Rejuvenated Rugby Santos Drop Aardvarks

April 1st, 2023

April 1, 2023 - DW

SFRFC 60, Aardvarks 36

The Santa Fe Rugby Club may have turned a corner with their 60-36 win over Rio Grande area top dogs Aardvarks in Albuquerque Saturday. The injection of eight new players into the team of 15 helped produce the 24-point margin over a team that has run roughshod over Santa Fe in recent years.
Santa Fe’s eight forward players set the stage by dominating ball possession, and their seven fleet-footed teammates in the back line rewarded them with frequent five-point tries over the game’s 80 minutes. New team members accounted for seven of Santa Fe’s nine tries: Guadalupe Moron (2), Elijah Naranjo (2), Jason España (2), and Leon Wilson. Dependable veteran fullback Isaiah Sanchez carried for one try, as did hardworking loose forward Ryan Means. Wilson added six two-point conversion kicks and one penalty kick.
“We were largely able to achieve our goal of keeping the ball away from the Aardvarks” said a pleased Santos coach Richard Morris after the match.
Santa Fe hosts El Paso’s Scorpions at 1:00 pm Saturday April 8 at the Municipal Recreation Complex and will travel to the border city on April 15. Winning both matches will likely secure a playoff berth in the Southwest Rugby Union, comprising teams from New Mexico and Arizona.