Later, as he was trudging back across campus, his head weighed down by an anvil of pain, a forlorn Carter had happened to pass a playing field where the university’s rugby club was out practicing. Despite his sorry condition, he stopped for a moment to watch. Carter had heard about rugby before, but had never seen it played. Standing there alone on the sidelines, watching the players run through their drills, hearing their captains barking out instructions, he felt a familiar longing tugging at his insides. He found himself staying there for the remainder of the practice session, trying to get a sense of what the game was all about. Rugby, so it had seemed to him, was an odd amalgam of soccer and muckle football. It all seemed a little out of control, but something about it intrigued him and made him forget for a time about his splitting headache. And so, when practice was over, he approached one of the team’s captains and inquired about giving the sport a try.

It was not long before Carter carved out a niche for himself on the team. His size and speed made him a perfect flanker, one of the pack of forwards whose job it was to fight for possession of the ball. Carter was a hellion on the field.With no experience and very little knowledge of the rules of the game, he often did the wrong thing, but for every error he committed he more than made up for it with his aggressive play. He was a fearsome, fearless tackler, and regardless of the situation, he always played his heart out. The discovery of the sport, the camaraderie, the brutally tough play, the teamwork, had all exhilarated Carter. It was pure joy, and it had the effect of bringing order and discipline back into his life. His elation was only furthered when he learned that there were amateur rugby clubs throughout New England for which he might play when his college days were finally history.

Life, he learned, could go on without football.

Now, after having practiced with his new club for just two weeks, Carter had already made a strong impression on his captain and teammates. He was a promising player, always hustling, never afraid to be in the thick of the action. His enthusiasm was contagious, and it soon became obvious that he was the kind of player who, simply through his example, could make everyone around him play better. All of that, however, would take a little seasoning, and his teammates tried to cajole him into forgoing his trip to Italy so as not to miss the first few matches of the fall campaign.