The Yale University Rugby Football Club

Yale Falls To Dartmouth in Ivy Playoffs

Yale headed up to Hanover to face Dartmouth in the first round of the Ivy League playoffs. Yale was excited to take on the Big Green in the club's first playoff action in several years. Despite Dartmouth's reputation and top ten national ranking, Yale came into the game unafraid. The match conditions were dismal, with driving rain throughout the game, although the field was fairly dry as it drained well. Despite the wet conditions, the ball handling by both teams was surprisingly clean. Unfortunately, Dartmouth's attack was simply too much for Yale. The Bulldogs played extremely hard, punishing Dartmouth in the tackle and contesting hard in the rucks. While Yale dominated in the lineouts, forcing Dartmouth to scramble to adjust, Dartmouth's superior technique allowed them to control the scrums despite their size disadvantage. Above all, Dartmouth's superior skill in the backs gave them the upper hand, as they kicked extremely well and punished all of Yale's mistakes. Fullback Ryan Vandersloot '11 was able to put Yale on the scoreboard with two penalty goals, Dartmouth had the upper hand on the day.

Final Score: Yale 6 - Dartmouth 53

Unfortunately, the B side contest was cancelled due to the poor weather, which worsened after the first side game ended.

All in all, there are many positives to be taken from Yale's regular season finish. Yale won more games than the past two seasons combined, and finished with a winning record for the first time since 2006. Yale was one of three Ivy League teams to post positive point differentials on the season, and played Dartmouth as close as any team in the league. Additionally, freshmen Mac Hull, Grey Grissom, and Matt Walker all saw significant time on the A side, giving reason to look forward to a bright future for Yale Rugby.

The Yale Rugby fall continues November 7th, at home at 1 PM, against UConn, a rematch of a preseason scrimmage that ended in a 22-22 tie. The game will be followed by The Game against Harvard. The B side match against Harvard will be played Friday, November 20th, and the A side match will be played the morning of Saturday the 21st. Times for the Harvard matches are still being determined, but both matches will be played on Clint Frank Field, the JV football field.