Manassas, VA - Boston Irish Wolfhounds are onto the DI club quarterfinals, thanks to a 32-15 win over Metropolis today. Mark Tutton led with 14 points on two penalties and two conversions, while Steve Frey contributed two five-pointers to lead try scorers.

BIW's weight scrum (Declan Prenty photo)

“We played a fast, hard game of rugby from minute zero to minute 80,” BIW coach Dave Gonzales said. “It was nice to watch them put the ball through each other’s hands, backs going through the middle and then trying to spread it out wide. There were a few knockons, which were unfortunate, but we took our chances when we got them.”

Boston Irish found itself at a 5-3 deficit early on, but it would be the only time the team trailed. Lock Ilya Wortman and wing Frey ran in tries to put the team up 15-5 at half.

“We had an edge in the scrum and were able to pull two tries from it,” Gonzales explained. “We were generally bigger and were able to move the ball around. The size difference isn’t typical [of all our matchups], it can vary, but we adapt and read what we see.”

Loose forward Alex McIntyre did well to keep the forwards’ advantage visible in the open field, and the BIW centers kept the open ball moving forward as well. Currie Treever added a try in the second half, as did Frey, both of which Tutton converted.

Metropolis made a late surge and sandwiched Tutton's final penalty kick with tries, keeping the game respectable for a 32-15 finish.

“I was happy with the win, but we have a few tweaks to make,” Gonzales said. “Being out here on a wider field was different, and today was the first sunny day we’ve seen in months. The boys are OK – we’re hydrating and reloading for tomorrow.”

BIW has excellent depth and sports a season team that sees less than half the squad without nationals experience. It’ll come in handy as the team prepares to take on a sizeable Norfolk, which defeated Cincinnati 29-11 in its Round of 16 match.

“It’s good to be back here and get the win under our belt,” Gonzales said. “We’re going to concentrate on what we do well when we play Norfolk tomorrow..”

Game kicks off at 2:45 pm EST.