There is an old saying that goes the older you get, the wiser you become.

After not living up to its expectations last season, the Penn State men's rugby team hopes that this will be its case.

The Ruggers were a youthful team that had the skill to dominate any opponent, but often lacked the composure to finish the kill, and it paid dearly for this.

This led to results such as the Ruggers squeezing past lowly Loyola University, coupled with losses to an underrated Utah side.

Although the Ruggers lost close games to rugby powerhouses Army and Navy during the season, there was optimism that come the playoffs, the team's true colors would shine.

But it was not to be as the Ruggers just squeezed past the University of Delaware in the playoffs, winning 27-21. Then the Ruggers had their National Championship aspirations dashed when they lost in the Sweet Sixteens.

The Ruggers' inexperience might have worked against them last season, but with one year of experience under their belts, their confidence is soaring.

"We are incredibly strong," loose forward Jason Fisher said. "We have many experienced players coming back."

Penn State men's rugby coach Terry Ryland said that he and the coaching staff are excited about this season because they believe that the incoming members are some of the most athletically-gifted players Penn State has ever had.

"This year might be the best young athletic crop we have had in years," Ryland said. "And last year the players we had were very skillful.

Part of the reason might be that the Ruggers have been in camp since Aug. 19 and some of the B-side players from last season worked hard in camp and impressed the coaching staff. Camp has been done at 100 percent with nothing being left out.

Being in camp early should also help improve the communication among the backs, which was something that the Ruggers had problems with last year. The team also had problems with retaining consistent possession of the ball.

As a result, Ruggers practices this year have focused on the basics such as rucking, mauling and passing.

They also worked on their aggressiveness, especially on defense. Being more aggressive would help the Ruggers improve their confidence, which was sorely lacking in close games last season.

"Last season was a learning experience," Ryland said, "where they learned to believe in themselves."

This is especially important for the Ruggers as it lost a few players to graduation, including standout captain Kirk Neubauer.

Although he has yet to mention who is going to captain the side for the year, Ryland feels that the Ruggers have seniors in the team who can command the troops like Neubauer did.

"The captain of the team is only as good as the players around him," Ryland said. He mentioned players such as Fisher and Ian Mcgeachy have the capabilities to lead the team.

Expectations from team members are also high.

"We expect to win the league," Fisher said.

Ryland expects the same from the team. He also added that the team's first goal is to become a good rugby team, then win the Potomac Rugby Union Championship, in order to get a favorable seeding in the Mid-Atlantic Conference.

He hopes that if the Ruggers achieve these goals, it will propel them on to win a National Championship.