Pygmies Vanquished by Santa Fe PDF Print E-mail
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October 21, 2008
Written by Dave Wheelock   
Tuesday, 21 October 2008 13:24
      Jonathon Gray finds a gap in New Mexico Tech's defense Saturday. Last April Gray led his former club, Phoenix Red Mountain, to the 2008 division two national club championshipThe four mercenary players that the Santa Fe Rugby Club brought to Socorro were, arguably, each worth a five-point try in the visitors’ column. But it took a lethargic performance by New Mexico Tech to account for the rest of the 44 - 5 shellacking the Pygmies took on Saturday. One week after winning the Northern Arizona Tens tournament with five clinical wins, the Pygmies littered the field with mistakes and went down quietly to a Santos side reinforced with players from idle Rio Grande men’s division champion Albuquerque Aardvarks, who had beaten Santa Fe 53 - 15 on September 27.
      The visitors struck first just two minutes after receiving the opening kickoff. Scrumhalf Jonathan Gray, who before relocating to Albuquerque led his former club Red Mountain (Phoenix) to the 2008 men’s Division Two national championship, touched down a try following a scrum near Tech’s line. Cory Micander missed the two-point conversion kick attempt and Santa Fe led 5-0.
  As play developed the Pygmies appeared to be their own worst adversaries, consistently giving up ball possession through wrong options, handling mistakes, and substandard ball retention in tackle situations. Twelve minutes into the contest Gray struck again from a scrum awarded to Tech. Mike Anguti successfully hooked the ball back through the scrum for scrumhalf Dustin Webb to play, but Gray swooped in to steal the ball and streak behind the defense for a 40-meter try.  Seven minutes later the visitors profited from Tech’s poor tackling following a Santa Fe scrum, with Micander doing the final honors.
  Eight minutes before halftime former Pygmy Pat Simons tallied a fourth Santa Fe try to put the Pygmies behind a 22-0 eight ball. Four minutes later the home team finally gave their fans something to cheer about after a rare string of play brought the ball near Santa Fe’s line. Forced into a penalty, the Santos could not stop the determined charge of prop forward Nick Falcone, and the teams went to halftime at 22-5.
But Tech’s agony continued in the second half as Santa Fe accounted for most of the playing. Micander added his second try and Gray his third, with loose forward David Jondreau and high-flying Aardvark wing Aggrey Omiyo following suit. The Pygmies’ misery was alleviated only by Micander’s anemic two-of-eight conversion kicking rate.
Britt Catron was named Man of the Match for New Mexico Tech, who must now turn their game around in one week as they carry the Rio Grande Union collegiate division two banner into a challenge match with Eastern Rockies Union southern division leaders Colorado School of Mines. The Pygmies will travel to Golden, Colorado Friday in hopes of a Saturday upset and the right to advance to the Western Rugby Union championships.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 October 2008 13:31 )