturday (read more about the Peace Frogs’ fall). Depending on how day one goes, the Bulldogs will face either Colby or Vassar, the reigning fall champion, on Sunday.
“Bryant has now gone to the top 16 for a third year in a row. A part of them expects to be here but at the same time they’re excited,” said Downey. “We know we might have to play Vassar again, and the team is looking forward to it. Last year we had a relatively close game [40-24 loss] against them in Vassar terms, but now we know them and we know us. They’re probably more excited to have a rematch against them because we don’t play teams like that up here. We prepare for a team like Vassar, because you’ve got to beat teams like them to win it all. They’re hungry almost.
“I tell them that two games in a row will be tough – especially when a team like Vassar will use all eight of their subs – but it all comes back to the mantra: It takes heart,” Downey ended. “This weekend won’t be about skill – you’re all as good as you’re going to get at this point – and every team there is talented. It’ll be who can outlast each other.”
Bryant will be rostering a luxurious 20 players, and 12 of those have regional and/or nationals experience. Stay tuned for updates throughout the weekend.