Vassar Women’s Rugby Concludes Ireland Tour With Close Loss, 12-5 to Fermoy

By Head Coach Tony Brown
3/19/2010

FERMOY, IRELAND (March 18, 2010) — Despite a 12-5 loss to Fermoy, the Vassar College women’s rugby team put forth a strong effort and got crucial playing experience for the entire squad on Thursday in the Brewers’ final contest during their Spring Break trip to Ireland.

Vassar College Women 5 v Fermoy Women 12
Tries: Willa Conway (1).

The Vassar Women played their hearts out in the final tour game at Fermoy on Thursday night but came up just short. The locals scored 2 tries, the first of which was a blatant knock-on, albeit in goal, and Vassar managed a late consolation try. On the positive side all the players played and almost the entire second half Vassar was in the Fermoy half. It’s tough to get the breaks on tour!

It was something of a bittersweet finale to the tour as Vassar faced a newly formed team in Fermoy. The age range of the Irish team was from 17-30 and the majority were in their mid-twenties. But there is a safety rule here that bars new teams from scrummaging so the scrums had to be uncontested. This happened 11 years ago to Vassar and this time, despite asking for games against teams that are allowed to scrummage, it was deja-vu. The Vassar Women of 1999 will read this and well remember the frustration and it was no different on a dry March evening for the 2010 squad.

Uncontested scrums make a mockery of the sport and while they have their place at the younger levels it devalues the game significantly both tactically and physically. Fermoy went ahead after their number 8 picked up from a completely stationary scrum and she bulldozed over from 5 yards out. Most frustrated of all was the Vassar hooker who was able to prevent her opposite number from hooking the ball. So at scrums Vassar was obliged to actually kick the ball to their opponents.

Down 5-0 Vassar seemed a bit out of sorts with the whole situation. The referee seemed a bit condescending though well-intentioned and the Brewers were being out hustled. But to their credit they put things to rights for the second half but that was not before they had shipped a second try.

In the first 20 minutes of the second half the back division was all underclasswomen and one might have expected them to be ripped apart. But they played with skill and verve and constantly asked questions of the Fermoy defense. Credit goes to Fermoy for defending well but if these Vassar players develop over the next 12 months then they could be a force in the Northeast.

In the final quarter of the game the territorial domination finally paid dividends and Willa Conway scored. Prior to that Jansyn Thaw had gone over the line only for the referee to mysteriously call it back and both Krissa Wiechmann and Ami major were just inches short.

The Brewers next take on Cornell on Sunday March 28th and will hope to ease the memory of this loss. At least it’ll be game on with fully contested scrums.

Squad (everyone played): Morandi Hurst, Celia Castellan, Willa Conway, Emma Backe, Sarah Fuentes, Julia Nissen, Jansyn Thaw, Patty Walton, Alyssa Bell, Nathalie duRivage, Krissa Wiechmann, Ami Major, Amanda Waterhouse, Lucy Cantwell, Mariko Yoshimura-Rank, Hannah Bober, Kate Hancock, Kim Beaudoin, Dana Hart, Caitlin Bull Laura Howard, Alana Melton. Injured: Brianna Blackwood-Mallory.

Next: Sunday March 28, 2010 versus Cornell Women KO 2:00 p.m.
Overall record 2009-10: 5-6-1.

Down 5-0 Vassar seemed a bit out of sorts with the whole situation. The referee seemed a bit condescending though well-intentioned and the Brewers were being out hustled. But to their credit they put things to rights for the second half but that was not before they had shipped a second try.

In the first 20 minutes of the second half the back division was all underclass women and one might have expected them to be ripped apart. But they played with skill and verve and constantly asked questions of the Fermoy defense. Credit goes to Fermoy for defending well but if these Vassar players develop over the next 12 months then they could be a force in the Northeast.

In the final quarter of the game the territorial domination finally paid dividends and Willa Conway scored. Prior to that Jansyn Thaw had gone over the line only for the referee to mysteriously call it back and both Krissa Wiechmann and Ami major were just inches short.

The Brewers next take on Cornell on Sunday March 28th and will hope to ease the memory of this loss. At least it’ll be game on with fully contested scrums.

Squad (everyone played): Morandi Hurst, Celia Castellan, Willa Conway, Emma Backe, Sarah Fuentes, Julia Nissen, Jansyn Thaw, Patty Walton, Alyssa Bell, Nathalie duRivage, Krissa Wiechmann, Ami Major, Amanda Waterhouse, Lucy Cantwell, Mariko Yoshimura-Rank, Hannah Bober, Kate Hancock, Kim Beaudoin, Dana Hart, Caitlin Bull Laura Howard, Alana Melton. Injured: Brianna Blackwood-Mallory.

Next: Sunday March 28, 2010 versus Cornell Women KO 2:00 p.m.
Overall record 2009-10: 5-6-1.