October 5 - Undefeated Brown (3-0) continues its Division I National Title defense on Week 5 of Friday Night Rugby against Liberty Conference rival Fairfield (3-2) 7 p.m. ET at Rafferty Stadium in Fairfield, Connecticut. 

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Through three matches, Brown outscored Harvard, Syracuse and Nazareth 116-5. The lone try conceded this fall was in the 45-5 defeat of the Golden Eagles from Nazareth last week. Fairfield sits at 3-2 after opening the season with three-straight wins over Fordham, Northeastern and Nazareth, but the Stags have dropped their last two to Iona and Siena.

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According to Brown head coach David Laflamme, a strong core of forwards leads the Bears’ pack including president and No. 8 Matt Mitchell and two-time All-American and former Harlequins Academy player Oliver Corbett.

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Vice-captain and fullback Raphael Lansonneur, flyhalf JT Dyer, and inside center Max O’Danahue are just a few of the backs who lead the Bears on and off the field, according to Laflamme. Brown is also anticipating the return of Junior Gafa, who was drafted by the New England Free Jacks and is at Brown for one more semester. 

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Gafa, Corbett, Antonio Esteves, and Henrique Gabriel all recently competed for the Atlantic Coast All-Star Team in Bordeaux, France for the World University Rugby Invitational Tournament (WURIT). Laflamme also joined them as one of the coaches for the All-Star team. 

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“This is a pretty pivotal point in our season,” said Laflamme. “What we are really trying to do is get some of these younger guys into our identity.”

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Laflamme is not looking past Fairfield as he knows the program and how their playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread. 

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“I know those guys are going to be hungry for a win,” said Laflamme. “We can’t take this game lightly. We have to really dial things up.”

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Fairfield has been on the receiving end of some pretty close losses recently. The Stags could not find an answer to Iona after going up 16-0 on the Gaels, conceding four-straight tries to lose 24-16. They fell again the next week, 21-3, to Siena. 

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Fairfield is coming off a quarterfinal run through the DI postseason, the first playoff appearance in team history. The Stags finished 2022 ranked 12th, and in 7s earlier this spring, won the Liberty Conference, debuting at the Collegiate Rugby Championship. A strong leadership core from that squad has since graduated, including former captain Nicholas Lapponese, picked 8th overall in the MLR Draft by the New York Ironworkers. 

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Captain Chris Giunta competed alongside four Brown players in the WURIT for the Atlantic Coast All-Stars, and Lapponese was also a part of the team. Lock Robert Betsais, prop John Mav, and scrumhalf Kevin Splan are just a few of the returning players who are a part of the Stags’ leadership group on and off the pitch. Prop Chris O’Halloran-Gannon, inside center Eamonn O'Reilly, and Patrick McCail are all incoming freshmen proving to be valuable additions for Fairfield. 

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“When you play defense for pretty much 60 or 70 minutes at this level, winning is very difficult,” said Ryan. “We need to put it all together where that defense turns into attack, right now that is where we are lacking. ”

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“There is no better way to recalibrate the season than to go out and perform our best against the defending national champions,” added Ryan. “I think our guys are very hungry and anxious for success and to get back on track.” 

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Written by Joey Knese

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