Positioning, fitness, communication, individual athleticism, and teamwork. These are some of the few secrets to success in sports. These attributes are particularly key in the game of rugby.
The Jesuit Ranger Varsity Rugby team put these essentials to work in their season opener versus UIL district rival, the Richardson Eagles. The Ranger basketball squad managed to defeat Richardson a few weeks ago, but could the rugby guys get the job done, too?
Of course they could, and they did, defeating Richardson 18-5 to start the season off with a victory. Despite the Eagles being, as Coach Austin Ryan (JV head coach and Varsity assistant/statistician) described, “very athletic and fast,” the Rangers came out on top.
In their first game, the Rangers learned a lot about themselves. And what exactly did they learn? Simply put, that defense wins games.
Coach Ryan explained: “Our first game reveals our character, or identity. Our strong suit is definitely defense. The ability to attack derives from the ability to defend for us, and sure enough, our defense held solid versus Richardson.”
Standing out with their impressive defensive tackling, anchors of the formidable Ranger defense were Emmet Flood ’16 and Mark Vache ’15.
Rugby, not being the most popular of American sports, might be perceived as being hard to understand. However, the game is actually relatively simple, and similar to other sports. Soccer, lacrosse, and hockey all appear to be kins to rugby. Coach Ryan explains:Â “Rugby is a game is similar to numerous other sports. Possession of a ball is equally available at all times; anytime that isn’t happening, it’s a penalty. Just like other sports, there’s an attack and a defense. Scoring is similar to football, except a touchdown is five points while a conversion is two or three points.”
The term “touchdown” actually originates with rugby. When attempting to score, players must actually touch the ball down to ground in order for it to count.
Rugby, however, does not only compare to other sports, but also compares to various social events. It isn’t just a game, as Coach Ryan describes that “There’s a real essence of camaraderie where you beat the crap out of each other and then have a social. Grown men all go out and drink beer after battling against each other. Being a high school team, we get soda instead.”
“The game is based on conduct being of a higher level, and you play with a sense of refinement. Although it’s considered to be a violent sport, you play like a gentleman.”
The gentlemen of Jesuit College Prep are looking forward to an exciting season. But Jesuit being Jesuit, this isn’t your average team. The rugby players do things a bit differently.
“We’re getting our players to cut the cord,” Coach Ryan explains. “We don’t want them making decisions on the field purely based on what they think the coaches would want them to do. In other words, we want them to take more ownership of the game. A rugby match is a lot like a test. Your teacher/coach doesn’t give you the answer during the test/game, but rather, your success is based on preparation. We are trying hard to get our players to be more autonomous.”
The Rangers will see if their preparation can turn into successful autonomy next week where they’ll be matching up against Jesuit rival Strake. This private school showdown is sure to be a great one, so go out and support your Rangers!
