At every Penn State men's rugby match, there are always two or three former Ruggers in attendance to watch their team play.

At 6 p.m. tomorrow, Rugger alumnus Rich Pohlidal will be on the sidelines of Holuba Hall watching.

But this time it will be as head coach of the Ruggers' opponent, nationally ranked Army.

Pohlidal played for Penn State from 1995-97 and has been excited to face his former team.

He regrets not keeping pictures of himself from his playing days and said he jumped at the chance to come back to State College.

"It started off as just an opportunity to train at the Holuba facility with Penn State," Pohlidal said. "It then evolved into a full-time match and is seen by both sides as a big game."

As a back for the Ruggers, Pohlidal credits former Penn State head coach Terry Ryland, who now coaches the backs, for his growth as a rugby player and now a coach.

"As a student, he was a father figure to me and the entire program as a whole," Pohlidal said. "Terry, for me, is the program."

Pohlidal said that he always gets a weird feeling when facing Ryland and the Ruggers, especially because both teams are ranked among the nation's top 10. He spoke of all the relationships he formed in State College and said that he enjoys coming back to see the next generation of Ruggers.

As for tomorrow's edition of Penn State men's rugby, Pohlidal sees the Ruggers' backs as a force, especially Mike Petri.

"Petri is a well-versed back," Pohlidal said. "But I think we have the backs to challenge him."

Petri scored two tries in the Ruggers' last match, a 45-0 victory against Trent University.

Pohlidal used to watch Ryland's son, Timmy, grow up and learn how to be a solid rugby player. Timmy Ryland is now the captain of the Ruggers and Pohlidal sees him as the heart of the team.

"I've seen Timmy evolve into a great player," Pohlidal said. "I still can't believe he's not an All-American."

After the Ruggers' 45-0 win against Trent University of Ontario, they achieved a No. 6 national ranking, while Army is at No. 4.

Army is a much better team than Trent, making this game a big test for the Ruggers.

Pohlidal sees his opponent as a force this weekend and a test for his team.

"Penn State really seemed to figure things out over the break," Pohlidal said. "Both teams really need to put its best game on in this match-up."

While most alumni at the game will be cheering for Penn State, Pohlidal said that the visit will be bittersweet.

"Coach Ryland taught me how to be a student of the game and I hope to prove that in this game," Pohlidal said. "We're both ranked teams and all we can hope for is to put on a good game."