Defending Gateway Conference champs Missouri S&T look like they might be poised to repeat after an impressive 39-7 win over UMKC.

For Head Coach Dane Meyer, it was a good victory, but there’s still more to do.

“Compared to last year we may be a little bit stronger,” said Meyer. “We’ve got some new players and overall a better team. But we need to work on our overall rugby awareness. We are getting good athletes, but I want to win rugby matches, not just brute athletic contests.”

Meyer said his team is learning the game, and that’s a good thing.

Missouri Science & Technology is one of a number of technology and engineering schools that have been playing good rugby of late (Colorado School of Mines, Cal Poly, RPI, RIT), and there’s reason to believe they will do well in the conference playoffs.

“We feel pretty good,” said Brice Caldwell, one of S&T’s start players in the midfield until he hurt his knee and knocked himself out for the season. The loss of Caldwell hurt, but Brance Neal has stepped in nicely in his place, and other players have stepped up, too.

“We’ve got to work on better rucking, and if we’re able to do that, then we can use our backline which is playing pretty well,” said Campbell, who is still helping with the team any way he can.

Among the players showing well for S&T are Coley Fonke, an aggressive flanker coming off injury, and fullback Zach Phipps, an elusive runner.

“He just kills team when they kick to him,” said Caldwell.

Phipps scored two tries against UMKC. No. 8 and flanker Grant Jamison is a versatile and physical presence in the pack, and he, like Fonke, is back from injury and playing well. Tyler Matthews is playing well at flyhalf, and has partnered nicely with David Laffoon at scrumhalf.

“He has improved a ton,” said Meyer.

Last year, S&T ran the table in the Gateway and didn’t lose until the first round of the national playoffs, dropping a tough 15-3 decision to Lindenwood-Belleville. L-B went on to make the final eight, and now plays as a DIAA independent team. S&T learned much from that and hope to convert those lessons into wins.

“The expectation is we win the conference and continue to play better,” said Caldwell. “We have the potential, but we have to keep working.”