Gaels Take Down The Bruins

By AJ Clement

Moraga, Calif. —The undefeated Saint Mary's Gaels (10-0-0) defended their home pitch against the UCLA Bruins (5-6-0) Saturday after noon at the Saint Mary's Stadium with 91-14 victory. The Gaels
have been dominant all season, setting the standard for physical, disciplined rugby.

From the opening minutes, the Gaels overwhelmed the bruins and never relinquished control. Winger, Siale Ofa carried the ball past the try line in the opening minutes, scoring his first of four tries on the afternoon. Saint Mary's scored an impressive 15 tries in the match from 10 different players, showcasing the Gaels' depth and ability to generate offence across the roster. Despite the wind, the Gaels were able to capitalize on scoring through the boot. Oli Cline converted 5 attempts, while Iosefa Toia'ivao added three more.

Freshman flanker Dom Peterson, who has increasingly earned minutes in the Gaels' rotation this season, described the victory as an important step forward for the program. "This is a huge, landmark win," Peterson said. "Last year we lost to them in the regular season by quite a bit down in UCLA. That was a big letdown. But this is the first step on to a long run throughout the rest of the season."

Toia'ivao echoed that mindset. "A win is always a good day in the office," Toia'ivao said. "It just shows what we're building over here. Today's win was massive and we're just building momentum for the future."

Peterson pointed to the team's defensive effort as one of the biggest factors in the win.

"I think as a team, our defensive continuity was huge," Peterson said. "Guys bringing the physicality— that was definitely the biggest part of our game." Saint Mary's defensive pressure set the tone throughout the match, repeatedly shutting down UCLA's attacking phases and forcing turnovers. The Gaels maintained strong line speed and physical tackling across the field, limiting the Bruins' opportunities to build sustained possession. Their defensive continuity allowed Saint Mary's to quickly regain the ball and transition into attack, fueling the scoring surge that followed. The only blemish for the Gaels came late in each half, when UCLA took advantage of Saint Mary's yellow cards to score tries. Toia'ivao noted that the team is focused on maintaining discipline and continuing to refine their performance.

"We're just going to hit the film room hard and correct our wrongs," he said. "We want to be disciplined and straightforward."

The Gaels' unbeaten run continues as they move deeper into the season, with several marquee matchups still ahead.

Up Next
The Gaels are headed Northeast to face the UC Davis Aggies on Saturday, where Saint Mary's will look to maintain its perfect record and continue building momentum toward the postseason.