Saturday TRFC was eager to get back on the pitch for their third game in eight days in a merit table match against a tough Springfield squad.  TRFC was eager to see how well they would play after an inspiring match against the British Military just a few days before.  Unfortunately, the Wizards just couldn't find their game.

The final score was 47-7 with Springfield coming out on top in a match that Topeka will try to get out of their system before they head back to the training pitch to get ready for their annual St. Patty's Day Tournament on March 16th. There was a lack of intensity at times, and confusion going into the rucks for many of the rookies is still a problem that needs to be fixed soon.  The back-line had trouble getting the ball in the sloppy conditions caused by the constant downpour of rain.  Also, failure to adjust to Springfield's out manning them in back-line play as well as not getting sucked into the ball on defense caused problems for the backs.

Eric Robberson scored the only try for Topeka on an intercepted pass midway through the first half.  Topeka will need to work on their offensive game-plan to try and solve their scoring woes.  With the upcoming tournament, this will give the Wizards plenty of opportunities to try different things to see what will work for them as the season continues.

Defensively, Topeka needs to do a better job of filling gaps and reading when overloads are starting to form.  Knowing not to contest lost rucks will help cut down on that as well.  Keeping up the intensity for 80 minutes is a problem for many rugby clubs.  TRFC has the habit of playing hard for a half but not a complete game.

It is still early in the spring for Topeka but the season progresses quickly and Topeka needs to work even harder during the week to start overcoming little problems that lead to big mistakes.  This is a club with a lot of heart, but no core identity, but there is the feeling that this is going to change soon.

The rare midweek, night game at Washburn University was a great experience for the rookies of Topeka Rugby.  TRFC continued their tradition of playing the British Military side in an early spring match that was also a fund-raiser for the families of two Topeka Police Officers, killed on the line of duty last fall.  It was a crowd of close to 600 people that came out to see this "international" match that saw Topeka make a huge improvement in their play from the Wichita match that was just a few days earlier.

Plenty of rookies saw action roughly half of the Wizards starting side was comprised of them.  Everyone played hard and kept it close with the British 5-0, for most of the first half, until a unlucky error gave the British another try before time, to put them up 10-0.  Topeka had their chance to go up, but two missed penalty kicks for points came up empty.  Rucking penalties on both sides of the ball killed momentum for both squads, but the game flowed well enough.

In the second half, Topeka kept up the effort to keep the more experienced British side from gaining ground but the defense could not hold as 21 more points were added to the visitor's score.  Again, Topeka had a chance to add points, but they missed another penalty kick and they opted to go for a try as opposed kicking for points that again left them with nothing to show for their work on the pitch.

Everyone on TRFC's roster saw action in this friendly tilt that left everyone feeling pretty good about the direction of the team, even in a loss.  This game was the best Topeka has played against a British side so far and it showed the opportunities the Wizards have with a slew of rookies, who are athletic, in shape and eager to learn the game.  The vets also made great contributions to the match and their direction kept the game relatively close for most of the eighty minutes of play.

Topeka Rugby would like the thank Washburn University for allowing us the use of the football stadium.  We hope to be able to play there again in the future.