Stanford Men's Rugby vs. Trinity College
College Park | Dublin, Ireland
Trinity College 15, Stanford 14

DUBLIN, Ireland — Stanford Men's Rugby played in an electric atmosphere under the lights at Trinity College on Thursday evening, falling 15–14 in a dramatic final-play finish.

The match took place during Trinity's Freshers' Week—its undergraduate orientation week—as fans packed all sides of the field at College Park. It capped Stanford's Ireland tour, which also included a match at Banbridge RFC and two training sessions at Sport Ireland in Dublin.

Stanford opened the scoring with an early try from senior Nolan Pierce, who scored after multiple phases of a pick-and-go sequence. Rohan Hartigan added the conversion to give the Cardinal an early 7–0 advantage.

Trinity responded with an unconverted corner try, narrowing the margin to 7–5. The remainder of the first half featured an exchange of kicks, physical tackles and quick play from scrumhalf Taki Rifai.

As halftime approached, graduate student Max Burns—continuing his rugby career after playing with the UC Davis Aggies—powered through a double tackle before sprinting 40 meters for a try between the posts. Hartigan's conversion gave Stanford a 14–5 lead at the break.

The Cardinal continued to battle in the second half, with strong carries from Pierce, Jaime Cano and Liam Boyd helping Stanford maintain possession. Defensive efforts from Harris Layson, Nigel Willacy, Kyle Sisitsky and Hartigan set the tone as Trinity pressed for a comeback.

Trinity crossed for another corner try but missed the conversion, leaving Stanford ahead 14–10.

In the closing minutes, Trinity pushed relentlessly for the go-ahead score while the Cardinal delivered a determined defensive stand in an effort to run out the clock. Stanford forced a late turnover that appeared poised to secure the win, but an unfortunate knock-on during the ensuing exit attempt gave Trinity one final opportunity. With time expired, Trinity capitalized on its final scrum, moving the ball through the hands and diving over in the corner for the match-winning try.

Despite the narrow defeat, the Ireland 2026 International Tour will be remembered as a valuable experience for Stanford Men's Rugby. The team played at some of Ireland's most notable rugby venues and built momentum heading into the upcoming season with a strong core of athletes.

Final Score: Trinity College 15, Stanford Men's Rugby 14

Tries:

Conversions: