At Goff Rugby Report we're bring back the Player Spotlight.

At least every month, hey, maybe more frequent than that, we will highlight a college or high school player who has done something special.

So we end 2019 with our player spotlight on Connor Robinson, hooker for Boston College. Robinson played at St. John's Prep in Massachusetts and while there he played a lot of No. 8. But as he progressed his high school coaches told him he'd probably want to make the move to the front row, and in college at BC, he did.

"I started out at prop but then they asked me to fill in at hooker," Robinson told Goff Rugby Report. "I was lucky because I spent some time working out with guys from the New England Free Jacks, and especially Steven Hinshaw, and they helped me a lot in understanding the position."

Robinson blossomed.

"I like hooker because it requires a lot more attention to detail," he said. "You have to learn different skills, and have to be much more cognizant of the game. Things like calming down before a lineout so you can be more precise. I love it."

Robinson linked nicely with ock Andy Thomas and flanker Jack Hock to run an efficient lineout and take Boston College to the Liberty Conference final. And that lineout also led to producing a stat that jumped right out at use.

In the Liberty Conference, three players logged 10 tries during the season, certainly an impressive accomplishment over the course of seven to nine games. But they didn't lead the conference, Robinson did, with an astounding 19 tries in only eight conference games.

"I think we all performed pretty wel this year and we were motivated because we didn't perform as well as we could have last season," said Robinson. "I think the tries were a result of that."

About 30% came from lineout-maul situations, in which Robinson had to be accurate in his throwing, and then quick to get to the back of the maul and finish it off. But he is quick to call those team tries.

But he aso added several linebreaks, channeling his old live as a No. 8, and ran in a few of those from about 40 meters. One of his tries was a 75-meter interception that went the distance. But, most, he added "were ust those ten-meter runs."

Still it's an impressive showing from a hooker to score more than two tries a game. And while BC fell short in the Liberty final to Northeastern (too many mistakes, said Robinson, and Northeastern punished every one), and then in a close non-conference finale with Notre Dame ("a really great experience and we were in a position to win"), BC will have the services of Robinson for another year.

The junior Economics major will be spending a semester at the University of Lancester in England, and he hopes to get a bit more rugby season while there. When he comes back, watch out.

Our Goff Rugby Report Player Spotlight is brought to you in part by Eagle Impact Rugby Academy.