MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- With shouts of "Ruck On," the Hawaii Harlequins took to the pitch at MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, against the Sea Warriors of Hawaii Pacific University the afternoon of Feb. 21. With Windward-side bragging rights on the line, the Harlequins lit into the Sea Warriors with gusto, and didn't let up for 80 minutes.
The Sea Warriors put up several defensive stands early in the match to keep the Harlequins out of the try zone, but after an Andy Sutander blindside run put their first try on the scoreboard, the Harlequins were unstoppable.
The first half's only other scoring came from Harlequins flanker Joey "Krazy" Krezo. He drove like a machine at the flank, driving into the try zone for the score.
After the half, the blue-and-green suited Sea Warriors seemed ready to do some scoring of their own. Repeated forays down the pitch, however, were brutally halted by the larger, more experienced Harlequins. Blue-and-green bodies were tossed about like lost ships in a storm under a powerful wave of Harlequin baby blue.
Kevin Sturm, Hawaii Harlequins head coach, got in on the action to start the half, with a key tackle to halt a Sea Warrior drive.
"I'm an old dog, and I don't usually play much, but I wanted to get out there today," said the hard-hitting Sturm.
The second half's first score came from a no-look pass that would have made Magic Johnson proud. Barreling down the field, the massive Harlequins "T" managed to shed several Sea Warriors en route to assisting Jeremy Woodruff with the try.
The Sea Warriors just couldn't get a break, seeing another try scored by the lighting-fast Sam "Kamehameha Jr." T's brother, "Armani", assisted Robinson.
"I feel fit today," quipped a pumped-up Armani on the sidelines. "I'm not getting a second wind or anything; I'm just ready to go."
Less than a minute later, T showcased his talents again with a monster juke of an HPU defender on his way to a try-scoring clinic.
With the game well in hand, the final try of the match was a second score by Sutander. After being fed the ball, he danced through the tired HPU defenders to cap an excellent match at wing.
The Hawaii Harlequins Rugby Football Club's next match is against a U.S. Navy team at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki at 2 p.m., Feb. 28.
"The Harlequins are the closest thing to a 'home team' the Marines have," said Jeremy Woodruff, flanker for the 'Quins. "I hope that we can get some more support from Marines stationed out here."
For more information on Hawaii Harlequins Rugby, visit site at www.angelfire.com/hi3/HawaiiHarlequins/index.html or www.hawaii harlequins.com.