In recent years, the Tufts University Rugby Football Club (TURFC) has established itself as one of the top teams in the region. This year has proven to be no different.
With only one loss on the year, Tufts sits at the top of the Div. III North Conference for the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU), tied with rival UMass Lowell, a team it dominated 34−0 back in September.
Tufts' only loss came at the hands of Colby, which edged out the Jumbos 25−17 two weekends ago. The Mules are currently third in the conference.
"We just came unprepared [to the Colby game]," junior co−captain Gabe Perrone said. "We hadn't allowed a point all year … but in the first two minutes, they scored against us and we were shell−shocked. We didn't know how to rebound. I don't think they were better than us. We just didn't know how to respond. We're not used to playing from behind."
"I think it was almost a good thing to lose to Colby, because in the first four games we hadn't had a point against us, so we thought we were invincible, so that was a wake up call," TURFC President Matt Menning, a senior, added.
In Tufts' six matchups so far, it has only allowed two of its opponents to put a score on the board — Colby and Wentworth Institute.
The points Wentworth scored, however, hardly made the match a nail−biter. Tufts notched its highest point total of the season, 46, towering over Wentworth's mere seven on Saturday.
Tufts leads the conference in points by nearly 40, having put 185 on the scoreboard this season. The squad also has allowed 35 fewer points than any other team in the East conference — and the NERFU, for that matter — with only 32 points scored against them as they enter their final regular season game. This point total is the lowest among all 32 teams in the NERFU.
The final matchup for Tufts pits the team against Bowdoin in Brunswick, Maine, this Saturday afternoon. The Polar Bears have split their games so far this season, sitting fourth in the conference with a 3−3 record.
This weekend's contests will determine whether the Jumbos are able to reclaim the conference crown, which the squad earned in 2008. The team will have to do as well as or better than UMass Lowell's performance against Bates to seal the title. Since the Jumbos defeated the River Hawks earlier in the season, a tie in the standings would go to the Jumbos. If UMass Lowell's performance bests Tufts', the Jumbos will match their 2009 result when they finished in the runner−up position.
Along with the conference championship, a victory over Bowdoin on Saturday would guarantee Tufts a home game and the No. 1 seed for the first round of the playoffs of the NERFU Championships.
"The goals going into this weekend are to win and stomp on Bowdoin," Perrone said. "It would boost our confidence, and it would earn us a home game for the opening round of playoffs. At home, we've allowed seven points and scored over 100, so I like our odds at home."
No matter the outcome of this weekend's matches, the squad has clinched its spot in the championship. The top two teams from each of the four conferences advance to this three−round tournament, through which one squad will emerge as the top team in the region. In 2009, the Tufts squad advanced to the semifinals, where it fell to Keene State.
With the success the Jumbos have enjoyed so far this fall, they have high hopes as they enter the championship season.
"On last year's team, some people started to get a little tired, and their commitment was waning near the end of the season in the playoffs," Menning said. "I don't think that will happen this year. If anything, I think people will be more excited going to the playoffs and extending the season a few weeks."
The Jumbos have a history of placing high in the NERFU Championships, having placed first or second six times between 1994 and 2004. Their most recent championship came in 2001.
The main strength of this year's program comes from a new attitude that has fostered a more cohesive and dedicated team.
"In previous years, we've had a different mentality," Perrone said. "We were more lackadaisical, and we acted more like a club sport, so I think kids didn't take it that seriously, but this year, we're taking it a lot more seriously."
While in past years, the squad has taken for granted early leads in games and eased up on their opponents, this year's squad has worked on its finishing ability, fighting until the final whistle.
"I'd attribute our success to two different things," Menning said. "A lot of the younger kids have been able to step up; a lot of holes we were worried about last year have been filled really well.
"The other thing is, we have really tight team cohesion," he continued. "Everyone gets along really well, and everyone is pretty committed this year. … That's kind of been our theme for the whole season, just finishing every game. We want to come in with a lot of intensity and never let up."
With a roster of approximately 35, the team's depth is a huge advantage. The squad draws many new athletes who pick up the sport as freshmen and gain experience before earning the starting positions that are held mostly by upperclassmen. In a sport plagued with injuries, however, some freshmen have a chance to prove themselves on the field and make an impact on the squad.
"It's been a lot of scoring and winning, which makes it fun, and there's been relatively few injuries," Menning said. "I feel like if we hadn't had that Colby game, there wouldn't be any blemishes. On the whole, it's been a really fun and really upbeat season."