Despite mostly dictating play, due to some self-inflicted wounds, the Bears were unable to convert attacking opportunities into points through the first 20 minutes of play. However, the second 20 minutes would see Bruno cross the white line three times. The team's first try came at the 21-minute mark when number 8 Matt Schwab G'26 benefitted from a characteristic dominant Brown scrum on the Fairfield 5-meter line that drove the opposition into their own goal. Schwab was able to pick the ball from the back of the scrum and find some space just over the goalline for the game's opening points. Minutes later, a massive clearance kick and chase from fullback Inigo Langford '29 put the Fairfield back three under immense pressure. They hurried a counter kick to center Leo Clayburgh G'26, who caught the kick near midfield, and counter-attacked a disorganized defence on the wide side of the field and put away vice captain Tito Edjua '27 for another score. Brown was ahead 10-0 after 25 minutes.

At 30 minutes, the Brown defence committed a breakdown penalty in their own end, and Fairfield yielded 3 points from a 25-meter penalty kick to draw within one score, 10-3. However, on the last play of the first half, the Brown lead would be fortified by a crucial try by tight head prop Asa Rosenmeier '27. Rosenmeier's effort, set up by Tony Zhao's '26 strong carry through a gap in the defence, and deft ball presentation to keep the attack on the front foot, restored Brown's two-score advantage. Edjua added the conversion to give Brown a 14-point lead at halftime.

The second half was largely a defensive battle as the Stags refused to back down on their home turf, and the Bears continued to stifle themselves due to rampant handling errors brought about by the humid conditions and a slippery ball. A series of Fairfield penalties, though, provided Brown with an ideal platform deep in the attacking end. On the second phase off the ensuing lineout, Clayburgh took a pass near the 5-meter line off the back of the ruck from scrumhalf Charm Tuala '28 and powered through two Fairfield defenders for the only try of the second half. Edjua added the conversion. Ultimately, the front-runners were able to maintain their lead, and the Stags could never solve Bruno's swarming defensive pressure; the match ended in a 24-3 victory for Brown. Seven new players made their Brown debut, three grads and four freshmen, bringing fresh energy and dynamics to the team: Bertie Deen '29, Matt Schwab G'26, Fred Hughes G'26, Inigo Langford '29, Hoshi Ittetsu '29, Ben Le Roux '29, and Finley Brown G'26

Senior co-captain Henrique Gabriel '26 expressed satisfaction with the team's performance,

“They matched us physically and made the game difficult for us to get a grasp of, but I am proud of how we dug deep and came away with the win. We know it’s not the standard that we want to play at this season, but the foundation for this year has been set, and it will only get better from here.”

Head Coach David Laflamme praised Fairfield for their competitiveness but emphasized the need for improvement before their next game,

"Credit to Fairfield for giving us a good contest, their program continues to develop as one of our strongest opponents in the Liberty Conference, and their lively supporters always make things tough on the away team. We're glad to get out of here with a win and being able to identify a lot of things we now know we need to work on. We've had some tough matches against Siena over the last couple of years, so we know we need to be better next week and eliminate most of these mistakes."

Brown rugby next takes the field at home against the Siena College Saints out of Loudonville, NY, at 1 pm on September 13, 2025, on Marvel Field at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

SCORING SUMMARY
21:00 Brown Try, Schwab Brown 5 - 0 Fairfield
24:15 Brown Try, Edjua Brown 10 - 0 Fairfield
30:00 Fairfield Penalty Kick Brown 10 - 3 Fairfield
40:00 Brown Try, Rosenmeier Brown 15 - 3 Fairfield
Brown Conversion, Edjua Brown 17 - 3 Fairfield
58:40 Brown Try, Clayburgh Brown 22 - 3 Fairfield
Brown Conversion, Edjua Brown 24 - 3 Fairfield