On a blustery Saturday in Worcester last weekend, the ladies of Charles River were met a powerful Shamrock squad. The orange and green were bent out of their usual playing strategy early on, and struggled to reestablish themselves in the face of numerous challenges to their regular play style. The Shamrocks came away from the pitch having toppled the Rats 26-5, handing them just their second loss of the fall season. Despite the loss, however, River showcased a promising mix of veteran and rookie talent, as well individual player utility that they will take into their final game this weekend.
Upon the opening kickoff, Worcester immediately began to drive into Charles River territory. Utilizing their size advantage, they powered through River’s middle. The Rats, caught on their heels, struggled to bring their Worcester opponents to the ground as their transitioned through a series of short gains. The Shamrocks touched down their first try after a series of methodical advances through the center of the field. They converted, and went up 7-0. Charles River bounced back after Worcester’s first try, as they struggled to mount some aggressive defensive energy. Maegan Hoover, in at Flyhalf for the day, relieved pressure for River on several occasions, making some well-placed and well-timed kicks. Lizzie Chapman, River’s prodigious rookie Fullback, did the same to help the Lady Rats out of trouble. From a strong base in River’s scrums, River pushed back. Nice pressure in loose play from Molly Desmond and Amanda Martin from the Center spots produced some opportunities for the Lady Rats. Charles River advanced on a series of carries, where the ball passed through the hands of Martin, Chapman, Anne “Wales” Beaumont, and Chrissy “C” Andronico. Despite the promising advance, however, the rats were forced out of bounds and Worcester regained possession. The always-stellar lineout trio of Jehanne “Juggs” Junguenet, Lisa “Natty” Natalicchio, and Forwards captain Alicia Evangelista managed to steal a Worcester lineout, but the Rats failed to capitalize on the effort. Worcester turned up the field, and, after consecutive penalties to Charles River coming out of a mangled ruck set, Worcester mauled the ball into the River try zone and touched it down for their second try. Afterwards, the River ladies again picked up the pressure. Flankers Jess “Jibz” Ingram-Bee and Lane Standige led the charge from the Flanker spots. Despite another definitive possession change on a second lineout steal by Evangelista, River was again unable to capitalize, and finished the half down 0-12.
A revamped River lineup took the field in the second half, and with it, some of the fledgling talent flanking the CRWRFC roster emerged. Newcomer Kate Etcheverry had big shoes to fill while subbing in for Hooker Lisa Natalicchio. Etcheverry performed admirably, adroitly maintaining River possession through scrum play. Lane Standige played a very strong game overall for Charles River in the pack, but was spectacular in the second half. The wiry Standige ran through a defensive line that vastly outsized her on several occasions. She pressured well from the scrum, and assisted in halting Worcester mauls on more than one occasion. She would be Worcester’s pick for Opponents’ Star of the Game as they too recognized her efforts. The consistent mauling game of Worcester would wear River down, however. As the Lady Rats had trouble bringing their Shamrock counterparts to the ground, the larger Worcester team bound and drove down the field with efficiency. After a series of mauls and carries through the middle, Worcester touched down another try, taking a 19-0 lead over Charles River.
Rugby newcomer Maggie Mink showed much promise as she made several nice carries for River, stepping in on the wing. Deirdre Murphy ran consistently in support of River ball carriers. Standige continued her dazzling effort, mixing in hard hits, strong runs, and solid rucking. Nina Romá Agvanian, coming into a reshuffled Ratpack, helped drive a consistent scrum. Young River talent combined with veteran savoir faire to set up River’s first score. Kara McAuliffe, moving from second row to 8-man to replace an injured Andronico, made for a formidable presence on the pitch. McAuliffe laid a series of punishing hits on the Shamrocks, helping to capture some momentum for the Lady Rats. The division’s only Prop-turned-Scrumhalf, Jehanne Junguenet, showed a spectacular versatility that would later earn her the first River “Slashie” Woman of the Match Award, for making an impact as a forward and a back during the game. It was Murphy, though, who would harness the resurgent River energy and take the ball into the try zone for her first score as a Lady Rat. Murphy would also earn a Woman of the Match nod from Captain Evangelista, for a well-rounded effort on the afternoon. Momentum would swing again in Worcester’s favor toward the end of the game, unfortunately. Despite highlights like Junguenet’s quick ball transition and an impressive tackling display from Rookie Krystyna Koz on the wing, the Shamrocks again drove down the field for a try. River would hold up another attempt minutes later, but would finish the game with only one score of their own.
River looks forward to assembling the points of strength from the game this weekend, as well as retuning some strategic points to regain their early momentum. The Lady Rats will close out their season Saturday, October 23rd, in another Boston rugby battle at Moakley Field. Kickoff against Boston Women’s Rugby is scheduled for 11:30 AM.
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