On April 9, the Francis Howell Force rugby team will face off against the De Smet Spartans. This is the Force’s first league game, while De Smet is 3-1 in league play and coming off of a 41-19 loss to CBC.

“This is going to be a very tough match,” Coach Trevor Locke said. “De Smet has a lot of quality players. Hopefully we have learned enough in the preseason to improve our chances in this game.”

While the FHF have gone winless in their preseason friendly matches, the team has worked harder than ever in preparation for this grueling 80 minutes against one of the best rugby clubs in the area. The Force have really focused their practices on the offensive side of things, as they are going to try to move the ball quickly and effectively to find the small, limited holes in the very good Spartan defense.

“We really just have to go in with a positive mindset and hope to win,” senior Robbie Corcoran said. “The key for us is to stay positive. We need to play with energy and heart, and we can hopefully win.”

The biggest problem for the Force, according to Corcoran, is going to be keeping up with the speed and strength of De Smet’s team and adjusting to the Spartan offensive attack. De Smet is a strong, physical team, and it will certainly be difficult for the Force, as this will be the first game ever played by this team. They are undoubtedly going to be doing all that they can to try to prove that the Force are a force to be reckoned with.

“It’s been a bit of a rough start for the program,” Locke said, “but, right now, we’re trying to get everyone to know the game and get an understanding of the gameplay. It takes a lot of time to learn and understand the game. We should get better as time goes along.”