By Maxx Steinmetz
After a bye week that left Rutland tied for third place in the standings, the Roosters traveled to Bennington Saturday, Oct. 4, to face the “Battle” on their home pitch.
Cold rain fell steadily through warm-ups and for the majority of the game, making the ball slick and handling difficult.
In the first half, the home side marched down the pitch — the Roosters being slow to start and conceding a penalty within kicking range. The Battle capitalized on this mistake and slotted a kick through the uprights giving the home team an early three point advantage.
However, after that score, Rutland tightened up their mental bolts, and began an onslaught of offensive play that lasted throughout the remainder of the game. Bennington often threatened to answer with tries of their own, but were stopped.
After 80 minutes and several rain showers, the Roosters successfully converted six unanswered tries, giving them their third bonus point victory of the season. (Wins are worth 4 points, scoring 4 or more tries in a game garners 1 bonus point.)
Next week, the Roosters travel to Ludlow to face Black River and begin the second half of the season. The last time the two sides met, Rutland won convincingly with a 72-7 victory.
For more information about Rutland Rugby, visit rutlandrugbyclub.com.
