By Danny Brady
The Springfield College men’s rugby team is in contention to win it all.
After receiving its highest ever Division III National Collegiate Rugby Top 20 Coaches Poll rank at the No. 14 spot on Oct. 10, the team showed no signs of slowing down. Two days later on Saturday, the Pride cruised past Stonehill, 56-26, with the Divisional and National playoffs around the corner.
“We feel a mixture of pressure and confidence,” head coach Luke Salls said. “We know we’re good and we feel we should be in these rankings but at the same time, we’re still a young program and a lot of the schools that are on these national rankings don’t even know where Springfield College is.”
Looking back to Oct. 5, the squad secured a program-changing victory against No. 6 Endicott, 29-12, in an exhilarating clash.
“We played the game like it was ours to win. That was 80 minutes of 110 percent, and as a coach you can’t ask anything more of your players: that is the peak,” Salls said. “That was one of the most meaningful victories I’ve had as a coach, if not the most. They gave everything and it was awesome. It was pure heart.”
While this breakthrough may come as a surprise to outsiders, the team’s mentality gave them a strong sense of belief.
“We knew we had the skills to beat them,” senior captain Ajae Olsen said. “We built each other up, held ourselves accountable and stuck to the game plan.”
Mentality has been Salls primary focus outside of the X’s and O’s of the game.
“Just because rugby’s for everybody doesn’t mean rugby’s for everybody,” Salls said. “Everyone has a why. If you can conquer the why, then you can be 100 percent locked in and be present in practice and games. You’ll also have the hunger to play at your best.”
The team stepped into this mentality, especially the incoming first-years. An influx of injuries resulted in five first-years currently starting for the team, which makes up 33 percent of the starting lineup. Only one of them had past experience playing the sport.
“They didn’t really have a choice. They had to step up. And the amount that they’ve stepped up is extremely impressive. I’ve asked the world of them and they’ve responded exceptionally well,” Salls said.
Olsen, who has been out for eight months due to an injury, has been very pleased with the team’s development while he has been sidelined.
“As an older player, I have really enjoyed watching [the first-years] improve and see them step into a role with confidence,” Olsen said.
The program’s strong culture has also been a major factor in their success this season.
“We pride ourselves on being a family. We’re all reliant on each other and super close. We’re able to push each other and still enjoy ourselves,” Olsen said.
Salls, a former high school All-American and Division I recruit, knows how taxing balancing athletics and academics can be from his playing days – which is something he keeps in the back of his mind.
“We’re cognizant of what everyone is going through individually and that makes us stronger as a program” Salls said.
Olsen has had a different season due to his injury, spending much of his time on the sidelines, but it helped him note other players stepping into bigger roles.
“Ethan [Banfield] is more of a vocal leader. Even though he’s injured, he’s still leading the warmups and is doing everything he can to get back on the field,” Olsen said. “Nathan [Master] is more of a leader by example. Everyone respects him for his talent and play style. Carlo [Frunzio] brings experience, mentality, game knowledge and IQ. This is his fifth season back on the team.”
The team is set to play its final regular season game at home on Friday, Oct. 18 against Roger Williams ahead of the Divisional playoffs. In order to qualify for the National playoffs, they will likely need to win one of two Divisional games. They were able to reach divisional finals in a weaker division last year, but lost in the first round of Nationals to Babson.
“The goal I have for our players regardless of how we finish is to realize just how strong they are. No matter how physically strong you are, you won’t be able to run through somebody if you don’t believe it mentally. I want them to continue to test themselves physically and mentally and if they are afraid, to do it anyway,” Salls said.
Photo courtesy of Troy Gifford