For the week of June 5 - 11, 2002

Flying wings, tough rucks in Bellevue

Three rugby teams play hard

---

Saturday’s "For the Love of the Game" rugby tournament at Bellevue’s Slaughterhouse Canyon field was all about flying wedges, rucks, hard-hitting camaraderie and, of course, refreshments before and after.

Bald Mountain scrum half Billy Sprong (carrying the ball) eludes a Jackson Hole defender, surrounded by teammates Eric Dimmer (left), Matt Park (behind Billy) and Mike Ward (right). Express photo by Willy Cook

The host Bald Mountain Rugby Club, Jackson Hole (Wyo.) Moose and round-robin winner Park City (Utah) battled in three consecutive games on a muggy Saturday and partied deep into the night.

Bald Mountain, in early-season form, didn’t win either of its matches but kept its positive attitude throughout.

Nursing a case of the Irish flu, Ketchum’s Patrick Donohue later deadpanned, "If it wasn’t for the points, we would have won both of our matches."

Eddie "Ramblin" Rablin heads upfield for Bald Mountain during Saturday’s match against Park City. Express photo by Willy Cook

The Ketchum lads were missing some vital communication skills, having practiced together with 15 players only once, just two days before. But Bald Mountain’s teamwork improved throughout the day.

"We won a lot of set scrums and lineouts but lost on the loose play," said Donohue.

The Bald Mountain scrum provided a bunch of highlights in the second half of the team’s second game against Jackson Hole. They won a lot of rucks and mauls. Indeed, it was a hard-rucking game all the way.

Crouching at right, Jeff Rust and Eric Dimmer scrum low against Jackson Hole. Express photo by Willy Cook

Ketchum grabbed a 3-0 lead over Jackson Hole on Bryant Dunn’s kick, but stellar Moose fly half Adam Riley tied it up with a kick before the half, then Jackson Hole scored 21 additional points after intermission for a 24-10 triumph.

Scrum half Billy Sprong had a second-half try and Dunn converted the kick.

Park City downed Ketchum 19-10 in the day’s opening contest. Then, in the high-scoring final game, Park City slipped past Jackson Hole 29-24.

Fly half Bryant Dunn of Bald Mountain dishes one out. Express photo by Willy Cook

One of Bald Mountain’s best players, probably its MVP of the day, was fullback and weak side wing Milton Brooks of Bellevue, who used to wrestle for Wood River High School.

Brooks, maybe 140 pounds soaking wet, was everywhere as Bald Mountain’s last line of defense. He saved two or three tries with open-field tackles. In some respects, he was Bald Mountain’s defense Saturday.

Bald Mountain next plays Saturday, June 15 at 1 p.m. at a sevens Harlotfest in Stanley.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.