WYNDMOOR, PA -- March 1, 2026
“That was a very long game,” said James Allison '26, Xavier’s captain and fly-half, in describing his team’s 54-12 loss to Doylestown RFC. “But we need to keep our heads high and move forward,” Allison added.
Xavier had high hopes for their opening match against Doylestown, a historic powerhouse in club rugby, but fell flat as weeks without outside field time caught up with them. From the match’s outset, it was clear that being snowbound since January left the team unprepared to face a formidable opponent without practice time on a pitch.
Head coach Greg Norris acknowledged the setback and the conditions that caused it.
“Starting the season opener without getting onto a field once may have been a first in Xavier Rugby History. We had hoped that we might be ready for this challenge, but alas, we were lacking on the day. From the kickoff, we were defending and didn't see the ball for the first 9 minutes of the game.”
Within the first fifteen minutes of the match, Doylestown put up six points in penalty goals, a testament to a slow Xavier start. Inside Center Ian Lafferty ‘26 kept the score close in those first twenty minutes with a try, only to see the one-point differential evaporate several minutes later as Doylestown responded with a try of their own. Lafferty’s try would be the sole points for the Knights in the first half, as Doylestown added two more, leaving the score a daunting 25-5 as the first half ended.
According to Norris, “Up until the 15th minute of the game, with less than 10% of possession and very few opportunities, the lads were in the game. But when a few defensive errors crept into the game, and with some poor attacking choices, the focus began to wane. Doylestown took advantage of this lack of focus and picked up the tempo.” Eammon Matthews, Xavier’s Backs Coach, agreed that penalties and errors were an issue for the Knights. “I think our boys played a strong first twenty minutes, but we started making mistakes, and Doylestown was quick to punish us for them.”
The punishment would continue in the second half as Xavier struggled to adjust. The match quickly became a rout as Doylestown piled on five more tries with no Xavier response. The Knights managed one more score late in the second half as left wing Brian Caufield ‘26 put one over the line and Jack Cross kicked for the conversion points.
📸 Mike LiVigni
“We're a team where we take accountability,” said Number Eight Liam Averill ‘26, ”So now it's only up from here. We have to work on our spacing. We have to work on what plays are needed and in what situations they are needed. We need to improve our rugby IQ, but it's only up from here.”
Norris agreed and said that there were some bright spots in Xavier’s performance. “We certainly made our presence felt with some great double tackles in the trenches. We have a lot of work to catch up on in the open field, to build the chemistry that was lacking.”
“It's not where we start that matters; it's where we finish that counts the most.”
The Xavier second side was more successful in their match against LaSalle High School, defeating the Explorers 26-17. Second Side captain and second row Thomas Lewis ‘26 was happy with the victory but said the squad still had much training to do. “It was a great first game,” Lewis said, “It was our first time on a field this season, so we still have a lot of work to do, particularly on scrums. But we definitely like our defensive lineouts, and overall, our lineouts were strong today.” At the end of the first half, the score was tied 12-12 with tries scored by hooker Sebastian Dayrit ‘27 and inside center Riley Shaw ‘27. Scrum-half John Bazarian ‘27 was good for the two-point conversion on Shaw’s try. In the second half, openside flanker Sal Vitale ‘27 and prop Koesi Nishida ‘27 each put one over the line, with scrum-half Dan Menchini ‘27 good on both conversions.
Vice Captain Riley Shaw ‘27 was proud of both the team’s performance and victory. “It's definitely good to be back on the pitch,” he said. “We are definitely a little rusty, and we definitely need to work on our speed to our rucks and our width. But overall, I would say we played well, and we played gritty. The key to this match was Owen Madden; he tackles like a madman!” For his part, Number 8 Owen Madden ‘27 was grateful for the match and for LaSalle’s performance on the pitch, noting that they were a strong and challenging side. Madden also noted that despite the win, much work remains. “We need to work on our defensive line. We need to spread out a bit. We need to make those tackles,” he said, and added, “but I thought today’s match went well.”