Captain Cathal Coakley ’24, MA ’25 receives the ball from a lineout and passes to his teammates below during the Men's Rugby game against Santa Clara. / Photo by Rebecca Harper
Gaels Keep the Broncos off the Scoreboard with Showcase Victory
In the Men's Rugby matchup on February 8, Saint Mary’s performed against Santa Clara like true defending champs.
During their triple-header on Saturday afternoon, Saint Mary's Rugby continued to play like a national championship-winning team. The main match of the day took place first: a league matchup with Santa Clara University, where the Gaels offered an 80-minute showcase of dominance.
Offensively, the side put on a show using both forwards and backs for both solid play and some skillful passing. Defensively, the Gaels kept the Broncos off the scoreboard for the full 80 minutes, resulting in a decisive victory.
Bright spots in the day were plentiful and included both new and experienced players. Aisake Tukuafu ’28, representing the younger part of the team, was impressive on the back line, using impressive runs with sustained passing to help facilitate scoring plays for the home side. Sosaia Pongi ’26 was his fellow center to start the match, and the two helped get the backs into space while limiting the Santa Clara offense.
Helping lead the charge of the forwards was captain Cathal Coakley ’24, MA ’25. Coakley demonstrated some impressive skills with a one-handed catch that would lead to a try from a lineout.
Saint Mary’s led at the half by a score of 56–0. That was thanks in part to a perfect first half of kicking from Ollie Cline ’26, who helped control the pace of the match.
Saint Mary’s substitutions were also impactful, specifically the young Lucas Meranda ’28, who punched in four tries in the second half alone. Defensively, and for the forwards, Colin Donnelly ’28 played a strong second half when coming off the bench. Making both strong tackles and runs helped the Gaels maintain the success they saw in the first half.
UP NEXT: Saint Mary’s faces off against Brigham Young University on February 15 at Saint Mary’s Stadium. Kick-off will be at 1 p.m. The match will also be streamed on the Gael Rugby YouTube.
