On most Saturdays, a group of rambuctious guys without a responsible advisor gets together and has a lot of, well, rambuctious fun.

One of Harvard's infamous final clubs?

Not quite, but it is the Harvard men's rugby football club, which opened its spring season Saturday with a win over Holy Cross.

The ruggers are beginning the season without volunteer coach and graduate student Martyn Kingston, who is away in South Africa working on his thesis.

"We're really looking forward to Martyn's return," Co-Captain Scott Tierney said. "It's really tough playing and coaching at the same time."

Despite Kingston's absence, the Crimson still has plenty of leadership from Co-Captains Tierney and Mike Newhouse, former Co-Captains Scott Roberts and Lanny Thorndike, and several other veteran players.

"We have a solid core of experienced players," Roberts said. "Mike [Newhouse] and Scott [Tierney] understand the game, and have provided a lot of leadership."

The Crimson will make its annual spring break tour again, this year traveling to New Orleans. Harvard will meet LSU, Tulane, and the New Orleans men's club team.

April promises to be an action-packed month for the Crimson. Harvard will compete in the Ivy League Championships, the New England Invitationals, and the Beanpot, in which it will try to defend the championship it captured last spring by defeating Boston College, 10-6.

Eight All-New England players lead the long list of returnees. Mike Gibbs, who snared the honor while playing at scrum-half, has been switched to wing.

The elusive Gibbs will be paired with Thorndike on the wings in the hope of providing the squad with improved explosiveness on offense.

"There are two streaks of lightening out there," Gibbs said, "ready to stike at any time."

Gibbs has been replaced at scrum-half by Tierney, who moves from his outside center postion.

Two other All-New England backs returning are senior Nathan Koenig and fall-time football player Cory Thabit, who together will share the full-back postion. Chris North, Dave Beardsley, Chris Arbery, Annor Ackah, and Richard Butcher also add quickness and experience to the backs.

"We want to play more of an outside running game," Tierney said. "We have a lot of fast, powerful runners. We haven't had a lot of speed in the past."