Things get serious early in Men’s DIA rugby as Utah visits Saint Mary’s for a non-conference game.

Saint Mary’s has thumped Arizona State and UC Santa Barbara in recent weeks, but Head Coach Tim O’Brien remains somewhat unimpressed with his team’s performances, perhaps showing exactly how high the expectations are for the Gaels.

For Utah, the Utes return Josh Webber, Gabe Rufflin, and Chad Gough, but they also are quite young in other areas. Watch out for Levi Hunt, Sal Salazar, and Kelsin Pupunu to show some skills. 

But for Utah, size is an issue. They don’t boast a massive pack, and so will need to move the ball quickly and test defenses out wide. That is a game plan that Saint Mary’s can probably handle.

This will be an interesting test for both teams, but right now it’s just a test, as the two programs look for higher honors later in the spring.