Rugby rolls to perfect 3-0 start to spring season

Midterm Break was a well-deserved rest for the Truman men's rugby team.

Two weeks ago, the Bulls traveled to Lawrence, Kan., and defeated both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, finishing out their final two conference matches of the season and bringing their spring record to 3-0.

The weekend began with a match against Oklahoma, a team that has plagued the Bulls during the past few seasons. Head coach Bill Sexton said one particular part of the Bulls' play was key to their 12-7 victory.

"The only reason we won that close of a game was because of courage on defense, and that cannot be understated," he said. "… There were times where we defended right in front of our goal line through multiple phases and then were able to clear the ball eventually."

On Sunday, the Bulls locked horns with an Oklahoma State team that suffered a defeat at the hands of Kansas State University. Truman went on more of an offensive front in that game and defeated Oklahoma State 29-10.

Junior Dustin Homer said he was very pleased with the wins, even though the Bulls were knocked from contention in the Western Conference tournament last fall.

"Last semester, we were really disappointed with how we played, but we were a really young team last semester," Homer said. "I think this weekend has really proved how good we've gotten."

The two wins came after a huge 53-0 shutout against the University of Tulsa the previous weekend. Sexton said he thinks the win was a definite boost going into last weekend's matches.

"We knew we could play, we could attack and we could have a coordinated game, but we also knew stepping up from the University of Tulsa to the University of Oklahoma is a big step," he said. "There was that shadow of doubt in the back of everybody's minds of, 'Do we have the horses to pull it off?' and 'Do we have the game plan?' and I am pleased that on the days of the game, the guys were able to do it."

The weekend did take its toll on the team, however. After the first match against Oklahoma, an injury forced junior Lawrence Emembolu to the sidelines. Sexton said that at first, he thought Emembolu simply had rolled his right ankle. However, after closer inspection, doctors confirmed that he had fractured the end of his right fibula. Sexton said the injury requires six weeks of recovery, putting an end to Emembolu's season.

"It's really unfortunate because he was just coming back to the team after having not played for a couple of years," Sexton said.

Emembolu's injury was not the only setback the team faced throughout weekend. Four regular starters for the team missed both games, for both Midterm Break-related activities and family obligations.

"A couple of guys who would have been starters … decided to go on [Midterm Break]," Sexton said. "… They made decisions based on their priorities."

With the absence of the starters, however, other Bulls who otherwise would not have as much playing time stepped up to aid in the win. Most notable among these players was junior Ignatius Onyewadume, who totaled three tries throughout the weekend. Junior Will Holleman said that the team still came away with two wins can only be a sign of good things down the road.

"We are usually undersized and understaffed, being a smaller school," Holleman said. "The fact that we can still come away with those two huge wins says so much about our team and our future, especially our future."

Next for the Bulls' is a match Saturday against the St. Louis Bombers developmental team. The Bombers are a men's super-league team and represent the highest level of competition the Bulls have seen have seen so far this season.

Last fall, the Bulls lost to the Bombers 34-5. Still, Holleman said he thinks the Bulls have a fair shot at winning. Even if his team loses next weekend, he said he doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing.

"Since we are kind of on a roll, I think it would set us back a little bit, but I imagine this weekend will be pretty big on getting people more acquainted with day-in, day-out playing," Holleman said. "… But I don't see why we can't still win. We're not cocky. We're just confident."