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The St. Thomas Eagles Varsity XV opened up their 2010 season with a 33-12 victory over New Orleans Jesuit on Saturday afternoon (01-30-10). The Eagles were coming off a 17-2 season in which they placed 7th at the National Championships. While they had eight returning starters, many of those were in new positions to start the new campaign.
Will Gutkowski earned the starting role at flyhalf, replacing the Eagles all-time leading scorer and All-American Conor Mills, and demonstrated his skills on Saturday. Will did an excellent job of running the offensive and made a number of spectacular runs through the defense which set-up tries. Joining Gutkowski in the havoc caused by the back division was the dangerous Josh Ibarra. Ibarra's blazing speed and quick feet allowed him to repeatedly penetrate the Blue Jay's defense. Ibarra scored a fantastic try through the heart of New Orlean's defense and his defensive play was hard and aggressive throughout the game.
The forwards, led by Captain Ryan Sullivan, did a magnificent job of winning the loose-play throughout the match. Their ability to get to the breakdown and secure or poach ball was instrumental in the Eagles' victory. Logan Stryk, playing in his first rugby match, looked like a veteran and played with a controlled aggressiveness that put the Blue Jay backs on their heels throughout the match.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was the play of junior wing Rob Mabry. Mabry making his first start and appearance with the Varsity XV, had a brilliant game. He scored two tries and his second was a highlight reel affair. After intercepting a Blue Jay pass, Mabry ran the 45 meters and slipped a tackle, spinning off a defender to score under the posts. A fantastic effort and one of the most exciting tries one can hope to see! Rob is a great example of hard-work and determination in play.
All of the Eagles played well and this was a classic team-effort on the part of the First XV. There was a great crowd for the match and a wonderful post-match affair put on by the parent volunteers, led by the Price family. Saturday's affair was a great way to start out the season and although there is much the team needs to work on, we hope a harbinger for another great season!
