Rugby Squad Stops Brown To Grab Tie for Ivy Title

"It was the finest team defensive effort of the year. We knew we would have to play like that to win, and we did."

That was how Harvard rugby co-captain Phil Ordway evaluated his team's performance in a 3-0 win over previously-undefeated Brown here last weekend to clinch at least a tie for the Ivy League championship.

Ordway accounted for the only points in the match with a penalty kick field goal early in the first half, and the Crimson defense held on for its seventh consecutive win of the fall season.

Weather was a factor in the contest, as large pools of rain water covering the turf made accurate passing and kicking difficult. Harvard rouges have become accustomed to these conditions, but Brown clearly was not. "These were ideal conditions for us," Ordway said.

Much of the second half was played deep in Harvard territory, and long breaks by Ed Banner and Jamie Plunked gave the defense the breathing space needed to combat the Brown offense.

In the preliminary match. Tony Farrell tallied all six points with a penalty kick and a try as the Harvard B squad defeated the Brown second team, 6-0. Later in the day, the Crimson C unit made it a clean sweep by stopping their Brown counterparts, 13-6.

The final match of the season will be November 21 against the Yale rugby club, with a Crimson win ensuring the undisputed league title.