No. 12 St. John’s club rugby prepares for upcoming nationals

After suffering a 49–10 regular-season loss to St. Thomas early in the season, the St. John’s club rugby team upset the Tommies 31–24 in overtime to capture the DIII Minnesota state title and advance to regionals.

“We underestimated them a little the first time, having beat them four of the past five times,” senior Timothy Flynn, club president, said.

Sophomore backs captain Jayden Forniel said preparation was key to their win.

“Once you get smacked in the face with a result you don’t expect, your whole approach changes. That picked up the intensity the rest of the season. We had a direct target, and we had a mission,” Forniel said.

The Tommies were ranked No. 7 in the latest National College Rugby Coaches poll before their loss to the Johnnies.

“We held them to their lowest amount of scores all season, and then we scored more points in that game than they had given up all season. Our team played St. John’s rugby, which is smart rugby,” Forniel said.

SJU has rattled off four consecutive victories and are 6-1 overall heading into their regional play-in game on Nov. 15.Their opponent is still to be determined. Junior forwards captain Thomas Moore said that the Johnnies’ 15 newcomers have given the team a fresh start.

“This has been a big year for new players, and throughout the season, a lot of guys have really found their pace, found their position and started developing a rhythm,”
Moore said. “Our physicality has increased throughout the season; our knowledge of the game has increased and our trust in each other has grown.”

Moore said that building team chemistry is just as important as the play on the field.

“Off the field, we want to continue to promote that sense of belonging,” Moore said. “Rugby for me represents a great opportunity to make friends and build connections. So, we always try to emphasize that social side of things. They’re not just your teammates, they’re your brothers.”

Forniel said SJU feels they are much more balanced across the board with every player on the pitch being capable of making an immediate impact.

“Our win on Saturday was 15 guys firing on all cylinders, doing the dirty work, doing the things that people don’t want to do. That’s what wins games. When you have guys that actively chase the dirty work and want to do the things that suck, that’s when you build a winning culture,” Forniel said.

Forniel said that the team will face many top teams, but they are confident they can beat anyone.

“Given that we just beat the number seven team in the country, I’m confident we can take down those other six teams that are up there. I think when we play as a team that is sticking to the game plan, trusting each other, and communicating, I think we can beat anyone in the country,” Forniel said.

Flynn also stressed the importance of staying focused and not overlooking any team at this stage of play.

“We just need to keep the same mindset we had with St. Thomas last week. We need everyone to leave it all out on the field and do what it takes to win,” Flynn said.

The Johnnies are the No. 12 ranked team in the country heading into their regional play-in game on Nov. 15.