Davenport University came back from Ontario with two victories, albeit in practice games with open subs and non-standard game-lengths.

 

Still, the two games were a good boost for the team, as they also took time to visit around Niagara Falls and bond as a team. 

 

“The goal was to have the boys spend some time together in an environment where the focus wasn't on rugby, but rather enjoying each other's company,” said Head Coach James Wood. “Cultivating new friendships and building upon those already in place, getting to know the guy that's going to be playing next to you all season - all of that is part of becoming a team.”

 

As a varsity team, Davenport trains just about every day, and that can seem like rugby is a job. Wood said it’s good that the players are focused, but they also need to break away from the tedious side of things.

 

Captain Angus MacLellan said the trip was valuable, too.

 

“Everybody got plenty of playing time,” said the prop who has spent part of last season at Trinity in Ireland. “It gave us the opportunity to get guys who haven’t been playing much over the summer to get back into the swing of the season and work on the game plan. At the same time, we didn’t go up there to lose, and we were happy to play well.”

 

Western Ontario was one of the opponents this past weekend, and will be again on Saturday, as they visit the Panthers in Michigan. MacLellan said WOU won’t be looking for revenge over a practice game, but, he warns that the Mustangs will remember last October’s somewhat humbling 36-7 loss in London, Ont.

 

“Neither one of us is looking too deep into this last game, but they weren’t happy at all about losing to us last year,” said the prop. “I think they were a bit sour about it and we expect this game they will come in with high intensity and better organized.”

 

For Davenport, rugby has had a weird run. After playing an independent schedule in their first varsity season in 2009-10, they went 26-2 in 15s games against other colleges over the next two years, winning back-to-back DIAA national titles.

 

That success prompted, naturally, a move to DIA, and the vaunted Mid-South Conference. Since then, Davenport has arguably been a better team, and is 12-14 against collegiate opponents.

 

“We know that we would rather be losing and playing at the highest level than playing somewhere where we are winning all the time and not being challenged,” said MacLellan. “But at the same time, it’s been two years and we haven’t won a game in the Mid-South. It’s very frustrating, There were some games where if the bounce of ball had gone our way, we might have won. But I don’t want to rely on that - I want to win games in the Mid-South because we worked harder and played better as a team.

 

“Right now I think we have a really good, balanced team. We pride ourselves on our forward play and we think we have the best scrum in the country. Our forwards get around the park well, and our backs complement the forwards. Our style of play has evolved. It used to be we could score off a mistake easily, or hold onto the ball for 14 phases and then score. Against teams like Life and Lindenwood, you can’t do that. You have to build toward scoring tries. That’s why having competition like we have from the Canadian teams on our doorstep really helps us.”

 

Meanwhile, off the field, Coach Wood believes that building relationships helps the team stay focussed for the task ahead.

 

“My hope is that our little excursion brought us closer as a team and strengthened our inter-player relationships,” he said. “In order to be successful in our league you have to be a team, you have to care enough about the guys around you to pick them up now and then and you have to be willing to lean on each other. Sometimes the best way to achieve these things is to have a bit of fun together and I think we accomplished that.”


Shop Sin-Bin Tees at World Rugby Shop